Welcome to your Health Psychology course

Welcome to University of Staffordshire

We know you're already passionate about your subject, which is why we're excited you've chosen University of Staffordshire as the place to turn possibility into reality.

To give you an insight into what life as a Health Psychology student is like, your course leaders have prepared introductions to the course and further activities.

Welcome to the MSc Health Psychology Community here at Staffordshire University. We hope you are excited to be joining us in September. We are looking forward to welcoming Staffs Graduates as well as those new to us here at Staffordshire University. Starting a postgraduate course can be quite daunting, so we want to help you prepare in advance. On this page, you will find lots of useful information that will help you get settled into the Staffordshire University family.

First activity

Induction will take place between 26th-28th September during welcome week and will cover key aspects of the course, including: an overview of the modules that you will undertake; course expectations; details of learning resources you will have access to; and information about the support you will receive. Further details regarding induction will be made available in due course. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact the Course Leader, Dr Gemma Hurst (G.L.Hurst@staffs.ac.uk).

Semester one activities

During teaching block one, you will begin your Stage 1 training through enrolling on several different modules on the course. You will be introduced to the range of areas and concerns in health psychology, alongside the theoretical constructs that guide work in the field, in the Contexts and Perspectives in Health Psychology module. You will be supported to design and plan rigorous and ethically-sound research in the Psychological Research Design and Planning module. This is also where you will start to consider and develop ideas for your dissertation, with support from an academic supervisor. Alongside this, you will become further immersed in the world of research through the Psychology Research Methods module and consider the core skills common to all psychological intervention in the Introduction to Applied Therapeutic and Clinical Skills module. Finally, you will begin to engage with a professional development programme in the Professional Development in Health Psychology module.

Pre-arrival preparation

To prepare for the course, you may want to:

- Make a list of health psychology topics that you are interested in and start to think about the focus of your dissertation.

- Consider the key skills that you will need to undertake postgraduate study and how this differs from undergraduate study.

- Familiarise yourself with the BPS codes of ethics and conduct (Guidelines and policies – The British Psychological Society (bps.org.uk))

- Refresh your memory of the research methods training that you have received to date (quantitative and qualitative).

Introductory Reading

If you would like to carry out some preparatory reading for the course, here are some suggestions (we don’t expect you to read them all!):

Clark-Carter, D. (2018) Quantitative psychological research: The complete student's companion. (4th edition) Hove: Psychology Press. (Or an alternative psychology research methods textbook)

Ogden, J. (2019). Health Psychology: A Textbook (6th Edition). Maidenhead: O.U. Press.

Marks, D., Murray, M., Evans, B., & Estacio, E. V. (2015). Health Psychology: Theory research and Practice (4th Edition). London: Sage.

Course delivery

If you are studying the MSc Health Psychology full-time, you will usually be required to attend campus for taught sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays (10am-5pm). For part-time students, you will usually attend on Thursdays in your first year Tuesdays in your second year.

Option Module information

During enrolment, you will be required to select one 20 credit option module from the following choices:

 

PSYC70852 Applications of Health Psychology:

This module with focus on applying health psychology in different settings and with different populations. You will develop a critical understanding of how health psychology can be applied in the real world and will critically apply health psychology theories and research to encourage behaviour change through health promotion.

The assessment for this module is a reflective poster presentation where you will be required to design and present (to your peers) a physical health promotion campaign poster.

You can find out more by reviewing the module descriptor: https://evision.staffs.ac.uk/module_descriptors/PSYC70852.html

PSYC70854 Applied Health Psychology Placement.

In this module, you will be required to log a minimum of 50 hours (over two teaching blocks) of placement activities. Placements can be paid, or unpaid/voluntary in a relevant setting. Examples include: research assistants; community workers; council positions (e.g., planning); health promotion, voluntary organisations (e.g., food banks, charities, hospices); HR (e.g., health and safety and wellbeing); and local health/sports organisations. You will be required to secure your own placement with support from the module and career connect teams. All placements must be approved to ensure appropriate policies and procedures are in place and adhered to (e.g., health and safety, requirement for DBS checks). This module will be co-taught with Applications of Health Psychology for the first part of the module, and you will, therefore, also cover content relating to working with different client and professional groups, behaviour change techniques, health promotion and health behaviours.

The assessment for this module is a reflective poster presentation where you will be required to design and verbally present a poster reflecting on the contribution your placement to your development as a stage 1 trainee and your ability to apply health psychology in practice.

You can find out more by reviewing the module descriptor: https://evision.staffs.ac.uk/module_descriptors/PSYC70854.html

 

If you have any questions about the above option modules, please email the course leader, Dr Gemma Hurst (G.L.Hurst@staffs.ac.uk).

Free downloadable Software

There is a variety of software which can be downloaded from the University’s website and can also be accessed via the button below. This software is free for all of our students, as we understand to reach your full potential and succeed in your degree you need the tools to help you. The software available includes:

  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SPSS and AMOS
  • Maple
  • NVivo
  • Sophos Antivirus
  • Asure Dev Tools for Teaching
  • VMWare
  • Free Training

Free Software: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/support_depts/digital-services/software.jsp

Join a Society

Getting involved in a student group can enhance your time at University. It is a great way to make new friends and connections, learn from other students and develop new skills whilst having some fun at the same time. Whether you want to join a group as a member, get involved in running a group as part of a committee or help run an event or organise your own – your Students’ Union is here to make it happen! Please check out the Students’ Union website for more information on all of our groups, volunteering and other opportunities, or get in touch with the Students’ Union if you have more questions.

Click here for a list of the current clubs and societies run through the Students’ Union: Clubs and Societies (staffsunion.com)

Social Media

You can connect with us on Twitter via @HealthPsyStaffs, @StaffsPsych, and #healthpsystaffs.

You can also check out our InPsych Blog which reports news, events and research updates from the Department of Psychology at Staffordshire University: https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/inpsych/

Staff

Your course leader is Dr Gemma Hurst, and your teaching team has a wide range of experience and expertise. You will meet some of your course team during welcome week.   

Meet the team

Dr Gemma Hurst

Course Director

I am the Course Director for Postgraduate Psychology and I contribute to our Health Psychology programmes (MSc and Professional Doctorate). I am a Chartered Psychologist (BPS) and a HCPC registered Health Psychologist.

Gemma's profile

What to expect on Welcome Week

We're so excited for you to join us on campus and to welcome you to where you matter. During your welcome week you'll be able to meet our friendly student services teams, connect with new friends, join societies, explore on-campus venues attend club nights and much more.

We look forward to welcoming you in September.

If you have any questions, please send them to your Course Leader:

Name and Email Address:

Dr Gemma Hurst (G.L.Hurst@staffs.ac.uk)

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