The MA in Applied Psychology is a full-time programme running for 12 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

1. Hold an honours undergraduate degree in Psychology;
2. Satisfy the eligibility requirements for graduate membership of the 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. A second class honours grade one degree is required. Consideration 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;
4. The name and contact details of a Referee will be required and may be contacted. Written references will be required for placement interviews;
5. Supply a personal statement conveying:

i) An understanding of what applied psychology entails;
ii) Reasons for applying to the programme and how this programme fits with the applicant's experience and career objectives;
iii) A proposed topic for research dissertation that demonstrates your ability to identify a research problem and design a study to address it.

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

i) Academic performance;
ii) Research capacity;
iii) Commitment to the area of applied psychology.

Note: A minimum intake of 10 students will be required to run this programme.

Garda Vetting
Students, or applicants in receipt of an offer, on this programme will be subject to Garda Vetting as relevant. Students will be prohibited from engaging in a relevant work placement unless the vetting process has been cleared. Click here to view UCC's Student Garda Vetting Policy.

Part I
Core Modules
Students take 30 credits as follows:
AP6016 Research Methods and Data Analysis (10 credits)
AP6023 Psychological Assessment (5 credits)
AP6173 Service Design and Evaluation (10 credits)
AP6177 Critical Community Psychology (5 credits)

Elective Modules
Students take 30 credits from the following:

AN4009 Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience (5 credits)
AN4012 Medical Imaging and Biomedical Devices in the Neurosciences (5 credits)
AP3119 Psychological Therapies (5 credits)
AP3121 Forensic Psychology (5 credits)
AP6128 Introduction to Psychotherapeutic Skills (5 credits)
AP6129 Health Psychology (5 credits)
AP6153 Applying Psychology in Community-Based Settings Placement (15 credits)
AP6174 Clinical Presentations (Child, Adolescent, Adult, and ID) (10 credits)
AP6176 Cognitive Enhancement (5 credits)
AP6178 Psychological Principles and Skills in Working with Children and Families (5 credits)

Note: Students can only take a maximum of 10 credits from AP3XXX modules that have not been taken previously.
In semester one students take 20 credits of core modules and a maximum of 15 credits of elective modules. In semester two students take 10 credits of core modules and the remaining credits in elective modules to a maximum of 30 credits of elective modules overall in the programme.

Part II
AP6137 Dissertation in Applied Psychology (30 credits)
Where a student achieves an overall mark which is considered borderline fail a viva voce examination may be requested by the Programme Director.

Exemptions
Students who have already passed a module(s) as part of another programme, may seek exemption from this module(s) and will be required to take another module to the same credit value as assigned by the programme co-ordinator.

Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Psychology (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
Students who have completed and passed modules to the value of at least 60 credits in Part I and who do not wish to proceed to Part II may opt to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Psychology.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Applied Psychology (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Understand the discipline of psychology and its value in applied contexts;
• Critically appraise psychological research and practice in a range of settings;
• Know the professional and ethical issues that may arise in the application of psychology in a variety of contexts;
• Display skills commensurate with planning and implementing an effective research programme.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Psychology (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Understand the discipline of psychology and its value in applied contexts;
• Critically appraise psychological research and practice in a range of settings;
• Know the professional and ethical issues that may arise in the application of psychology in a variety of contexts;