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Postgraduate Programme Specification

MSc Applied Developmental Psychology

Academic Year 2022/23

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.

Programme Title MSc Applied Developmental Psychology Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)
Master of Science
Programme Code PSY-MSC-AD UCAS Code HECoS Code 100952 - Developmental psychology - 100

ATAS Clearance Required

No

Health Check Required

No

Portfolio Required

--

Interview Required

--

Mode of Study Full Time or Part Time
Type of Programme Postgraduate Length of Programme Full Time - 1 Academic Year
Part Time - 2 Academic Years
Total Credits for Programme 180
Exit Awards available No

Institute Information

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

Psychology

Quality Code
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code

Higher Education Credit Framework for England
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/higher-education-credit-framework-for-england

Level 7

Subject Benchmark Statements
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements

The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf

Psychology (2019)

Accreditations (PSRB)

No accreditations (PSRB) found.

Regulation Information

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

N/A

Programme Specific Regulations

Students who have not successfully completed modules to the value of 90 credits by June will be required to suspend work on the dissertation. The dissertation may be resumed in a subsequent academic year following confirmation that modules to the value of 90 credits have been successfully completed.

Students must have successfully completed the taught elements of the programme before submission of the Dissertation is possible. Students may only be permitted one resit attempt at the Dissertation module.

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

Educational Aims Of Programme

To provide graduate students with the opportunity for advanced study of specialist topics and development of research skills in the area of applied developmental psychology

To encourage graduate students to apply basic developmental science to real world contexts

To prepare graduate students for more advanced research in developmental psychology, professional training in psychology or other discipline-related professional training

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Show a high level of scientific reasoning, linking and evaluating theory and evidence in developmental psychology

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lecture, seminars, workshops, talks

Methods of Assessment

Informally assessed through class discussion and exercises. Formally through coursework such as essays, dissertation, literature reviews and presentations, policy briefing

Contrast different levels of explanation in developmental psychology, examine their implications and recognise their limitations.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lecture, seminars, workshops, talks, project work

Methods of Assessment

Essay, literature reviews, proposal, dissertation, presentations

Critically analyse research studies, commenting both on theory, methods and conclusions

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lecture, seminars, workshops

Methods of Assessment

Essay, literature reviews, ethics submission, dissertation, presentations

Reflect on how theory and research can inform interventions and practice

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lecture, seminars, workshops

Methods of Assessment

Policy briefing, placement coursework

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

The recent history of developmental psychology in relation to theoretical approaches to applied contexts

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, talks, and workshops

Methods of Assessment

Essays, literature reviews, presentations

Different levels of explanation in accounting for children’s development.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, talks, and workshops

Methods of Assessment

Essays, literature reviews, presentations

Theories and research related to specific applications of developmental psychology.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, talks, and workshops

Methods of Assessment

Essays, poster, literature reviews, presentations

Practical issues relating to research and/or intervention with children at risk of adverse outcomes due to adversity or common neurodevelopmental disorders.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, talks, placement work and workshops

Methods of Assessment

Essays, literature reviews, presentations, placement coursework

Basic and advanced research design and methods of investigation, data analysis and techniques and how they relate to basic and applied issues in child development

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, dissertation supervision

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, placement coursework, coursework portfolios

The ethical conduct of research with human participants, specifically with children

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, workshops, placement work, dissertation supervision

Methods of Assessment

Ethics submission, dissertation, project report

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Show competence in a range of methods to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data using statistical packages, if appropriate.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, workshops,, placement work meetings with research supervisor

Methods of Assessment

Statistics portfolios, ethics assignment, placement coursework, dissertation

Use a variety of psychological tools relevant for working with children, e.g., psychometric tests, laboratory equipment, specialist software.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, workshops, research supervisor meetings, placement work

Methods of Assessment

Funding proposal, essays, presentations, placement coursework

Write well-structured and well –argued prose, using style and conventions appropriate for publishing in the psychology literature.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, workshops, research supervisor meetings

Methods of Assessment

Essays, funding proposal. ethics assignment, dissertation

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Communicate ideas, principles, theories and research findings by oral and written means

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lecture, seminars, workshops, talks, project/placement work

Methods of Assessment

Coursework, posters, presentations, placement coursework

Elicit high quality information and data from field sources

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lecture, seminars, workshops, project/placement work

Methods of Assessment

Dissertation, project report, essays, placement coursework

Use information technology (e.g. WWW, bibliographic data bases such as Psych info, word processors, statistics packages)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Workshops, project work

Methods of Assessment

All coursework but especially statistics portfolios, posters and essays

Conduct themselves in a professional (accountable, responsible, ethical) self-regulated and constructively critical fashion

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, project work

Methods of Assessment

Placement coursework, reflective statement, dissertation, class work

Use interpersonal and social skills as appropriate

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Seminars, workshops, project work

Methods of Assessment

Placement coursework, reflective statement, peer reviews, dissertation

Pursue continuous improvement via self-reflection and other forms of professional and personal development activity

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Student-self-assessment will be promoted through Personal Development Planning.

Methods of Assessment

Class work, coursework, placement coursework and reflective statement

Module Information

Stages and Modules

Module Title Module Code Level/ stage Credits

Availability

Duration Pre-requisite

Assessment

S1 S2 Core Option Coursework % Practical % Examination %
Placement Applied Developmental Psychology PSY7036 7 10 -- YES 6 weeks N -- YES 100% 0% 0%
Research Skills PSY7031 7 10 YES -- 6 weeks N YES -- 100% 0% 0%
Atypical Development In An Educational Context PSY7107 7 20 -- YES 12 weeks N YES -- 70% 30% 0%
Childhood Adversity: From Basic Science To Improving Outcomes PSY7108 7 20 -- YES 12 weeks N YES -- 100% 0% 0%
Introduction to Therapeutic Skills PSY7109 7 10 -- YES 6 weeks N -- YES 0% 100% 0%
Psychological Methods in Developmental Research PSY7034 7 10 YES -- 6 weeks N YES -- 100% 0% 0%
Dissertation Applied Developmental Psychology PSY7082 7 60 -- YES 24 weeks N YES -- 80% 20% 0%
Principles of Qualitative Research Methods and Data Analysis 2 PSY7064 7 10 -- YES 6 weeks N -- YES 100% 0% 0%
Quantitative Data Analysis 1 PSY7065 7 10 YES -- 6 weeks N YES -- 100% 0% 0%
Quantitative Data Analysis 2 PSY7066 7 10 -- YES 6 weeks N -- YES 100% 0% 0%
Theoretical Perspectives on Child and Adolescent Development PSY7081 7 20 YES -- 12 weeks N YES -- 100% 0% 0%
Principles of Qualitative Research Methods and Data Analysis 1 PSY7063 7 10 YES -- 6 weeks N YES -- 100% 0% 0%

Notes

Students must take two of the four 10 credit options in Semester 2. Students must take at least one of PSY7064 or PSY7066. Students have the option to take either PSY7036 or PSY7109, or neither, but not both.