Course description
The Graduate Diploma in Psychology is a conversion programme aimed at graduate students whose first degree had a psychology component but did not provide eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society. It provides knowledge and understanding of the core areas in psychology and is designed to confer eligibility for GBR.
Reasons to choose Graduate Diploma in Psychology course
Teaching excellence: There is a wide range of options available from the third level modules. Teaching and learning is supported by good IT facilities. There is also a commitment to learning in small groups with this programme. Our Teaching Quality Review commended our commitment to student support. All Graduate Diploma students have academic, pastoral and study skills support. Our Teaching Quality Review commended our commitment to supporting students.
Vocational Option: There are many opportunities for choosing vocational option modules on the programme, including Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology and Counselling Psychology. Moreover, successful graduates of the course will be able to register for the BPS accredited Master's degree course in either Forensic or Health Psychology, both of which are important stages in career development within these fields.
Student facilities: The Lanchester Library at Coventry University has a good selection of books on psychology, as well as a large collection of video and audiotapes on relevant topics. A wide range of psychology journals are held in the library, several of them are also available electronically. The Department of Psychology is equipped with computer laboratories, lecture theatres, seminar rooms and Psychology (physiology, cognitive, social and developmental) laboratories and video editing suite.
Online learning: The library has over 350 personal computers for student use as part of the university’s open access IT provision. The University is leading the way in Europe with a successful Web-based learning resource. Each module on the Graduate Diploma has a dedicated website which gives on and off-campus access to programme information.
Future prospects
Aimed at students seeking to enter employment as professional psychologists, the programme is a first step towards chartered status as a professional psychologist (GBR). Moreover, successful graduates of the programme will automatically be offered a place on our BPS accredited Masters’ degree programmes in Forensic Psychology, Forensic Psychology and Crime or Health Psychology, each of which are important stages in career development within these fields. For students who opt to pursue further study, we also offer the following postgraduate programmes:
• MSc in Applied Forensic Studies
• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology plus MPhil and PhD programmes.
Course content
The programme comprises of both level 2 and level 3 modules:
Level 2
* Principles of Psychology
* Investigating Psychology 2
Psychology 2
Level 3
* Independent Psychology Research
* Individuals and issues in Psychology
* Individual Research Project
Plus one of:
* Brain and Behaviour
* Models of Psychopathology
* Advanced Developmental Psychology
* Advanced Social Psychology
* Psychology of Anomalous Experience
* Applied Health Psychology
* Forensic Psychology
* Psychology and Education
