Health Psychology

*To progress to stage 2 training, candidates must be eligible for the BPS Graduate Basis of Chartership.

Engage with theories and research in health psychology while developing competencies you can apply to a variety of real-world settings. Upon completion, you’ll be equipped to pursue roles in healthcare, behaviour change, research and health promotion.

Accredited by: British Psychological Society (BPS) - This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society.

On the last accreditation visit by the BPS the programme was commended for:

The approachability and availability of the staff team. The staff commitment to students exceeded students’ expectations. The programme’s focus on student reflection, which provides good preparation for stage two training and/or other professional career development. The level of technical support provided to staff and students throughout the programme.

How you learn The course is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing you to balance your studies with existing commitments. You can choose to study full-time, attending one day a week for a year. Or you can study part-time, attending half a day a week, which is ideal for professionals looking to advance their career.

You’ll be taught by lecturers who are experts in health psychology and clinical practice. They’ll guide you through a flexible, blended learning experience that combines on-campus teaching with online learning.

You learn through:

Key themes

The course content includes fundamentals in academic practice and health psychology research, social determinants of health, research methods, behaviour change interventions, critical reflection and communication skills.

You’ll study the psychology of illness and disease, ethical research and practice, and adjustment to long-term conditions and bereavement. You’ll learn how to conduct a mini-systematic review and complete your course by undertaking a research project.

Applied learning This course aims to provide you with the ability to use your work or voluntary experience within a health-related setting to aid your learning and training. For example, work-based reflection is a core element of the critical reflection and communication module, and is designed to contribute to your continuing personal and professional development.

In the research project module, we’ll focus on developing the personal and academic skills you’ll need to carry out research – as well as to manage your research project. These include analytic, communication, dissemination and time management skills.

You’ll use a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to store evidence of your progress and development in all modules – and to reflect on your progress and plan actions to improve.