Approaches and Methods in Health Inequalities (15 credits, Semester 1)

You will focus on some of the common research methods used in health research, including quantitative methods like randomised clinical trials and epidemiological approaches, qualitative methods such as discourse analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis, as well as mixed-methods approaches.  

Critical Approaches to Health, Social and Political Psychology (15 credits, Semester 1)

Challenging your understanding of what psychology is, you will consider the role of the environment and social context in shaping individual psyche, and how we can break down barriers that may exclude individuals and groups from full participation in society. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own assumptions and values, and those of organisations and social influencers, through perspectives offered by, for example, discourse analysis and social representation theory, around topics such as LGBTQ+, loneliness, and infant feeding. 

 Advanced Research Skills, Design, and Analysis (15 credits, Semester 1)

Through hands-on workshops and interactive sessions, we prepare you to plan, conduct and analyse your own psychological research. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, you will learn to generate research questions, translate these into the design of your research, appropriately analyse data, and report your findings by writing a structured psychology lab report, using standard (APA) formatting. You can tailor your studies by focusing on the methods, design and analysis most useful to you.

Advanced Studies in Health Inequalities (15 credits, Semester 2)

Drawing on published research from psychology and related disciplines, you will engage in lively ‘journal club’ discussion sessions to familiarise yourself with cutting-edge, contemporary issues. You will be able to focus on health inequalities of particular interest to you, for example, past students have considered bisexual women's health, infant feeding, social representations in old age, ageing, sleep, and the impact of homelessness on health. 

Using Research to Influence Policy and Practice (15 credits, Semester 2)

You will explore how research can be used to influence policy and practice, across a range of settings such as government, charity sector, and education. Gaining hands-on experience of writing for a policy setting, you will be tasked with writing a policy brief on a policy related to a health issue of your choice in a similar style as the POST notes produced by the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology. 

Research Apprenticeship in Psychology (15 credits, Semester 2)

You will work with staff as part of their research teams, gaining valuable experience of working on an active research project alongside an experienced research mentor. Apprenticeships are offered across a range of subjects, fields, and activities and represent the diverse expertise of our academic staff. These will support and extend your research skills. Projects could involve designing and preparing full or partial research reports, systematic literature reviews, grant proposals and ethics applications, with the real possibility that research findings may eventually be published. 

Dissertation (60 credits, preparation in Semester 1 and 2, writing up over summer)

You will undertake an independent project in your chosen field of interest under the supervision of an experienced member of staff. It is your chance to apply the skills and knowledge gained throughout the course to design, conduct, analyse and report an appropriate piece of empirical research, demonstrating a level of knowledge and understanding beyond what you have learned in class. Previous students have investigated a range of health-related topics such as the impact of NGO funding on the wellbeing of orphan and vulnerable children, barriers and facilitators to early mental health screening in looked after children, and the experiences of women who have breastfed in public spaces. 

You will study two additional 15-credit modules of your choice - one in the first semester and another in the second semester. Optional modules allow you to tailor your learning and to specialise in topics that align with your future career ambitions. 

Health Psychology (15 credits, Semester 1)

Health Psychology is the study of psychological, social, and behavioural processes that are involved in health and illness. On this module, you will learn about how we might use behavioural theories to improve health and wellbeing, and how we can use health interventions to affect positive change.

Rethinking Research: Knowledge, Power and Diversity (15 credits, Semester 1)

Developing inclusive research practices, and being able to represent the voices of marginalised groups, is critical to changing society and politics. This module aims to develop a critical awareness of how research knowledge is generated, and how structural inequalities are created and reinforced by research norms and practices. At an advanced level, you will learn key skills in how to design, analyse, and evaluate applied social and political psychological research that is both inclusive and captures human diversity. This module develops your understanding of how research can be carried out to bring about social change within diverse communities and community organisations. After learning about the core principles of what defines action research, you will gain 'hands-on' experience. You will co-create a group action research project taking it from initial design stage through to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. You will then write a advocacy policy brief targeted at decision and policy makers. 

Enhancing Reproducibility in Research (Semester 1, 15 credits)

A 2016 survey of over 1500 researchers by the prominent journal Nature found that 90% believed there is a "replication crisis" in research. The factors leading to a lack of reproducibility are complex and many, ranging from the behaviour of individual researchers through to the incentive structures within academic publishing and funding. This module will provide an in-depth exploration of the main threats to reproducible research together with concrete solutions to counter these. The module will also provide hands-on experience of coding with an open-source statistical programming language and how to create a fully reproducible report of quantitative data analysis. Note that no prior programming experience is required. The module will leave you well-positioned to enhance the trustworthiness and quality of the research you conduct. 

Psychology Placement (15 credits, Semester 2)

You will be encouraged to participate in the optional placement module as a valuable personal and career development opportunity. This module allows you to relate your learning to actual research or practice in your chosen professional setting, and it will place you in a strong position post-graduation. We will draw on our existing collaborations with external organisations to help you find meaningful placement opportunities in health settings. Alternatively, we can support you to find a placement with an organisation that you identify yourself. You will gain authentic work experience in a relevant health environment. As an example, and depending on availability, this could include a different academic setting, a charity or healthcare organisation. The placement can be either based at the organisation's facilities or be digitally based; therefore, you could take a placement in an organisation which you might not be able to commute to. 

Action Research: Co-Creating Research to make a Difference (15 credits, Semester 2)

This module develops your understanding of how research can be carried out to bring about social change within diverse communities and community organisations. After learning about the core principles of what defines action research, you will gain 'hands-on' experience. You will co-create a group action research project taking it from initial design stage through to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. You will then write an advocacy policy brief targeted at decision and policy makers. 

Advanced Computational and Statistical Approaches to Behaviour (15 credits, Semester 2)

This module will extend your abilities to employ a variety of computational and statistical approaches to predict behaviour and test scientific theories. Explore, for example, multivariate methods, machine learning, cognitive modelling, Bayesian analysis, and agent-based modelling—all important skills that will enhance your employability and research skills.