Psychology (Online) MSc - 2026/7
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Levels 6 and 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MSc Psychology (Online) MSc (Distance Learning)
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGDip | Psychology (Online) MSc |
| PGCert | Psychology (Online) MSc |
Professional recognition
British Psychological Society (BPS)
Accredited against the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Part-time | PLD61029 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Other internal and / or external reference points
N/A
Faculty and Department / School
Surrey Online - SOL - Psychology
Programme Leader
TENENBAUM Harriet (Psychology)
Date of production/revision of spec
15/11/2024
Educational aims of the programme
- To enable students to link theoretical and empirical questions to psychological issues and to provide them with an in depth understanding of the practical applications and action implications of psychological theories and empirical findings.
- To offer opportunities to develop the basic interpersonal, technical, and creative skills required for the effective analysis and formulation of problems into research questions and, where appropriate, testable hypotheses.
- To provide students with an in-depth knowledge of theoretical and methodological approaches within the discipline of Psychology.
- To provide students with the skills to evaluate possible interventions in a variety of psychological domains.
- To provide students with theoretical and qualitative/quantitative methodological expertise to conduct psychological research by training them in the informed and systematic conduct of basic and applied research involving the critical reading of theories and empirical findings.
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| Systematically describe a diverse range of global research across the core areas of Psychology. | KC | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Use their digital literacy skills to critically evaluate these theoretical perspectives and the empirical evidence that tests them. | CP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Draw on their resourcefulness to critically discuss the implications of key findings within the core areas of Psychology. | KCP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Synthesise different perspectives to provide a broader understanding of the core areas of Psychology | KC | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Demonstrate and apply research skills by engaging with key aspects of the research process such as experiment design, taking into account important theoretical models, philosophical issues and methodological considerations across the core areas of Psychology. | KCP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of quantitative and qualitative techniques and strategies to manage and analyse psychological data. | K | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of ethical considerations when undertaking research and framing interventions. | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| Communicate work in a professional manner for academic and non-academic audiences in written and verbal formats. | PT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Understand and implement effective learning strategies to manage their own personal and professional development in a resourceful and resilient way. | KPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how their subject specific knowledge and transferrable skills developed during the course can enhance employability. | KCPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
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 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students are required to undertake the below modules before the dissertation:
Statistics and Data Analysis (Will always be taught prior to taking the second summer semester)
Psychology Research Methods and Design (Will always be taught prior to taking the second summer semester)
Preparation for Psychology Dissertation Study (Has to be undertaken in the second summer semester)
The diet represents the modules which will be undertaken throughout the whole course. However, delivery of the module e.g., which order they will be undertaken will be specific depending on which entry point you join. This can be confirmed by contacting your programme lead.
Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students are required to undertake the below modules before the dissertation:
Statistics and Data Analysis (Will always be taught prior to taking the second summer semester)
Psychology Research Methods and Design (Will always be taught prior to taking the second summer semester)
Preparation for Psychology Dissertation Study (Has to be undertaken in the second summer semester)
The diet represents the modules which will be undertaken throughout the whole course. However, delivery of the module e.g., which order they will be undertaken will be specific depending on which entry point you join. This can be confirmed by contacting your programme lead.
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
The school/department of Psychology is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This programme is designed to allow you to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:
Digital capabilities: You will increase your digital capabilities by learning to create recorded presentations, making posters, accessing literature scoping software, learning open-access statistical packages, and collecting data online.
Employability: You will increase your data-analytic expertise, written and verbal communication skills, project management, and working to deadlines. You will learn to incorporate formative feedback. All these skills are valued across workplaces. These skills will be showcased on your updated CVs, on which you will receive feedback.
Global and cultural capabilities: You will increase in your global and cultural competences Teaching materials will incorporate readings and examples from the global south and people from global majority ethnic backgrounds. As our you will come from different parts of the world, we will capitalise on the different interests and needs of different cultural groups and geographic contexts in our learning activities
Resourcefulness and Resilience: You will learn to identify times when you were resilient so that you can learn from their past experiences. You will complete a variety of assessments to help increase your learning and become more confident. Many modules, the dissertation in particular, require you to draw and build upon the knowledge and experiences you have gained on the programme, with guided support from your instructors and supervisor.
Sustainability: You will learn about basic knowledge that can be applied to many global challenges (e.g., good health and wellbeing, gender equality, ways to improve education) throughout different modules. You will also take a module (Key Questions in Environmental Psychology) where you will focus on sustainability from a psychological perspective.
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.