MSci Advanced Applied Psychology
Fully explore the scientific study of experience and behaviour
Fully explore the scientific study of experience and behaviour
- Gain a master's level degree as you explore all areas of psychology
- Learn from a team of research-active lecturers
- Use facilities including research laboratories
- Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
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in the UK for student satisfaction in Psychology
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6th
in the UK for Applied Psychology
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Overview
Explore the brain, behaviour and the human experience on an integrated master's degree
Our MSci Advanced Applied Psychology degree allows you to engage with all areas of psychology and gain a scientific understanding of the mind, brain, behaviour and experience, as well as the complex relationship between them.
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Gain a master’s level qualification
This integrated master’s degree programme combines undergraduate and postgraduate study into a single course, as you start your studies at BSc level and graduate with a level 7 qualification equivalent to an MSc at the end of your fourth year.
Explore all areas of psychology
Throughout your studies, you will explore the core principles that underline everyday human experience, as you examine how certain behaviours can be explained using psychological constructs and methods of investigation.
Study core principles including:
- Biological psychology
- Cognitive psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Individual difference psychology
- Mental health and forensic psychology
- Social psychology.
Apply your new clinical skills in your final year
During your final year, you will use all the knowledge and skills that you will have developed across the first three years of your degree to focus on a specialist scientific research project, as you learn to become a successful professional researcher in psychology.
Prepare for your future career or further study within psychology
Our MSci Advanced Applied Psychology degree is perfect if you are considering a career in a psychology-related field and acts as an excellent foundation for research work at doctoral level (PhD) or a professional doctoral programme in psychology.
Undertake your own practical research
Using our range of specialist psychology equipment and facilities, you will use your own practical research and analytic skills to explain everyday experiences and complete experiments to enhance your learning.
You are also encouraged to select your own dissertation project and research method in your final year with a dedicated supervisor to support your individual approach, and you can also volunteer as a research assistant in the Psychology Department.
Small teaching groups for more personalised support
Our small, interactive seminars mean you are seen as an individual, not just another face in the crowd as our lecturers get to know you and how best to support your academic and personal development.
Learn from expert and experienced practicing researchers
All our lecturers are active researchers or practitioners alongside their teaching roles, meaning that they bring their knowledge and research directly into the classroom with them, so you can be sure that you are engaged in the latest from the field of Psychology.
Accreditation
Our BSc (Hons) Psychology course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which means you’ll graduate with an industry-recognised qualification ready that acts as a first step to becoming a psychologist.
On this course you will:
- Explore all areas of psychology as you engage with complex, real-world problems.
- Gain a master's level qualification perfect for careers within psychology or for further study.
- Investigate psychological principles and theories using advanced research methods.
- Learn from research-active and experienced lecturers who get to know you and your needs.
- Choose your own research dissertation topic with the support of a dedicated, expert supervisor.
- Have the opportunity to volunteer as a Research or a Teaching Assistant in the psychology department.
- Learn on a BPS-accredited course and take the first step to becoming a psychologist.
The Course
Develop an in-depth understanding of the psychological principles and theories
Year One
In your first year, you will explore the fundamental principles of psychology studies as you begin to explore the science of our everyday experiences, and learn the key research methods and skills you will use throughout your degree.
Year Two
Your second year will expand your knowledge of all areas of psychology and further develop your experiment design, research analysis and criticism skills.
Year Three
In your third year, you will apply your skills and understanding to a variety of real-world contexts, as you develop your professional research skills ahead of your final year project on a topic of your choice.
Year Four
Your final year acts as the culmination of your learning across your degree, as you look to apply all your knowledge and skills to a final research dissertation project of your choice.
Alongside this, you will continue to develop your advanced research skills and techniques as you look to implement your own experiments to underpin your project.
Choose to specialise in a range of practical applications
In addition to the modules below, you will be able to select additional optional modules to specialise in the practical application of theory to a range of disciplines including sport and exercise, health, business, marketing, early years, education and the creative arts.
Indicative modules
You will study a selection of core and optional modules during your degree. Each module is worth a particular number of credits and is delivered differently depending on the needs of the module.
Modules
Select a year
Analysing Attitudes to Work & Performance
This module helps define a range of everyday experiences using psychological models of attitudes, as you learn how to analyse attitudes and explore psychological constructs, methodology and theories associated with experiences. Fundamental data analysis skills will be developed through lectures and the use of statistical software, with a focus on understanding patterns of data via visualisation.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a coursework assignment and a practical report.
Everyday Experience & Psychological Methods: Exploring Positive Psychology
The module explores the experience of positive psychology relating the need to understand one’s own motivation, aspirations, and goals to:
- Self-development
- Personality
- Need for achievement
- Self-efficacy
- Self-esteem.
You will explore psychological theories and empirical findings from investigations into needs, motivation, and self-concept.
Experimental Design in Context: Usability and Cognition
This module explores functions and experiences relevant to using technology, focusing on the criteria used to assess technology’s usability and how human limitations relate to this usability and usage. You will be introduced to certain psychological theories and empirical findings from investigations into information processing by the mind, and discuss a range of methodologies and analyses such as laboratory experimentation and inferential statistics.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a practical report and research participation.
Interpersonal Skills
The module will begin by considering the nature of interpersonal skills and the elements that constitute effective communication. This will provide an opportunity to explore models of communication and effective verbal and non-verbal communication. You will also consider how interpersonal skills may be evaluated and improved.
Perspectives On Psychology
This module seeks to enable you to understand the contribution of key thinkers to the development of modern psychology and to appreciate their biographical backgrounds. The lives and work of key thinkers will be introduced and contextualised with reference to contemporary ideas and more.
Principles of Psychology
This module examines the origins and development of modern psychology. You will focus on the main approaches to studying and describing human behaviour, for example, behaviourism, the psychodynamic approach, the humanistic approach, the cognitive approach, and the biological basis of behaviour.
Study & Research Skills for Social Scientists
This module is an opportunity to advance your personal, research and study skills and will support other content-led teaching. You will be assessed through a report and research participation.
The Study of Human Interaction
This module explores the functions of understanding relationships. You will study the processes related to forming an impression of someone and forming a relationship with them through a variety of behaviours.
Certain psychological theories and empirical findings will form investigations into attraction, prejudice and stereotyping, and a range of methodologies and analyses, such as interviewing, content analysis and observational approaches will be explored.
Biological Psychology
This module explores the ways biological processes have been studied, for example through brain lesions and cell stimulation methodologies.
The areas of behavioural genetics, neuro-imaging, neuropsychology, socio-biology and evolutionary psychology will be investigated in terms of underlying theory and empirical research.
Cognitive Psychology
This module will introduce you to the ways cognitive processes have been studied in the past. This includes studying experimental and cognitive neuropsychological methodologies. You will investigate the areas of attention, perception, learning, thinking and language and relate your findings to underlying theory and empirical research.
Developmental Psychology
This module explores the study of development and maturation in cognitive, personality and social processes, as well as introduces you to basic theory, research findings and methods of investigation in childhood, adolescence and lifespan development.
You will consider the ways in which behaviour is influenced by developmental factors, the nature of developmental processes and the ways in which empirical research can help us to understand how developmental processes influence what we do.
Individual Differences Psychology
On this module, you will be introduced to how individual differences processes have been studied in the past, for example through psychometrics and case study methodologies.
You will investigate areas of personality, intelligence, cognitive style, motivation, gender, and ethnicity in terms of underlying theory and empirical research.
Assessment
You will be assessed through an essay and a lab report.
Mental Health and Forensic Psychology
This module is an opportunity to explore a comprehensive range of key constructs, theories, and research in mental health and forensic psychology. You will examine the numerous ways that psychological research, methods, and expertise are applied to the study of criminal behaviour and the issues that psychopathology create within the context of the criminal justice system.
Research Methods: Experimental Designs & Analysis
This module will develop your understanding of experimental designs and associated methods of analysis, and introduce you to research ethics.
Research Methods: Survey and Qualitative Designs and Analysis
The module aims to develop your understanding of survey and qualitative designs and associated methods of analysis related to Psychology.
Social Psychology
This module acts as an introduction to Social Psychology and social cognition.
The module will cover topics such as person perception, social influence, stereotyping and prejudice, attitudes, attributions, group processes, and attraction and close relationships.
Applied Sports Psychology: Professional Practice
The soft skills required by a sport and exercise psychologist are imperative to effectiveness as a practitioner. The aim of the module is to examine the nature of applied sport psychology practice and discuss and critique how sport psychologists work with clients in relation to initial assessment, case formulation, intervention planning and delivery, monitoring and evaluation.
Exercise and Physical Activity Interventions
This module applies health-behaviour-change theory and research to the promotion of physical activity in specialised populations, such as those with chronic health conditions or physical disabilities. It looks at different types of interventions, such as those targeting individuals, groups and national campaigns.
Independent Project
In this module, you are encouraged to adopt a problem-oriented approach. The first stage is to identify a problem in psychology of interest and relevance to your studies.
You will determine an appropriate approach to addressing the problem through discussion with tutors who have relevant theoretical and practical expertise.
Your investigation may be based within a single discipline, or it may involve more than one discipline, but it must be based within your chosen degree programme.
Project Management and Presentation Skills
This project will support you to develop a wide range of skills from project management to the ability to present your research results in an accessible form. You will develop their scientific reasoning and reporting skills and produce a poster to present your research work.
Psychology and Social Issues
This module will introduce psychological and interdisciplinary focus on ten issues of current social concern. You could explore: discrimination (gender, age, race, disability and sexual orientation ), perceptions of rape and rape victims, child abuse and family violence, the psychology of material possessions, shopping and shopping addiction, childhood (non-verbal communication and interventions), health and health inequalities , sexual health, contraception and abortion, chronic illness, dying, death and bereavement, health promotion, disease prevention or the health care system.
Psychology in Context: Cultural Psychology
This module takes an interdisciplinary approach to the major topics of psychology, including Biological, Cognition, Development, Health, Individual Differences, Social, and the Self, and will relate them to life in a multicultural world.
You will be introduced to
- Cultural psychology
- Culture and human nature
- Cultural evolution
- Methods for studying culture and psychology
- Development and socialisation
- Cultural differences in: the self and personality, motivation, cognition and perception, interpersonal attraction, close relationships, group processes, living in multicultural worlds, physical health, mental health, morality, justice, and emotions.
Assessment:
You will be assessed through a research proposal and a two hour unseen exam.
Psychology in Context: Work and Organisations
You will consider a range of relationships between working conditions, jobs and organisational processes, psychological outcomes, and their impact on job and organisational performance. Psychological reactions including job satisfaction, job stress, motivation, work engagement, and organisational commitment are investigated, and organisational functions such as job design, health and safety at work, and organisational team-working, are considered.
Advanced Applied Research Skills in Psychology 1 and 2
These modules will help you develop a wide range of methodological skills to conduct high-quality research and impact in your chosen field, enabling you to become a successful professional researcher in psychology.
Applied Advanced Psychology
You will enhance your knowledge and understanding of contemporary psychological issues that are central to everyday life such as persuasive health communications, health behaviour change and interventions in childhood.
Research Dissertation
In this module, you will complete an in-depth research project relating to an area of psychology. Your will determine your research project to meet your interests with support from your supervising tutor.
Teaching and Assessment
Feel the support of our experienced and expert staff
Smaller class sizes for better learning
You will build your subject knowledge and practical experience through lectures, workshops and tutorials in small classes, which means our expert teaching staff really get to know you and what support you need.
Peer-assisting learning for even more support
Students in their third year often act as teaching assistants in first- and second-year classes to help ensure that no-one falls behind, as they offer extra help available if you don’t feel confident to raise your hand.
Contact time
Each module has three hours of contact time per week. You will study four modules per semester, so you will have 12 contact hours per week including lectures, seminars and workshops.
Learn more about our teaching staff
Professor Antonina Pereira
Antonina has a PhD in Psychology and an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology, as well as an MRes in Educational Psychology.
Antonina’s research is particularly focused on Prospective Memory assessment and rehabilitation in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease through behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms.
Moitree Banerjee
Moitree is the Head of Psychology and Criminology Programme in the Institute of Psychology, Business and Human Sciences. She is a Reader in Clinical Psychology.
Esther Burkitt
Esther is a Chartered Psychologist, a Chartered Scientist, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Esther is Year 1 Academic Adviser for Psychology students, as well as the Admissions Tutor for many courses within the department.
Karen Rodham
Karen has a wealth of university teaching experience, having held posts across well-respected institutions since 1995.
Karen’s research revolves around how to better support people who are coping with complex and long-term physical conditions, with a focus on qualitative approach to data collection and analysis.
Ian Tyndall
Dr Ian Tyndall is a cognitive-behavioural psychologist in the Department of Psychology.
Ian’s research is particularly focused on experimental investigations of cognitive and behavioural processes underpinning clinical psychology conditions.
Ian is the Study Abroad officer and the Employability Officer for the Department.
Roy Spina
Roy completed his BSc in Psychology at University of British Columbia, before undertaking his MSc and PhD in Social and Personality psychology at Queen’s University (Canada), acquiring a strong background in research methodology and statistics, with an emphasis on quantitative experimental research.
In addition to being Academic Advisor and Research Degrees Co-ordinator, Dr Spina is the Research Lead for the department.
Rachel King
Rachel leads several second-year modules in the Department, in addition to supervising extended project qualification and BSc dissertation projects.
Currently, Rachel is interested in the functional impact of prospective memory deficits and the potential of hyperthermic conditioning for slowing the progression of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.
She is also a graduate member of the British Psychological Society.
Stephanie Jane Bennett
Stephanie is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society as well as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
As well as a BSc, MSc and PhD in Psychology, she also has a MSc Degree in Crime Science Investigation and Intelligence. Stephanie has experience of working for the NHS, NGOs as well as extensive experience of teaching and researching across both Criminology and Psychology.
Dr. Valentina Canessa-Pollard
Valentina is Head of BSc Counselling Psychology Programme, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Chartered Psychologist with British Psychological Society.
Valentina’s research interest centre around human non-verbal communication and sexual violence prevention and recovery.
Assessments
You will be assessed through a range of assignments including:
- Scientific reports
- Essays
- Exams
- Group and individual presentations
- Poster design
- Research participation.
You may also be assessed on in-class debates, quizzes and how you apply analytical techniques to problem solving.
Experience
Discover our range of specialist research equipment and facilities
Brain Imaging Unit and Neuroimaging: NIRScout
Our neuroimaging system with a 3D scalable ultra-high-density near-infrared spectroscopy platform measures changes in the cerebral cortex using NIRScout and NIRx Medical Technologies.
Eye tracking software
Our specialist eye tracking software allows you to track shifts in visual attention and can be used for attentional retraining purposes.
Virtual Reality Unit and Immersive Suite
Suite including an affective immersive emotional Virtual Reality stimuli package that allows researchers to create different worlds for Neuroscience Research using aLIAS and Vizard.
Advanced Physiological Data Acquisition system
Our specialist advanced data acquisition system allow you to measure physiological activity from the brain, heart and motor neuron pathways with Biopac software.
Specialist Advanced Research Software
Software for measuring and manipulating a broad range of psychological constructs; Inquisit, Qualtrics, Noldus Observer XT, E-prime, Superlab and Nvivo.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Rylee
Study Abroad
Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad
As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies as you enrich and broaden your educational experiences.
Students who have done this in the past have found it to be an amazing experience, broadening their horizons and giving them an opportunity to meet new people, as well as the experience of travelling and immersing themselves in a new culture.
You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to help ensure you get the best out of your time studying abroad.
Careers
Where you could go after your studies
British Psychological Society registration
Our MSci Advanced Psychology degree qualifies for Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the BPS, which gives you a recognised foundation to progress to specialist areas of psychology and eventually become a Chartered Psychologist.
There are currently 10 professional divisions within the BPS including Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sport and Exercise Psychology. Each of these pathways has a professional training programme which starts with attaining a GBR.
Other career options
As well as providing a basis for work as a professional psychologist, a psychology degree provides a good insight into human behaviour that will equip you with the skills to work in a wide range of fields.
Your psychology degree could lead to a career in:
- Industry
- Media
- Teaching
- Work with children, adults and families
- IT
- Computing
- Marketing
- Civil Service.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2025/26
UK fee
International fee
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fee page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
Entry Requirements
Typical offers (individual offers may vary):
UCAS
A Levels
BTEC/Cambridge Technical
Access to HE Diploma
GCSEs
IB
IELTS
Are you interested in this course and would like to learn more? Please email Professor Esther Burkitt on e.burkitt@chi.ac.uk for admissions queries.
Non-standard Application Entry Routes
The University has an alternative entry route for applicants who have relevant skills and experience but who do not hold the formal minimum entry qualifications required. Applicants who demonstrate the necessary skills and experience to enter a course of higher education will be asked to complete an entry task involving the completion of specially set assignments.
Do you have any questions about the entry requirements? Contact our Admissions Team.
Contextual offers
We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to pursue higher education, regardless of their background.
When we receive your application we consider your personal circumstances and the factors surrounding your achievements to see if you are eligible for a contextual offer. This is an offer with a reduced entry tariff – typically the equivalent of 16 fewer UCAS points (two A-level grades).
Find out more about our contextual offers.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Click the ‘Apply now’ button to go to relevant UCAS page.
Many qualifications have a UCAS Tariff value. The score depends on the qualification, and the grade you achieved.
Head to the UCAS Tariff Points web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.
