Psychology Conversion MSc or Dev. Psychology MSc? I don't yet have GBC...

I want to go back to study, and do an MSc in Psychology. After graduating with a BA in an unrelated field I am looking to change direction, I'm applying to 5 courses specifically for this year.

3 of which are Psychology Conversions MScs, (as I understand that accreditation is of high importance) and have been informed I'd need to acquire the GBC before pursuing work experience and later post grad doctorate training.

However, the other 2 are specialist MScs:

Developmental Psychology MSc and Psychological Trauma MSc. The latter is pretty much useless to me right now as it doesn't provide GBC. BUT the former DOES give BPS/GBC accreditation.

I'm confused which path I should take after being told that my only option, as someone who didn't do psych at BSc level, is to do the Conversion.

I've always been fascinated with how childhood experience shapes our behaviour and forms how our brain develops, who we grow up to be and how we are hindered by any early abuse/adversity So, psychological trauma is my main field of interest, and developmental psychology a very close second.

So, would studying the Developmental Psychology MSc be a bad idea? Would I get less out of it than the Conversion?

I don't understand (I may be naive) why I'd need to opt to study the Psychology conversion MSc for any reason over the former. I understand the conversion would essentially sum up what the BSc would have ran through at a higher level, but the Developmental MSc would concentrate on an area which I already have been studying (outside of a formal education on my own time) for about 3 years and it does give BPS/GBC accreditation, and I'm enthusiastic about.

What is your take on this. Ultimately, If both give BPS/GBC, does it matter?.... Very much value feedback.

What do you want to do as a career? If you want to be some sort of professional psychologist (outside of academia) you need an accredited undergradate or conversion degree. IF you want to get into academia/research then its not necessary. What was your undergraduate degree in?

My BA was in the arts.

Yes, although I'm not 100% ruling out work in research, I'd like to have potential to work as an applied practitioner, primarily working in the field of trauma, childhood adverse experience, perhaps even follow a clinical psy route.

As I was saying in OP, I'm unsure how getting the Developmental Psychology MSc (which is GBC accredited) or getting the Psychology Conversion MSc (obviously GBC accredited), would effect my further study/training options, given the fact they both offer chartered membership?

If they are both accredited, is there any particular reason why I would have to opt for the Conversion Masters over the "specialist masters"?

I am probably seeming to lean more toward the Developmental Pscyh MSc because I'm particularly interested in childhood development and social development. But perhaps I don't have a choice in the matter.

I've linked the courses below.

Developmental Psychology Msc
http://www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/course/835/

Psychology Conversion MSc
http://www.chester.ac.uk/postgraduate/psychology-conversion

My BA was in the arts.

Yes, although I'm not 100% ruling out work in research, I'd like to have potential to work as an applied practitioner, primarily working in the field of trauma, childhood adverse experience, perhaps even follow a clinical psy route.

As I was saying in OP, I'm unsure how getting the Developmental Psychology MSc (which is GBC accredited) or getting the Psychology Conversion MSc (obviously GBC accredited), would effect my further study/training options, given the fact they both offer chartered membership?

If they are both accredited, is there any particular reason why I would have to opt for the Conversion Masters over the "specialist masters"?

I am probably seeming to lean more toward the Developmental Pscyh MSc because I'm particularly interested in childhood development and social development. But perhaps I don't have a choice in the matter.

I've linked the courses below.

Developmental Psychology Msc
http://www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/course/835/

Psychology Conversion MSc
http://www.chester.ac.uk/postgraduate/psychology-conversion

I hadn't ever heard of an MSc that wasn't strictly a conversion course conferring GBC but it is listed on the bps website. It seems very specialised on developmental psychology considering it confers accreditation to potentially practice in any area of psychology. Unlike a psychology BSc which specialises in developmental, which would still cover the whole range of topics. But if it's accredited then it is accredited.

My only thought, and it is only a thought, is that the specialised nature of the MSc may leave your knowledge of other topics, areas and whatnot rather lacking. As a practicing psychologist you would not draw exclusively on developmental psychology. This is unlikely to prejudice against you in terms of being selected for jobs or training, but you may find you are unfamiliar with concepts that are considered staples of a psychology graduate. I haven't looked at the course content of a standard conversion course, so perhaps they are of a similar vein (it is 3 years into 1, whichever you do). There is no need to specialise at this stage in any case. For example, if you go on to train as a clinical psychologist you'll cover all age ranges, client groups and schools of thought in that training anyway.

At the end of the day, it's the GBC and classification of your degrees that matter most. When you start working in the field properly you'll learn all you need to, the specific contents of your degree will not matter so much.

I'm typing this on my phone and I'm sleepy, so not sure if I covered everything I wanted to. So if you have any other questions, or I've made no sense. Just ask away.

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