MSc Positive Psychology

• You should have an upper second class (2.1) honours degree (or above) in Psychology, which is accredited by the British Psychology Society for Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• If you have a lower second class (2:2) honours degree in Psychology, you may be accepted to the programme following a successful interview. We may also ask you to provide a portfolio of your work as part of the application process.
• We'll also be happy to consider your application if you're a graduate of an alternative but related degree (for instance, nursing or health and social care). We'll require you to attend an interview, and we may ask you to provide a portfolio of your work to help determine your suitability for the course.
• Relevant work experience can also provide an advantage.
• We'll consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
• This course does not confer Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) – if you're seeking to achieve GBR, please consider applying for our MSc Psychology (Conversion) programme.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

The University of Bolton's MSc in Positive Psychology focuses on the scientific study of happiness, wellbeing, purpose and strength. It looks at the impact of positive emotions on a person's wellbeing and what makes people thrive.

The course aims to build your intellectual and thinking skills, problem-solving, interpersonal awareness, communication skills, ability to develop arguments supported by relevant evidence, and teamwork, IT and data-handling skills.

What can I do with this qualification?

Positive psychology can be used in a wide variety of job roles in education and training, business, healthcare, charities and government agencies. As a graduate, you could even use the techniques to transform a company or help develop the potential of a group, community or institution.

The theory and transferable skills you could learn should also benefit your clinical work if you're a qualified clinical psychologist, counsellor, life skills coach, wellbeing practitioner, or psychotherapist. Teachers, youth workers and educators can also use positive psychology expertise in their work.

Some graduates choose to continue their education by completing a PhD. Continuing your education would allow you to develop your skills further and research your area of interest.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification to enter a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible careers include:

• Teaching and education
• Careers guidance
• Human resources
• Probation services
• Prison services
• Social work
• Counselling
• Family mediation and support
• Nursing
• Police
• Media and advertising
• Communications
• Sport and recreation
• Brand consultancy
• Advertising
• Child protection
• Sales
• Youth work

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £5,280 for the academic year 2023/24.

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £13,550 for the academic year 2023/24.

Useful information

Please note the total course fee for a Home student starting this course in 2023/24 will be £7,920. As this is an 18-month course, the fees are £5,280 for the first year and £2,640 for the final semester.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Bursaries

Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.

We adopt a blended learning and teaching style, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate. By using a diverse range of teaching methods designed to complement each other, we aim to help you achieve the course's intended learning outcomes. We offer lectures, seminars, workshops and one-to-one sessions. You'll need to undertake significant independent reading and investigation, complete seminar-related work, and prepare for workshops, presentations and group discussions. Some modules will require you to follow up on taught sessions by using online resources and completing complementary tasks.

Assessment methods are also varied, allowing you to demonstrate your learning in a number of ways. For example, module assessments may require you to complete reports, essays, presentations, literature reviews, or review journal articles, write up case interventions and treatment evaluations, complete short question-and-answer sessions relating to statistical analysis, and present reflective journals.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Psychological and Social Research: Review, Evaluation and Design
• Quantitative Inquiry 1
• Quantitative Inquiry 2
• Qualitative Inquiry
• Foundations of Positive Psychology
• Positive Psychology in Practice
• Critical Positive Psychology
• Psychology Dissertation

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.