MSc Health Psychology

Hello!

Sorry about my terribly late reply! I didn't get a notification that someone had reply - sorry about that!

Thank you very much for your advice *Elizabeth* - it's extremely useful!

Thanks once again!

You're welcome Best of luck!!

Hi,

How competitive was it to get on this course? Do you need much experience?

Thanks

you won't get onto a BPS accredited MSc without having a 2:1 as a minimum. Some universities require a little experience, but not too much. As long as you can prove you know the subject and are competent enough, you should be able to get onto a course.

Well I got onto a BPS accredited MSc (and a BPS doctorate) with a 2.2 so it probably depends on the university, amount of experience, evidence of academic excellence, good references and a good application form.

At postgraduate level, some universities look at other factors, not just whether applicants have a 2.1 or not.

Oh, thank you for that - I was going by what the admissions tutors told me when I was applying, looking into courses during the past year.

Hey- you're welcome

I'm generalising here, but I think SOME admission tutors tend to be really judgemental about people with 2.2s and/or make sweeping statements about people with 2.2s not getting onto MSc courses- but it is possible

Best of luck with your application

What do you think about the Foundations of Clinical Psychology and Mental Health MSc offered by Sussex university?

I know the Psychology department at Sussex is supposed to be a very good department, but if your looking to get onto a DClin Psych course upon graduation, I'd advise you to either take up this course part time whilst getting some relevant work experience, or just work full time to gain some work experience and do the course in a couple of years. Clinical Psychology is very tough to get into, and I believe having relevant work experience is more useful than having a MSc.
Hope that helps!

Good things
1.

Recognised by the ESRC which means you could apply for ESRC PhD scholarships. Also means the department and course has a strong research element to it so expect strong research methods training.

2.


These are really good points............ (copied from the website)

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Psychology at Sussex is also ranked in the top 10 in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2012,The Complete University Guide 2011-12 and The Sunday Times University Guide 2012, and 14th in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2012, and we were rated among the top universities in Europe for psychology in the Centre for Higher Education Development’s CHE Excellence Ranking (2009).

We were rated 12th (of 76 universities) in the UK for research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 95 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and 60 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher.

We are one of the largest psychology units in the UK with almost 40 teaching faculty, as well as a large community of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. This provides an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment for postgraduate research and study.

We have excellent facilities with newly refurbished office and laboratory space at the centre of the Sussex campus.

We are able to offer supervision across a broad range of areas encompassed by our four research groups: Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Clinical Psychology, and Social and Applied Psychology.

We have strong collaborative links with the Schools of Life Sciences and Department of Informatics as well as with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
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3.


- In most cases, core teaching is delivered on two days each week.

This is good- allows for part time work or concentrating on MSc work for the rest of the week! So important to gain relevant experience, it looks as if this course is accomodating or aware that students need time to gain relevante experience alongside MSc study.


Question mark?

1. Fees are not out yet. This could mean a massive hike in fees?!!

2. Where's the course outline? Would be useful to see an outline to see what the course covers (unless I've missed it)

This programme provides a thorough grounding in research training relevant to clinical psychology and a broad understanding of mental health service provision.

This is really vague!!

Missing aspects

1. There's no opportunities for placements. Other MSc in Clinical Psychology programmes offer placements which would be a valuable asset to an MSc. (need as much experience as possible and something to stand out from the many many other applicants).

http://courses.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-degree/foundations-of-clinical-psychology/none/640/

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/psych/study/pros_postgrad/clinical/

http://www.uel.ac.uk/psychology/programmes/postgraduate/clinicalcommpsyc.htm

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Best of luck with your application

I completed the postgraduate certificate (PGCert) course below and really enjoyed it (I got onto the Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology at City uni so left with a PGCert).

http://www.newman.ac.uk/courses/higher_degree/?pg=647

Thank for you the amazing reply!

I think I'll need an MSc to just polish my research skills for when I apply for a Clinical Psychology Phd. I'm also looking at the Clinical and Health Psychology MSc offered by Manchester so just weighing up my options at the moment.

You wouldn't do a PhD in clinical psychology in order to become a clinical psychologist, would you? I think you have to do the doctorate training through the schemes offered through the clearing house - all of which are salaried positions :-)

You wouldn't do a PhD in clinical psychology in order to become a clinical psychologist, would you? I think you have to do the doctorate training through the schemes offered through the clearing house - all of which are salaried positions :-)

Thank for you the amazing reply!

I think I'll need an MSc to just polish my research skills for when I apply for a Clinical Psychology Phd. I'm also looking at the Clinical and Health Psychology MSc offered by Manchester so just weighing up my options at the moment.