PGDip Psychology

Institution Nottingham Trent University
Method At the institution
Location Nottingham
Type Postgraduate
Course fee By request

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PGDip Psychology

Objectives In the UK the British Psychological Society (BPS) accredits Psychology degrees. An appropriately accredited qualification is the necessary first step towards becoming a professional psychologist. The MSc/PG Dip in Psychology is a conversion course for graduates of other disciplines or whose first degree is not recognised by the BPS. Holders of both the MSc and PG Dip are eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS.

Students on MSc /PG Dip Psychology join a course which is well established and flourishing. Our graduates have been very successful in gaining PhD bursaries, places on specialist professional training courses and relevant jobs. A number have given conference presentations or published with staff, and external examiners have praised the high quality of the work produced by the students.

MSc or PG Dip?

Both courses show that you can work successfully at postgraduate level but the MSc is a higher status qualification. The MSc Psychology covers the same modules as the PG Dip plus an additional 60 credits. The additional 60 credits include 20 credits of optional modules in contemporary psychology, a specialist essay in an area of the students own choice (20 credits) and an extended research project. In this way, the MSc provides students with a greater opportunity for following their own interests.

There are thus some important differences between the courses but the PG Dip and MSc students are taught together, with the MSc students taking their additional modules from term two onwards. This means that, assuming you meet the entry criteria for both courses, it is easy to transfer from one to the other at any point in the first term.

The BPS stipulates that a minimum of 180 credits of Psychology are required to obtain the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. Like most conversion courses, the PG Dip Psychology involves 120 credits only and thus an entry requirement is that applicants have to demonstrate that they have at least 60 credits of Psychology from prior study at degree level. This is not a requirement for the MSc Psychology which consists of 180 credits.

Accreditation by the British Psychological Society (BPS)

This course is accredited by the BPS as a psychology conversion course conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Registration. This is the first step towards becoming a chartered Psychologist and provides the basis for further professional training in psychology.
Entry requirements An undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) or other recognised equivalent qualification
Applicants whose undergraduate degree is a 2.2 and applicants with ordinary degrees and/or alternative equivalent life skills and experiences will also be considered but will be required to demonstrate their motivation and ability to study at the required academic level in their Personal Statement.

Applicants require 60 credits of Psychology from prior study at degree level.

IELTS 6.5 (min writing score 6.0) / TOEFL 560 (min writing score 5)/TOEFL iBT 83 (min writing score 24)
Academic title PGDip Psychology
Course description
MSc / PG Dip Psychology course content

Psychology is the systematic study of behaviour and experience. As a discipline it is wide-ranging and overlaps with both biological sciences, such as neurology, physiology and genetics, and with social sciences such as sociology and anthropology.

The course is designed to provide dedicated supportive teaching tailored to the particular needs of postgraduate conversion students and to facilitate the development of a strong course identity among students.
- The course is based on core modules, specific to the conversion course, which are taught by a small team of approachable and enthusiastic staff who are experienced in supporting students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds.
- Further support is provided through small group individualised teaching in tutorials and individual supervision of the Research Project and Specialist Essay.
- The Psychology Division is large, with around 50 academic staff covering all areas of the discipline, and thus students on the MSc/PG Dip are able to take options from, and do research projects in areas of particular interest to them. This can be very helpful in preparation for related work or further study after graduation.
Modules studied include:
- Biological Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Historical and Conceptual Issues
- Individual Differences
- Research Methods
- Statistics
- Research Project
- Contemporary Psychology (MSc only)
- Specialist Psychology Essay (MSc only).
The course:
- provides graduates in other disciplines with a route to becoming a professional psychologist
- covers all of the core knowledge areas within psychology
- deepens students' range of quantitative and qualitative research skills and methods, culminating in an independent research project
- gives students access to, and requires them to make use of, recently developed and well-equipped laboratories
- provides lectures, seminars, tutorials and lab classes that facilitate the development of a course identity among students
- makes full use of the facilities provided by the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Research opportunities
Students carry out both an empirical research project with a research active member of staff and an in-depth literature based dissertation. The Division of Psychology has links with several external organisations and some students will be able to make use of these links in carrying out their research project.

Assessment
The course is assessed on a modular basis via examination, coursework, presentation, research and project/dissertation work.

Psychology resources and facilities
The BPS-accredited psychology conversion courses at Nottingham Trent University are supported by nearly 50 academic staff and an appropriate level of other support staff (secretarial, clerical, admin and technical).

The University has made significant financial investment in the Psychology Division over recent years upgrading accommodation, facilities and equipment used exclusively for the provision of our psychology courses and for research. We have a state-of-the-art undergraduate teaching laboratory suite opened in 2006, and a further phase of development, opened in 2007, includes a second teaching laboratory specifically catering for postgraduate students.

In addition there are specialist suites dedicated to particular areas of interest in psychology, including:
- social interaction, group work and interviewing
- computer gaming and cyberpsychology
- eye-tracking
- cognitive modelling and visual analysis
- psychophysiology.
Alongside these are new flexible cubicles for student project work, a psychometric test bank library, and a technical workshop.