Health Psychology MSc - 2026/7
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Level 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MSc Health Psychology
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGCert | Psychology |
| PGDip | Psychology |
Professional recognition
British Psychological Society (BPS).
Successful completion of this programme fulfils stage one of the requirements towards Chartered Membership of the Society and full membership of the Division of Health Psychology.
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Full-time | PLD61007 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
| Part-time | PLD61008 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Other internal and / or external reference points
Previous programme specification and review documents
Faculty and Department / School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences - Psychology
Programme Leader
LALLY Phillippa (Psychology)
Date of production/revision of spec
15/05/2026
Educational aims of the programme
- To enable students to harness relevant theory and evidence in the integrated formulation of a wide range of commonly encountered health problems and issues
- To facilitate self-reflection in support of personal and professional development via constructive feedback
- To prepare students for professional work pursued in a highly responsible, self-regulated, self-efficacious and politically sensitive fashion
- To produce students equipped with the basic interpersonal, technical and creative skills required for the effective analysis and formulation of health problems, and for the effective design, implementation and evaluation of health interventions
- To provide students with advanced knowledge and understanding of theory and practice in Health Psychology in accordance with the requirements and standards pertaining to Stage 1 of the British Psychological Society criteria for an accredited MSc in Health Psychology
- To train students in the informed and systematic application of the research-practitioner involving problem analysis and formulation, intervention design and evaluation
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| Implement some techniques pertinent to research and research-based practice in Health Psychology | CPT | PGCert, PGDip | |
| Apply some basic and advanced research design and analysis methods, principles and techniques (including qualitative and quantitative methods) | KCP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Develop knowledge and understanding of Health Psychology as an applied, theory-based science and professional practice, situated within an interdisciplinary framework, in contemporary contexts | K | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Develop knowledge and understanding of theory and evidence pertaining to the curriculum areas detailed by the British Psychological Society: research and research methods; professional issues; contexts and perspectives in health psychology; physiological and psychosomatic disease processes; client groups and other stakeholders; health-related behaviours and cognitions; interventions; healthcare and professional settings plus measurement issues | K | MSc | |
| Understand, apply, interpret and critically evaluate basic and advanced research design and analysis methods, principles and techniques (including qualitative and quantitative methods) | KCP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Critically consider the contributions of, and limitations of applying, Health Psychology to address real-world problems | KCP | PGDip, MSc | |
| Analyse and theoretically formulate various problem scenarios and issues pertinent to the practice of Health Psychology using a range of models and theories consistent with the principle of 'integrative' practice | CPT | MSc | |
| Reflect on both hypothetical and real-world examples to iteratively inform theory development | KCP | MSc | |
| Select, design, implement and evaluate a wide range of techniques pertinent to research and research-based practice in Health Psychology | CPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Communicate ideas, principles, theories and problem formulations by oral, written and visual means, for specialist and non-specialist audiences | PT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Operate within a problem-solving research-based practitioner framework | KT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Use information technology (e.g. internet, electronic databases, word processing software, presentation software, data analysis packages) and generative AI tools ethically and critically to enhance learning and completion of tasks | PT | MSc |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
Full-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied full-time over one academic year, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7*. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
*some programmes may contain up to 30 credits at FHEQ level 6.
Part-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied part-time over two academic years, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Programme Adjustments (if applicable)
N/A
Modules
Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Complete all compulsory modules in Semester 1. Complete compulsory modules in Semester 2. In semester 2, students are required to take a quantitative data analysis module that suits their level of prior statistics training. They should select either PSYM187 Advanced Quantitative Data Analysis (recommended for those with a strong grounding in statistics from their undergraduate/prior studies) or PSYM188 Fundamentals of Quantitative Data Analysis (recommended for those who have not studied statistics before or who do not have a good understanding of statistics). In Semester 2 students can choose between PSYM183 or PSYM189 depending on their interest.
Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
In Semester 1: Students must take both PSYM064 and PSYM147 (compulsory modules)
In semester 2, students must take a quantitative data analysis module that suits their level of prior statistics training. They should select either PSYM187 Advanced Quantitative Data Analysis (recommended for those with a strong grounding in statistics from their undergraduate/prior studies) or PSYM188 Fundamentals of Quantitative Data Analysis (recommended for those who have not studied statistics before or who do not have a good understanding of statistics).
In Semester 2 students must choose two modules from the following: PSYM183, PSYM189, PSYM004 or PSYM006.
Students MUST take PSYM004 and PSYM006 by the end of the course.
Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
In Semester 1: Students must take both PSYM022 and PSYM151 (compulsory modules).
In Semester 2 IF students took PSYM183 or PSYM189 in Year 1 they now take PSYM004 and PSYM006. IF students took PSYM004 and PSYM006 in year 1 they now take the other and in addition can choose between PSYM183 or PSYM189 depending on interest.
Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity
| Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics | N | |
| Professional Training Year (PTY) | N | |
| Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) | N | |
| Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) | N | |
| Study exchange (Level 5) | N | |
| Dual degree | N |
Other information
Other information
Employability: The programme develops key transferable skills while meeting Stage 1 requirements of the British Psychological Society. Students learn to critically analyse literature, conduct research (review, design, methods, data analysis), communicate findings in written and oral forms, and apply health psychology theories to real-world health challenges. They practice critical thinking, problem-solving and communication for both non-specialist (e.g. leaflets) and specialist audiences (e.g. essays, reviews, presentations). Assessments support independent and team working, leadership and time management.
Digital Capabilities: Students are trained to use software for surveys, eye-tracking, and data analysis (e.g., Jamovi). They develop skills in presentation and communication tools (e.g., PowerPoint, Prezi) and collaborative platforms (e.g., Teams, Padlet). Students will engage with online learning environments, specialist digital resources and emerging technologies, including the critical and responsible use of AI-supported tools to enhance information retrieval, analysis and professional or academic judgement.
Sustainability: Students engage with topics relating to health promotion, planetary health and health inequalities, mapping onto multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (e.g. Good Health and Wellbeing, Reduced Inequalities). Students design a psychologically informed health intervention and may conduct empirical research on health-related SDGs.
Global and cultural capabilities: Students are encouraged to recognise the assumptions of Western-based theories in health psychology, identify and challenge cultural specificity and consider cultural contexts when designing interventions.
Resourcefulness and resilience: In a supportive environment, students exchange ideas, work collaboratively and reflect on their views, building confidence and professionalism to adapt knowledge and skills to different contexts in which health psychologists operate.
Quality assurance
The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.