Looking to change career? This psychology conversion degree is the first step to becoming a Chartered Psychologist
Investigate the human mind with our psychology conversion degree. You will cover all core BPS curriculum areas of psychology, including:
- qualitative and quantitative research methods
- developmental, cognitive, biological, social and individual differences
- conceptual and historical issues.
Our psychology conversion course is for working professionals who want to change their career direction. It also suits psychologists working abroad who need to regularise their qualifications. Our psychology conversion degree will give you the equivalent of three years of undergraduate study.
This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership.
Online and flexible
Our full-time and part-time pathways are run online. Therefore, you will have the flexibility to learn around your non-academic commitments.
We are also one of the few fully online Psychology conversion degrees in the UK with synchronous live online sessions. These take place weekly.
Exceptional support: a university committed to you
We're a small university that prioritises your personal and professional development. As a result, we offer one-to-one guidance and personalised feedback whenever you need.
Hear from our students
- An "extremely supportive and inclusive" university: our student, George, was diagnosed with ADHD and autism during the course, and discusses the support he receives.
- "The feedback and support is second-to-none": another student, Aishah, shares how she's grown personally, academically, and within her career over the master's programme. She also offers some advice on making the most of your feedback.
No exams
There are no exams. Instead, the course is designed to authentically test the knowledge and skills that are used by practicing psychologists.
Attend a webinar
You’ll have the chance to meet the Course Lead, Chris Campbell who will be able to answer any questions you might have about the programme. Webinars will be held on:
Dr Christine Campbell
Associate Professor
Upcoming Event
MSc Psychology conversion - 20th November
Wednesday 20th November 2024, 07:00PM
Course content
Modules
The indicative syllabus is to give you an idea of the sorts of topics that are covered in each module and is not exhaustive.
Please note: it is possible that a module listed on the website will not be able to run due to reasons beyond our control. For more information please refer to our course information disclaimer.
Entry requirements
2:2
Previous degree
All applicants must hold a Lower Second Class (2:2) - or equivalent - undergraduate degree-level qualification.
Additional requirement information
Candidates must satisfy the general admissions requirements of St Mary’s University, as specified in the University Admissions Policy.
Your undergraduate degree may be in a subject other than psychology, or a degree in psychology that was not eligible for accreditation by the BPS.
If you have previously undertaken an accredited degree, but failed to either pass the empirical psychology project or achieve at least a 2:2, you may be admitted subject to an interview.
You must also hold a minimum grade of C/4 in GCSE-level mathematics and English (or equivalent).
If you do not currently meet this mathematics requirement, then you may wish to consider a mathematics equivalency qualification. This would need to be completed with one of four approved providers that we accept and would need to be successfully completed before you apply for the MSc Psychology Conversion programme.
Please note that these are all available as online providers apart from the St Mary’s option, which requires in-person attendance at the test. All of the test results are accepted by us equally, but our test may not be recognised by other institutions. Please look at our GCSE equivalency tests page for more information.
Please also note that you do not need a Student Visa to study our part-time or full-time course, as this is run online.
International Requirements
International students should check our country-specific pages for equivalents. If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any section.
We now accept IELTS Indicator test results as proof of your English language level.
Interviews
Applicants that pass the initial assessment stage will be invited to interview. This is a very popular and over-subscribed course, which has a limited number of places available so we will close applications as soon as all places are filled.
Further Information
For more information about entry requirements please email apply@stmarys.ac.uk.
Fees & funding
September 2025
Home
£11,910
International
£11,910
Additional costs
Your tuition fees will cover the cost of all mandatory elements of your programme. Additional costs could be incurred depending on optional modules chosen and other projects undertaken.
For further information about additional costs please see our additional costs webpage.
Alumni discount
A 20% tuition fee discount is available for our alumni (undergraduate and PGCE) planning to study this Master's degree. Those studying for a PGDip of PGCert are not eligible for the discount.
Funding
You can check on the UK government website to see if you may be eligible for a loan of up to £12,167 to help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate programme.
Home and international students may also be eligible for external sources of funding. International students should check their eligibility for our International Scholarship.
For more information, please look at our postgraduate funding page.
How the degree is taught
Assessment methods
All the assessments are coursework based (no exams) because we want you to display your deep critical knowledge and understanding, not simply the ability to remember facts.
The assessments on this course have been specifically designed to help you learn about all the BPS GBC curriculum areas in a meaningful way.
Research reports are supplemented with tasks where you're asked to apply your theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.
For example, in the module Development across the lifespan you'll be asked to think about how our understanding of learning theories can be used to support children with specific learning difficulties.
In another example, the Social Psychology module asks you to take a story currently in the news and explain how psychological research can explain people's behaviour.
The staff on the course will support you throughout with regular tutorials and chances for formative feedback.
Career opportunities
Our psychology conversion degree will help you develop essential transferrable skills, such as, critical thinking, and communication.
Some examples of job roles and areas of work for graduates of Psychology (Conversion) MSc, PGDip, PGCert include:
Apply now
Distance-learning 2025
Make sure to check our step-by-step guide to application process.
More from St Mary's
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