MA Applied Psychology

The MA in Applied Psychology gives you an advanced understanding of the discipline of psychology in applied settings. The course is designed to help you appreciate the potential and values of applied psychology, think critically about psychological theory and practice and give you the opportunity to explore your own particular interests.

Applied psychologists use research and theory to analyse real-world situations, develop appropriate interventions, and evaluate outcomes. The course has strong links with community-based partners working with children, families and communities. The course will enable you to pursue postgraduate professional training opportunities and to pursue a variety of career paths where psychological expertise is needed.

A candidate for this MA programme must:

1. Hold an a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in Psychology.
2. Satisfy the eligibility requirements for graduate membership of the Psychological Society of Ireland or the British Psychological Society of Ireland or the British Psychological Society.   This can be demonstrated by:
   • Evidence that your undergraduate degree is accredited by the PSI or BPS (see www.bps.org.uk) or
   • Evidence from the BPS that they consider your undergraduate degree to be equivalent to a PSI/BPS accredited degree, in terms of granting you eligibility for graduate membership of the society.
3. The name and contact details of a Referee will be required and may be contacted.   Written references will be required for placement interviews.
4. Supply a personal statement conveying:
   • An understanding of what applied psychology entails;
   • Reasons for applying to the programme and how this programme fits with the applicant's experience and career objectives;
   • A proposed topic for research dissertation that demonstrates your ability to identify a research problem and design a study to address it.
5. A second-class honours grade one degree is required. Consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be given to second-class honours grade two candidates, where for example an applicant has significant and directly relevant work experience or has performed impressively in another Master's degree acceptable to the School selection committee.  In such cases, the applicant should set out the grounds upon which they wish to be considered in the supplementary statement

Eligible candidates may be interviewed.  Selection from amongst eligible candidates will be made according to the following criteria:

1. Academic performance
2. Research Capacity
3. Commitment to the area of applied psychology

You need to complete 90 credit hours to successfully obtain this degree. Please check detail of study units at https://www.ucc.ie/en/cke13/

The MA in Applied Psychology will appeal to psychology graduates who want to pursue a professional career or take further professional postgraduate training in psychology. The particular strength of this course lies in its applied ethos. Graduates from the MA have found their placement and research experiences to be particularly beneficial in supporting their successful application to specific professional education courses in psychology.

You can join one of the following careers:

• Psychologist
• Assistant Psychologist
• Clinical Psychologist