Psychology Conversion MSc: St Andrews and Sussex experiences

I'm finishing my St Andrews application, thinking of applying to Sussex also. Didn't know Glasgow did a conversion course!

Hello, are there any MSc Psychology Conversion applicants for 2018 or alumns from Universities in UK- St Andrews/ Nottingham/ Essex/ Edinburgh/ Britstol/ Surrey/ Glasgow?
Look forward to know your overall experience with conversion course at any of these Universities and as per overall rankings and if any advice in particular.

Thank you.

I applied to all of these schools. So far only heard back with an offer from Glasgow. I am a bit hesitant with Glasgow, only because their course seems more "fluff" compared to ones like Edinburgh (my first choice that I am still waiting on), which explicitly states that most of their students are interested in and go on to become Clinical Psychologists. They also accepted me suspiciously fast, while all the other schools seem to be taking their time. So take that as you will.

But I depends on what your goals are. I specifically want to go into Clinical Psychology, so I think that program from Edinburgh is my best bet. I would look at the course modules/research opportunities you can get that align to your future career goal.

Thank you for sharing your insights on the same. Ya since Edinburgh’s conversion program is inclined towards Mental Health- would help you the best for Clinical. All the best

Do you have any idea on how long these Psychology Conversion courses are being taught at all these Universities? And is there a separate exhaustive ranking list specifically for Conversion Programs? Thanks

You can go here: https://www.bps.org.uk/public/become-psychologist/accredited-courses?type=CONV&status=C and click on the school you applied to, and it will tell you how long the program was around/when it was accredited! For instance, Glasgow's program has been around since 2004 according to the site. This is the best site to check for info related to that.

Also, there isn't really a ranking for conversion courses. I think any of the ones you listed would be good as long as the overall University has a decent ranking. I think what really matters is which program will offer you the best research/work experience. Like, which university will open up more options for you to get work experience and connections? That what matters when you're applying for Doctorate programs. (If that is the route you're going.) I emailed all the schools and asked about the resources they offered as far as job placements and stuff, and all of them had different answers. You can usually tell how often they place graduates by their descriptions on the course page.

This list will definitely help me! Thank you so much.

True I got it- just wanted to ensure by varied viewpoints how are all these Universities ranked overall! Got your point, will research in that manner.
Did emailing all the schools really help? Or good to find it all put on the website?

Thanks again!

Oh yah, emailing admissions helped a lot. They are very helpful and will answer any questions you have. A lot of the schools have official forums on this site too. For instance, Surrey has a representative that answers questions on their forum on this site.

And yah, I would compare all of the descriptions for the courses. Some speak very highly of their program and offer statistics or 'brag' in a sense, while some are very 'generic'. (Which to me says they don't have much to brag about haha). So you can kind of read in-between the lines.

I applied to all of these schools. So far only heard back with an offer from Glasgow. I am a bit hesitant with Glasgow, only because their course seems more "fluff" compared to ones like Edinburgh (my first choice that I am still waiting on), which explicitly states that most of their students are interested in and go on to become Clinical Psychologists. They also accepted me suspiciously fast, while all the other schools seem to be taking their time. So take that as you will.

But I depends on what your goals are. I specifically want to go into Clinical Psychology, so I think that program from Edinburgh is my best bet. I would look at the course modules/research opportunities you can get that align to your future career goal.

Hi there Jubial - when did you apply for the others? I sent my St Andrews application last week, Edinburgh a few days ago, already a little anxious - I emailed admissions in Edinburgh to ask separate questions which they did not reply to yet, unlike St Andrews who replied in less than a day.

Fingers crossed for us!

Wanted to check it Ivy league Universities would consider MSc Psychology conversion as a valid degree for credits in Psychology for someone like me who’s switching the discipline from Commerce to Psychology. I have Bachelors in Commerce as first degree and planning to take up MSc Psych Conversion to bridge the gap between Commerce and Psychology and do a PhD from a top ranked University. Do they value this program worldwide?

Please help! Thank you

It is a valid degree, it will be accepted for a PhD anywhere. The name of the school honestly doesn't really matter as long as it is accredited and you get good grades so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. What is important is your work experience, not the conversion degree. Your conversion just qualifies you better for work experience and helps you meet the requirements for a PhD.

As long as you go to one of the ones you listed that have a recognized name, you're good.

Thank you so much Jubial. I have a small query, say if I don’t wish to pursue Clinical Psychology and do a Psych conversion course and then specialised Masters in Development Psych or Cognitive, etc- will I be eligible to apply all good Universities for specialised Masters? Do they consider a background of Psychology Conversion as relevant exposure and credits to the subject? Would be great to hear from you if you have insights on this! I am worried since an acquaintance mentioned that a Conversion graduate doesn’t have good chances elsewhere after it and has to specialise from the same University- is that the case?

You will be eligible. Absolutely. The only thing that would be hard is getting into a PhD program because they require work experience. The Master programs only care about if you have enough credits to get in, good grades, and good statement. Your acquaintance is very wrong. I wouldn't worry about it!