This course aims to provide you with a depth of critical scientific understanding of mental health and wellbeing in education. Key theoretical and empirical grounding in developmental and educational psychology will be used. Together, we will examine specific aspects of educational contexts, for example, classrooms, playgrounds, teacher-student relationships and their interaction with individual characteristics, home, community, and services for the development and maintenance of mental health and wellbeing.
The course will stimulate evidence-based and critical understanding through taught content, facilitated discussion and group work, conducting research, and independent learning. Optional modules allow you to explore psychological and educational issues of pertinence to the field, including specific educational needs, literacy, positive psychology, and applied work and practice.
The course is suitable for psychology graduates (or graduates from related fields, see entry requirements) who wish to progress to PhD studies, academic, practical or policy-making careers in this emerging field, or those wanting to improve their understanding of theory and empirical evidence that will underpin and inform future policy and education. It is well-suited to those with a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited undergraduate or Master’s degree who wish to improve their chances of success when applying for one of the professional psychology doctorates which are often over-subscribed, and highly competitive. (In itself, this course does not lead to Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS and is therefore not suitable for those aiming to embark on a career in educational or clinical psychology unless they already hold a GBC).
Graduates of the course will be provided with opportunities to develop skills pertinent to a range of roles, including, but not limited to: working in public and private sectors, as well as, depending on appropriate additional academic or professional doctoral studentship, educational psychologists, teachers and policy makers. There are a range of departmental and university-wide resources available to help students explore and develop their career pathways.
This course provides an understanding of theory and evidence that will underpin and inform future practice and policy and education in this field. As such it is suitable for those wishing to progress to PhD studies, those interested in practical or policy-making careers, or educationalists interested in bolstering their understanding. Graduates of this Master’s degree may work in educational institutions, become academics/researchers in the public and private sectors, or work for the Civil Service, charities and other policy or practice relevant positions.
Further, those with a British Psychological Society Accredited Psychology degree at undergraduate or previous Master’s level may progress to professional – clinical or educational – doctoral training.
Exploring seminal and cutting-edge research, theories and practice, you will develop a strong scientific foundation in the psychology of mental health and wellbeing in education. The course will provide you with academic and transferable skills pertinent to working in this burgeoning field.