School of Psychology

Programme summary for MSc Applied Positive Psychology

About

• UEL is the first University in the UK to offer a postgraduate programme in Applied Positive Psychology.
• The programme is led and taught by pioneers in the field of positive psychology in Europe, who are consultancy and research active.
• Students have an opportunity to participate in innovative research, and develop and test new positive psychology interventions.
• The programme has significant elements of skills training, including facilitation, intervention and research skills that can be applied across work and leisure domains.
• Our School of Psychology offers postgraduate programmes in all main areas of professional applied psychology and therefore benefits from extensive expertise across a range of related areas.
• Its London location and optional part-time mode of study with monthly intensive learning days makes the programme accessible not only to London based students, but also to students from other UK and European destinations.

Structure

The programme offers both full-time and part-time modes of study. A part-time mode operates a September and/or February start. The programme is offered over Semesters A, B and Summer. It follows an executive education model, in which teaching takes place through intensive learning days approximately once a month. In the first year in Semester A, Semester B and Summer (or Semester B, Summer and Semester A for February start) students take the following 30 credit modules: Introduction to Positive Psychology, Assessment and Interventions and Applying Positive Psychology. During this year students are expected to attend 18 learning days, six per each module. Some of these are single study days taking place on a Saturday, with the rest delivered through either two-day intensives over Friday and Saturday and/or through an intensive six-day week in the summer. Students take Advanced Positive Psychology in Semester A (or Summer Semester for February start) in the second year. A double module Research Methods and Dissertation Part 1 and 2 takes place in Semesters B and Summer Semester. In this year students will be expected to attend face-to-face teaching over 12 learning days (delivered as single or double days) and spend the summer or their last semester working on the dissertation.

It should be noted that dissertation support seminars will be held during the last semester/summer of the two-year period to ensure that students are appropriately supported, in addition to individual supervisions and peer study groups.

If students decide to follow a full-time mode of study, they join the two ongoing cohorts and double their module intake. During Semester A students take the following two modules: Introduction to Positive Psychology and Advanced Positive Psychology. During Semester B students take Assessment and Interventions and Research Methods and Dissertation Part 1. Applying Positive Psychology and Research Methods and Dissertation Part 2 are completed during the summer.

The programme offers two intermediate awards. A Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology is awarded following successful completion of 60 credits (the first two modules). A Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Positive Psychology is awarded for achieving 120 credits for the following four modules: Introduction to Positive Psychology; Assessment and Interventions; Applying Positive Psychology (in organisational, educational and health settings); Advanced Positive Psychology.

Career

Graduates are likely to develop careers in organisational or business consultancies through their knowledge of tools for transforming business, institutions or practice. Business executives, human resource personnel and managers are likely to enhance their career prospects, whilst life and executive coaching is another possible career pathway for the programme graduates.

Skills and knowledge obtained can be usefully applied in the charity, voluntary and social enterprise sectors, as the programme educates for cooperative systems and sustainable well-being and development.

The MSc in Applied Positive Psychology is useful for qualified clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, nurses and doctors that intend to use positive psychology theory, research and applications in their clinical work.

Qualified teachers can use positive psychology expertise to inform their teaching practice. The programme would be of benefit to other existing and aspiring youth workers and educators, from the primary school throughout to the University level.

Importantly, a number of graduates are likely to develop specialisation in positive psychology within a research career, and can use the programme as a stepping stone towards a doctorate.

Support

1. On the first day you will take part in a relevant and comprehensive Induction Programme to help you settle in.

2. Students are offered personal tutor support to address learning queries and discuss any issues affecting progress.

3. The programme operates a genuine open door policy, which means that members of staff, including module tutors, programme leader and dissertation supervisor are accessible to students and can be contacted through UELPlus and email.

4. There are substantial learning, library and research resources accessible on and off campus, including positive psychology books and journals (e.g. Journal of Positive Psychology and Journal of Happiness Studies).

5. Lectures and seminars are accompanied by comprehensive lecture notes, handouts and on-line materials, accessible from your home or work place.

6. The campus provides computer and experimental labs.

7. You will receive training in appropriate research methods, enabling you to develop your research skills and apply these to positive psychology.

8. You will have a dedicated dissertation supervisor who is familiar with the topic area and is there to guide and support you during the specialist research stage.

9. Specialist support (e.g. financial advice, careers advice, counselling and learning support) is available from central University Services. The University also has disability and dyslexia advisors.

Admission

1. An undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent) in psychology, sociology, health and social welfare, counselling, education studies, human resources, business or social enterprise studies or other related disciplines with a minimum 2.2 classification (or equivalent).
2. A written application outlining academic and professional background, career objectives and reasons for choosing the MAPP Programme at UEL. Students whose academic background is outside of the above mentioned disciplines should explain how their professional or life experience has prepared them for studying positive psychology. The application should not be more than 2, 000 words in lengths.
3. Two supporting references, one of which is preferably academic.
4. In the case of applicants whose mother tongue is not English (and whose first degree was taken in a language other than English), IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required.
5. Admission with advanced standing for accredited/experiential learning (AEL) is permissible, subject to the discretion of the Assessment Board. Accredited study at M level from another institution will be considered, providing the subject is appropriate to the named pathway.

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