Taught course

Health Psychology

Institution
University of Bath · Department of Psychology
Qualifications
MSc with Placement

Entry requirements

You should have a bachelor’s honours degree or international equivalent, typically a 2:1 or above.

To apply for this course you should have an undergraduate degree in psychology. The degree should be recognised by the British Psychological Society as providing Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC).

We may make an offer based on a lower grade if you can provide evidence of your suitability for the degree.

In your application, you will need to provide a maximum 500 word personal statement which should:

(a) show a clear understanding of health psychology as a subject, why you are interested in studying on this particular course and what skills and interests you hope to develop over the duration of the course.

(b) outline your research experience to date. This could include key research related assignments that you have completed such as your undergraduate dissertation project, or any research posts you have held. Please explain the skills and knowledge you have gained from your research experience that you would bring to the MSc Health Psychology programme.

(c) describe any other practical experience that you have which you feel is relevant to the field of health psychology and what you have learned from this experience.

If your first language is not English but within the last 2 years you completed your degree in the UK you may be exempt from our English language requirements.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Immerse yourself in the exciting field of health psychology on this BPS-accredited course. You’ll mix theoretical learning with a 16-week work placement.

Throughout this course, you’ll gain a solid grounding in the main areas of health psychology, which you’ll be able to demonstrate in an applied setting during a work placement.

It is British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited. This means you’ll gain contemporary and relevant knowledge that you can use in a range of careers in health related research, public health and healthcare. The accreditation also ensures you have Stage 1 competencies in health psychology, which you will need if you wish to proceed to Stage 2 doctoral-level training to become a registered health psychologist.

During your studies, you’ll explore this fascinating subject in a multidisciplinary context, focusing on:

  • preventing ill health
  • managing long-term health conditions
  • developing effective healthcare provisions

This will give you a better appreciation of how psychology can be used to help us better understand health and health behaviours, and design interventions to improve people’s wellbeing.

Your academic learning will be complemented by hands-on experience of health psychology during a 16-week placement. This will be an opportunity to use the knowledge you’ll gain in class while improving your employability with real-world experience.

You’ll also learn about research in healthcare settings, looking at issues such as research design, governance and ethical considerations. This will prepare you for conducting your own independent piece of research to finish the course.

If you are a psychology graduate interested in progressing to a career in health psychology as a practitioner or researcher, this course is suited to your needs. It’s also suitable if you are working in health and social care settings and want to learn more about theory and practice to progress your career.

Learn from experts in the field

You’ll learn from experts in health psychology, as well as staff in the wider Department of Psychology community. Their passion, knowledge, experience and research shape their teaching to enhance your learning experience.

Use specialist facilities

The Department of Psychology is located in a new £30 million building.

You’ll be able to use this space for your seminars, group meetings and computer work. The building contains advanced psychology research facilities, including:

As an MSc Health Psychology student, you’ll have access to an independent workspace in 10 West. This contains PCs and working spaces.

Gain important career skills

Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll have gained:

  • enhanced research skills that can be applied to primary, secondary and tertiary health and social care settings
  • core knowledge of health psychology approaches, theories and models
  • a strong foundation for further postgraduate training in health psychology

You’ll also receive comprehensive support to help you find and prepare for graduate positions, placements, and a variety of other employment opportunities. This will include sessions that cover professional skills development.

We’ll also provide you with information about progressing to doctoral study and/or Stage 2 Health Psychology training.

Graduate prospects

Studying this course will prepare you for moving into a wide range of health-related posts within universities, government departments, the private sector and charities.

The skills you gain will also act as a solid foundation for going on to undertake a PhD, Stage 2 professional doctorate, further clinical psychology training or work as a research assistant.

Recent graduates of this course have gone on to work in a wide variety of roles, including:

  • Project Executive at a national cancer charity
  • Public Health Researcher at a local council
  • Trainee Health Psychologist
  • Research Officer at the Office for National Statistics
  • Assistant Psychologist within the NHS
  • Doctoral student on a UK doctoral-level counselling course
  • Research Assistant at a European university
  • Teaching Assistant
  • Doctoral student on a UK doctoral-level clinical psychology course

Fees and funding

View available funding opportunities.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

  • MSc with Placement
    part time
    24 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    full time
    12 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name
Taught Postgraduate Admissions
Email
pgtadmissions@bath.ac.uk
Phone
+44 (0)1225 385 115