MSc Health Psychology / Course details

Students will produce a research dissertation, under supervision. This will involve identifying research questions, developing the design of a research project, carrying out the research, analysing the data and then writing up the project in the format of a paper for an academic journal. A list of potential projects and supervisors will be provided at the start of Semester 1 from which students will identify preferred projects and supervisors. We will attempt to match students to their preferred project supervisor wherever possible. The supervision period will extend across the whole academic year (semester 1 & 2 and the summer; over two years for part-time students).  

In addition to presenting the dissertation in the form of a journal article, students will also produce a summary of their research suitable for a lay audience. In support of this work students will receive instruction on writing at Masters Level, conducting ethical research and gaining ethical approval. They will learn about the BPS ethical code and receive detailed guidance on how to obtain the necessary approvals from the relevant review bodies (such as NHS REC, R&D and University REC boards). 

• Provide students with a unique experience of designing, conducting and reporting an independent, original research project.
• Enable students to critically appraise and synthesise published research
• Enable students to formulate and work with a relevant research question
• Ensure students gain an understanding and application of appropriate research and data-analytic methodologies
• Develop research writing skills
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex data to a suitable audience. 

By the end of this unit, students will:

• Have an in-depth understanding of the literature in a specific area of health psychology for students registered on the MSc in Health Psychology and in a specific area of clinical and/or health psychology for those registered on the MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology
• Understand how to identify an appropriate research question.
• Understand the requirements of scientific writing and data presentation.
• Understand the ethical issues and processes involved in research.
• Be fully conversant with relevant ethical guidelines and the procedures involved in gaining ethical and other approvals.
• Generate timely and theoretically grounded research questions.
• Identify and employ the appropriate research methods and analysis techniques necessary to answer their research question.
• Be able to interpret data and the clinical implications of analyses.
• Conduct appropriate analytic techniques, working with relevant software when appropriate.
• Implement and manage appropriate data collection techniques.
• Manage and work with datasets.
• Be able to present the study and its findings in academic style and present it in the format required for publication in a relevant periodical.
• Be able to communicate findings suitably for a lay audience.
• Demonstrate project management skills (e.g., time management, prioritisation of tasks).
• Develop professional skills in working with others (e.g., supervisor, participants, other professionals as appropriate).

Learning will largely be through regular individual or small group meetings with a nominated project supervisor, guided reading, and independent, self-directed learning. 

• Oral presentation (15% of unit grade): Students will present their planned projects in an oral presentation at the end of semester 1 or start of semester 2   The presentation will outline the rationale for, design of, and methods to be used in the project as well as the planned data analysis approach. It will also require consideration of any ethical concerns in relation to the project, and how these will be addressed.
• Dissertation (80%): Project report, written in the format of a journal article - the length required by the selected journal (5,000 to 10,000 words)  
• Lay Summary (5%): A summary of the completed dissertation written for a lay audience (500 words).  

Presentations will be marked by two examiners, one of whom will be the unit lead. Dissertations and lay summaries will be marked by two examiners, one of whom will be the supervisor. The presentation, lay summary and dissertation will be marked according to the criteria set out in Dissertation Handbook.

Further information on the dissertation is available in the dissertation handbook.

• American Psychological Association (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition. APA, Washington DC
• Bem, D.J.B. (2003). Writing the Empirical Journal Article In, Darley, J. M., Zanna, M.P., & Roediger III, H. L. (Eds) (2003). The Compleat Academic: A Practical Guide for the Beginning Social Scientist, 2nd Edition. APA, Washington DC
• British Psychological Society (2021). Ethics Guidelines for Internet-mediated Research. BPS, Leicester. https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/ethics-guidelines-internet-mediated-research
• British Psychological Society (2021) Code of Human Research Ethics. BPS, Leicester. https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/bps-code-human-research-ethics
• Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using SPSS (Fifth edition). Sage, London.