Conversion master's courses are confusing, please help.

I'm a 2:2 biochemistry graduate, and I've been working in a government lab since graduating in August 2023. I realise that lab work is not for me, due to heath and personal reasons. I have been heavily considering applying for a psychology conversion course, however, if I was to complete this course, would I be able to get onto a psychology masters course, following the conversion course? I ask this because everywhere I look, all I can see is that psychology masters require a 2:1 minimum, however, my degree is a 2:2 and in biochemistry, but if by that point I'd have finished a conversion psychology masters, then would that give me the qualifications necessary for a further, specialised, psychology masters?

I'm a 2:2 biochemistry graduate, and I've been working in a government lab since graduating in August 2023. I realise that lab work is not for me, due to heath and personal reasons. I have been heavily considering applying for a psychology conversion course, however, if I was to complete this course, would I be able to get onto a psychology masters course, following the conversion course? I ask this because everywhere I look, all I can see is that psychology masters require a 2:1 minimum, however, my degree is a 2:2 and in biochemistry, but if by that point I'd have finished a conversion psychology masters, then would that give me the qualifications necessary for a further, specialised, psychology masters?

@ChrisWoods

I completed my MSc Psychology conversion a few years ago and I work in education so I will be able to help.

Think of a conversion course as a transformation for you into a new subject area. An MSc conversion course is a full Masters, it is just tailored to someone newer to the subject. I did the conversion course at Arden where there was a mixture of blended learning and 100% online options. Key things to look for is that the course is fully accredited with the British Psychological Society and that it is legible for a Student Loan; both the case for Arden - they will also consider you with a 2:2 as their website states "A UK honours degree or equivalent in any subject at 2:2 or above."

If you do a Masters in Psychology you will need to go on and do doctorate level study in order to describe yourself as a 'psychologist' legally in the UK and you must register with a professional body.

If in doubt, check a Universities report with the QAA (a bit like an Ofsted report) - readily available online

Marc
Arden University Student Ambassador

You might need to check with the individual uni, but it's normally the equivalent of a 2:1 in the conversion course i.e. at least a Merit or 60%.

Some unis can be picky about the 2:2 grade in your bachelor's, but that's down to the individual uni.

Oh I see, thank you Marc.
I was under the impression that to go onto doctorate level study I would have to complete a further master's in psychology, as the MSc conversion only brings you up to a bachelor's degree level of qualification. Is this not the case?
Thank you for your help!

Oh I see, thank you Marc.
I was under the impression that to go onto doctorate level study I would have to complete a further master's in psychology, as the MSc conversion only brings you up to a bachelor's degree level of qualification. Is this not the case?
Thank you for your help!

An MSc conversion is still a masters, it's just content-wise it's seen to be the equivalent of a undergrad, basically three years rolled into one. You don't necessarily have to have an additional MSc in a more specialised area but it definitely helps depending on the subject area. A lot of people end up doing two MSc's before applying for the doctorate.

Ohh I see, thank you! Do you think it's unlikely I'd realistically be accepted into a second masters course with a 2:2 from my first bachelor's though? I've tried looking around and it doesn't look great 😬

It's going to be difficult to say

What would significantly help your chances is to try to rack up as high of a score as you can in your conversion course. A 65% or 70% average in the conversion course might well sway their opinion.

With the more competitive degrees, you are likely going to have some problems getting accepted inevitably. However, it shouldn't dissuade you from applying (shoot your shot vs doing nothing)

The other thing I think you should need to note is that a conversion course is considered the same level as a master's degree, which may mean you would need to fund your master's yourself after your conversion course. On the other hand, should you wish to go straight onto a PhD, you shouldn't have any funding issues.

Oh I see, thank you Marc.
I was under the impression that to go onto doctorate level study I would have to complete a further master's in psychology, as the MSc conversion only brings you up to a bachelor's degree level of qualification. Is this not the case?
Thank you for your help!

Ohh I see, thank you! Do you think it's unlikely I'd realistically be accepted into a second masters course with a 2:2 from my first bachelor's though? I've tried looking around and it doesn't look great 😬

It's different for everyone but I managed to, it largely depends on the course you're appyling for. I had a 2.2 in my BSc, did a conversion course and then completed a second masters.

Oh that's awesome! Where did you do your masters?

My conversion was at Aston (though it was a postgrad diploma back then) and my second was at Coventry

Oh wow, that's cool! Would you recommend them?