MSc Applied Psychology (Addictions)

This course will equip you with valuable insights into topics including the psycho-pharmacology of addiction, the recent interest in addictive behaviours and the wide-ranging implications of addiction for society.

You'll find the course particularly relevant if you are working in the NHS or healthcare independent sector, including addiction clinics, and want to develop your knowledge and understanding of substance misuse dependence, and other addictive behaviours.

You will:

• Gain knowledge and understanding of drug use and addiction relevant to a range of roles and environments.
• Have the ability to focus on your own interests for the dissertation.
• Focus on the application of theory and skills and learn how to transfer this to the workplace.

All about the course

The aim of this course is to enable you to develop a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of applied psychology in the context of addiction and addictive behaviours. You will consider psycho-pharmacological and biological mechanisms underpinning drug action and dependence, the more recent conceptualisation of behavioural addictions, and the broader social context of addiction.

The full-time route is structured over 12 months and comprises three 10-week semesters. In semesters 1 and 2, you will complete two taught modules in each semester. In semester 3 you will complete your dissertation under the supervision of one of the course tutors. If you choose to follow the part-time route you will complete the course over three years, completing two taught modules in each of the first two years and the dissertation in your third year.

The dissertation module on this course will also give you the opportunity to pursue an area of applied psychology and psychological therapies directly related to your own work or interest.

What will I be doing?

Teaching

This course is taught using a mixture of approaches including the following:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Tutorials
• Discussion/debates
• Video presentation
• Research seminars and workshops
• Guest speaker presentations
• The virtual learning environment, online resources and web-based learning / digital training packages
• Student presentations
• Directed study

Assessment

You will be assessed in a variety of ways including:

• Theoretical essays
• Presentation
• Research proposal
• Dissertation

What about after uni?

This course will help you to progress to leadership positions within the field of addiction and to advance to research roles.

Upper second class (2:1) honours degree in psychology or other health/social care related discipline, e.g. counselling, health sciences, nursing. We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully. The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process could help you to make your work and life experience count. The APL process can be used for entry onto courses or to give you exemptions from parts of your course. Two forms of APL may be used for entry: the Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).