When you have completed your Bachelor of Science in psychology, you may be wondering what the next step is.
For some people, it may involve going into the world of work to work as a support worker. Others may want to enhance their academic experience and undertake a master’s degree in this area.
Most full-time master’s degrees, irrespective of the subject, are yearlong, and while you’re scrolling through a prospectus looking out for the right university to attend, you may be wondering what is involved in a master’s program relating to psychology.
So, in basic English, here are 5 of the things you can expect to need to brush up on when you begin your MSc.
1. Independent Work
When you are undertaking your Bachelor of Science in psychology, your lecturers would have undoubtedly given you reading lists to look through and pointed you in the direction of where you could find resources.
During your Masters in IO Psychology, you will be responsible for directing your learning much more than you are during your standard degree.
This also applies to your thesis piece, as the lecturers and tutors will want to see how you cope with your independent learning.
2. Another Thesis
Almost every MSc in psychology will have a thesis or dissertation. This might be a bit of a drag if you have just come out of the BSc in psychology and have completed one.
However, during the MSc, you are more responsible for your learning, so you will not have your tutors guide you as much as they did during the BSc.
You will be responsible for choosing the subject matter, the types of experiments that you wish to run, and the statistical analysis. You will also get less input on draft pieces as your lecturers want to see how you cope with this task.
You May Also Check: Tips For Caring For Your Health And Wellbeing As A Studying Nurse
3. Statistics
Even if you are looking to undertake a qualitative thesis or one that is revolved around interviews and dictation, you will still need to do a lot of statistical work.
So much so that you will be required to usually attend at least one statistic-based lecture a week, and you will be tested on your knowledge in this area.
This is because, alongside all of the other requirements, you will be expected to read more research papers and will need to know how to identify issues with statistical analysis and how to improve upon them.
4. Presentations
In the past, many master’s in psychology were solely based on coursework and exams. However, with more competition with Ph.D. places, many master’s programs will require you to build on your presentation skills too, which can be daunting.
Alongside this, you will likely be required to undertake group-based presentations, where your skills in working with others will also be assessed.
5. Essays
Finally, a master’s degree in any social science is nothing without essays. For every subject you study during the 1-year program, you will be required to write essays in the area, which will require a higher degree of research and interpretation than they did during your standard degree.
Read Also:
