UNIVERSITY OF KENT
Programme Specification
MSc Research Methods in Psychology
This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme
and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to
achieve and demonstrate if he/she passes the programme.
More detailed information
on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, and learning and assessment
methods of each module will be available in the Programme Handbook to be made
available on the Department’s web pages.
1. Awarding Institution/Body
University of Kent
3. Teaching Site
Canterbury
5. Final Award
MSc
2. Teaching Institution
University of Kent
4. Programme accredited by:
Economic and Social Research Council
6. Programme
Research Methods in Psychology
8. Relevant QAA subject
Psychology – benchmarks not yet finalised
9. Date of production/revision
September 2001
7. UCAS code (or other code)
benchmarking group/s
10. Applicable cohort/s
2002 and subsequent entries
11. Educational Aims of the Programme
This is a new programme, a modified form of our existing MSc programmes, designed
to satisfy the ESRC’s requirements for the first year of the new “1 + 3” research
training / PhD arrangements. Students who complete it will be awarded the MSc
Research Methods in Psychology and will progress to their three MPhil / PhD years.
The programme aims to:
1. Foster the intellectual development of postgraduate students by providing them with
specialised knowledge in order that they should be better equipped to make their
own original contribution to psychological knowledge.
2. Provide postgraduate students with the statistical and methodological expertise
required by research psychologists.
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3. Develop general research skills and transferable skills as preparation for
postgraduate students to enter academic or other careers as research
psychologists.
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12. Programme Outcomes
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate
knowledge and understanding, intellectual and subject-specific skills, and transferable
skills, as set out below. The programme is designed to meet the criteria published in
the ESRC’s generic guidelines for “1 + 3” and in their subject-specific guidance for
Psychology.
Teaching/learning and assessment
methods and strategies used to enable
outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Knowledge and Understanding
A. Knowledge and understanding of:
1. A range of general historical,
theoretical and philosophical issues
underlying the discipline of
psychology
2. Specialist issues in specific areas
of psychology
Teaching and learning: lectures, seminars,
workshops, individual supervision.
Assessment: coursework essays and
assignments.
3. The major analytic techniques
employed by psychologists
Skills and Other Attributes
B. Intellectual skills:
4. To evaluate critically a body of
literature relevant to the chosen
Teaching, learning and assessment: as A.
research topic
C. Subject-specific skills:
5. The skills to complete an empirical
study in an area of psychology,
under expert supervision
6. The expertise to design and
conduct a more extensive
programme of research
7. The skills to use the major analytic
techniques employed by
psychologists
8. The skills to evaluate and select
appropriate methods for
researching psychological questions
Teaching and learning: lecture-workshops in
statistics and methodology; drop-in
computing surgeries; individual supervision of
research dissertation.
Assessment: coursework statistical tests and
methodology essays; unseen statistics and
computing examinations; research project
dissertation.
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Teaching/learning and assessment
methods and strategies used to enable
outcomes to be achieved and
D. Transferable skills:
demonstrated
9. The skills to use computers for
data analysis, word processing,
graphical display of data for
Teaching and learning: lecture-workshops on
bibliographical research and
presentations of research material (not
analysis and presentation, and
documentation
10. The skills to write coherently and
concisely about the chosen
research area and to give oral
presentations about the work
11. The skills to understand the
computing; drop-in computing surgeries; oral
assessed); drafting application to
departmental Ethics Committee for research
project approval; lecture-workshops on career
development, media training, and
dissemination of research findings.
procedures for gaining ethics
Assessment: computing tests and unseen
complete an application for ethics
dissertation.
approval for research, and to
approval for the chosen research
examinations; coursework essays; project
project
12. Familiarity with issues of
dissemination of research findings,
media communication, and career
development
For more information on which modules provide which skills, see the module mapping
grid to be included in the Programme Handbook to be made available on the
Department’s web pages.
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13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards
The programme is studied full-time normally for one year, a total of 48 weeks,
including vacations. The year begins with the Department’s Masters Induction
Programme (library, IT and laboratory provision), and formal teaching takes up the
two 12-week terms. The remainder of the year is devoted to the supervised project
dissertation. The programme is divided into four modules, the first counting for 60
credits, the remaining three 40 each.
Each ten credits represent approximately 100
hours direct teaching or supervision.
Further details of the constituent modules are to
hours of student learning, endeavour and assessment, including no less than 15
be found on the Department’s website.
Code
Title
Level
Credits
Term/s
Required Modules
Students take two required modules.
SP998
Research Dissertation (MSc
M
60 credits
M, L and T
SP801
Advanced Statistics and
M
40 credits
M and L
Project)
Methodology
Further Modules
Students take two further modules, “Current Issues in Theory and Research”, and
“Advanced Research in Psychology”. Both are double unit modules, and all the units
are taught on our current Masters programmes. For each student, the units will be
chosen according to their specialist area of interests: cognitive psychology; forensic
psychology, health psychology, group processes, or social and applied psychology.
M
Current Issues in Theory and
Research.
Students choose two of the
following units. Their choice will
be made with the Programme
Director.
5
2 x 20
credits
M and L
SP805
The Psychology of Criminal
SP806
The Psychology of Law and
SP837
SP838
SP802
SP817
SP827
Conduct
Justice
Advanced Health Psychology I:
Psychosocial Processes
Advanced Health Psychology II:
Psychobiological Processes
Current Issues in Social & Applied
Psychology I
Current Issues in Social & Applied
Psychology II
Current Issues in Cognitive
Psychology and Neuropsychology
(double unit module)
M
Advanced Research in
Psychology
Students choose two of the
following units. Their choice will
be made with the Programme
SP828
SP830
SP829
SP812
SP821
SP841
SP825
SP839
Director.
The Cognitive Neuroscience of
Language
The Cognitive Neuroscience of
Learning and Memory
Advanced Topics in Cognition and
Emotion
Advanced Topics in Written
Language Difficulties in Children
Psychology of The Image
Advanced Child Forensic
Psychology
The Psychological Assessment
and Treatment of Offenders
Advanced Health Psychology III:
Outcome
6
2 x 20
credits
M and L
SP836
Advanced Topics in Attitudes and
SP820
Advanced Topics in Small Group
SP813
Persuasion
Performance
Advanced Topics in Intergroup
Relations
14. Support for Students and Their Learning
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Induction programme
Programme handbook
Learning resources: staff; dedicated postgraduate computer network room; new
building with 20+ research laboratories; central university library plus departmental
MSc resource rooms

Departmental academic and personal support system: advice on module choices
and programme structure, personal problems, progression routes, individual
progress, and career development

Central support services: Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching,
medical centre, students’ union (including advice and information service), careers
advisory service, counselling service, disability support unit
15. Entry Profile
Entry Route
For fuller information, please refer to the University prospectus.

First degree in Psychology with Graduate Basis for Registration from the BPS,
normally with at least upper second class honours
What does this programme have to offer?

Research training in methods in psychology, designed to meet ESRC’s criteria for
Year 1 of the new “1 + 3” arrangement for PhD students
Personal Profile


Commitment to a PhD research training in Psychology
Probable expectation of academic career in Psychology
16. Methods for evaluating and enhancing the quality and standards of teaching
and learning
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Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the
curriculum and outcome standards
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Student evaluations
Annual departmental reports to Faculty
External examiners’ reports
Internal Periodic Programme Review
External accreditation: QAA Subject Review; BPS accreditation; ESRC accreditation
Staff development: annual appraisal and peer observation
Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards
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Departmental Staff-Student Consultative Committee
Departmental Board of Examiners
Departmental Learning and Teaching Committee
Full Department Committee
Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee
University Learning and Teaching Board
Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and their
learning experience
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Student evaluations
Staff-Student Consultative Committee
Student representation on departmental committees
Staff development priorities include:
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PGCHE requirements
Staff appraisal
Staff commitment to research, research training, and PhD supervision
University staff development programme
Programme team meetings
Research group meetings
Conferences: attendance and speaking
17. Indicators of quality and standards
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Results of RAE
Results of BPS accreditations
Results of QAA Subject Review
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The following reference points were used in creating these specifications:
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Requirements of ESRC and BPS
University Learning and Teaching Plan
Department Learning and Teaching Plan
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