Behavioural Science

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's or Master's degree with:

a. The required academic achievement in an acceptable subject

Acceptable subjects include first or second-class honours degrees (or equivalent) in psychology, social or behavioural sciences, social policy, political science, sociology, or another relevant field. We also encourage applications from candidates with related academic or professional backgrounds who can demonstrate a strong interest in understanding and influencing human behaviour

b. Statistics and research methods training in the social sciences

This programme includes a statistics module which you must normally pass to receive your award.

The teaching assumes that you are familiar with basic statistics such as:

• means and standard deviations
• hypothesis testing (e.g. t-tests)
• statistical significance
• correlation coefficients.

Therefore, to help ensure that you are well prepared and able to succeed in your studies, we recommend that you have knowledge of basic statistics before applying. Ideally, this would include having taken and passed modules covering this content as part of your current or previous degree studies. A British Psychological Society-accredited degree will likely have included this content.

Applicants with other degrees may be asked to provide additional evidence of training in statistics.

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MSc in Social Psychology (taught) gives you the opportunity to sample a range of modules from our Developmental programme as well as other modules related to social and applied psychology.

Explore how human behaviour shapes our social world — and how you can shape it. In this MSc in Behavioural Science, you’ll examine the psychological and social forces behind attitudes, influence, decision-making, and group dynamics, then learn how to apply those insights to tackle real-world challenges in organisations, communities, and policy contexts.

Taught by world-leading researchers and experienced practitioners, the programme equips you with strong skills in research design, data interpretation, and analytical thinking. You’ll also develop practical abilities in communication, problem-solving, and consultancy — preparing you for impactful careers across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, or for further academic study.

Reasons to study MSc Behavioural Science at Kent

• In the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF), 80% of our research was classified as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent', showing the impact of our research.
• You’ll be part of a Master’s (MSc) programme that has been recognised by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as meeting the nationally recognised criteria for preparation training for PhD research
• You’ll benefit from ongoing support in your studies through our peer mentoring scheme, including tailored support for statistics, as well as dedicated academic advisors
• You’ll benefit from a dedicated MSc common room, equip with computers up to date with the software you will require
• We have a strong track record of attracting ESRC research studentship funding
• You can test out your own theories and hypotheses in our excellent facilities, including brain stimulation and virtual reality laboratories.

Information for international students

Please see our International website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, international fee-paying students cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.

For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

Fees and funding

Please visit our funding web pages for the most current information and application details.