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Opleiding: Health Psychology, MSc

Learning purpose

Health Psychology examines the psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why people become ill and what happens when people become ill.

 

This course fulfils the British Psychological Society requirements for stage 1 of the training to become a Health Psychologist.

 

It takes a scientist-practitioner approach and thus students not only have an excellent grounding in research methodology but also develop a range of professional and practical skills.

 

During the course you will study health-related behaviour, addiction and treatment; public health, health promotion and behaviour change interventions; stress and stress management; chronic illness and its management; working with patients in the health care system, research methods and professional issues.

 

You will have access to some of the best and most up-to-date psychology specialist postgraduate computer, laboratory and library study facilities for teaching and research in the UK.

 

 

Programme

 

Advanced Psychology Dissertation (60 Credits) - Compulsory

To provide students with an opportunity for an in-depth, advanced study in a specific area of applied psychology, pertinent to the degree for which they are registered, guided by, but largely independent of, tutor support. To enable students to apply appropriate principles of empirical research to an issue of their choice within the subject area of their degree registration. To enable students to present their research study in the form of a written thesis, using appropriate styles and conventions.

Advanced Research Methods in Psychology (30 Credits) - Compulsory

This module conforms with the statistics and methodology requirements of the British Psychological Society Divisions of Forensic and Health Psychology, and National Occupational Standards for Applied Psychologists Key roles 2 3 . Successful completion of this module provides partial fulfilment of the requirements for Stage 1 exemption for chartered psychologists Health/Forensic . The module extends psychology students undergraduate knowledge of research methods, design and statistics with particular reference to advanced forensic and health psychology. It prepares them for their dissertation, forthcoming supervised practice and enables them to choose appropriate methodologies and analyses for research.

Applications of Health Psychology (15 Credits) - Compulsory

This module aims to introduce students to the applications of health psychology to health promotion and in particular, to behaviour change. It aims to help students develop the skills to design and evaluate interventions. The module examines different settings for this work.

Health Psychology Negotiated Extended Essay (15 Credits) - Optional

This module aims to enable students to pursue advanced, independent study on an applied health psychology topic not offered in depth on other modules, culminating in students having an in depth knowledge and understanding of the most up-to-date theory, research and policy of relevance to this applied area of health psychology. The module also aims to help students development in the areas of self reflection, communication, and the analysis and appraisal of health psychology theory to practice.

Health Psychology Placement (15 Credits) - Optional

This module aims to provide students with an insight into the world of work in health psychology and to help them think about their future career. More specifically, the module aims to help students development in three areas: a personal development, including self confidence, self awareness, self reflection, and awareness of strengths and areas for improvement, b development of graduate skills, especially team working and communication skills, and c development of professional skills by analysing and appraising the usefulness and application of health psychology theory to practice.

Processes of Illness and Health Care Delivery (30 Credits) - Compulsory

This module aims to introduce students to the biological processes involved in the onset and progression of a variety of long-term illnesses and diseases. The process of health care delivery, from symptom perception through consultation to treatment/management from the perspective of both the patient and the health professional will be discussed. The health care needs and experiences of patients across the lifespan will be considered.

Professional Issues in Psychology (15 Credits) - Compulsory

This module is designed to conform to the communication, practice and dissemination of research consultancy requirements of the British Psychological Society Divisions of Forensic and Health Psychology, and the Health Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for Practitioner Psychologists. It enables students to further develop their appreciation of professional and ethical issues related to research and practice in health and forensic psychology within a framework conforming to statutory provisions and the code of conduct of chartered psychologists.

Psychosocial Foundations of Health and Illness (15 Credits) - Compulsory

This module aims to introduce students to the discipline of health psychology, setting it apart from other related disciplines. Students will be introduced to the concept of health and the main theories/concepts relating to the psychosocial determinants of health/illness, including stress and health behaviours.

 

We focus on supporting your future employability by helping you develop a range of professional, research and transferable skills, especially professional and practitioner skills (e.g. stress management, smoking cessation, cognitive-behavioural therapy, health promotion and health behaviour change), through teaching, workshops and a placement.

 

You will learn how Health Psychologists apply psychological research and methods to the promotion and maintenance of health, the prevention and management of illness, the identification of psychological factors contributing to physical illness, the improvement of the health care system and the formulation of health policy.

 

For full-time students teaching is on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for part-time students it is on Tuesdays in year 1 and Thursdays in year 2.

For students wishing to undertake a placement, this may be full-time or part-time and will generally take place during the summer after the taught part of the course ends.

 

Coursework includes case studies, health behaviour journal, designing health promotion materials, laboratory reports, research proposals and essays.

 

 

Entry Requirements

You must have the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC; previously GBR) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and normally a second class honours degree or above in psychology. International students are welcome to apply if they are in possession of a degree in psychology recognised by the British Psychological Society as equivalent to them gaining GBC or a Graduate Diploma in Psychology undertaken in the UK.

English language requirements

You must have competence in English language and we normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. The most common English Language requirements for international students are IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL (paper based) 550 or TOEFL (internet based) 79 with specified minimum scores for each component.

 

 

Professional perspective and employment market

After completion of the MSc students may work in the health service, universities, communities, schools or organisations. Work may include helping people to manage and cope with illnesses such as diabetes, pain, cancer, coronary heart disease etc.; health promotion in communities, schools or the workplace; designing and delivering interventions for weight loss, smoking cessation, stress management, improving uptake of screening for cancers etc.; research and teaching.

 

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