Side view of a caucasian boy making sounds during speech therapy. Side view of a caucasian boy making sounds during speech therapy.

Course Summary

Our exciting course focuses on contemporary issues in family and child psychology across the lifespan, exploring critical issues as families and society become increasingly diverse. 

We offer a cutting-edge course that addresses present-day topics in family and child psychology, particularly as the dynamics of families and societies become more diverse. Furthermore, our course offers the opportunity to study the interface between family and child development, social policy and psychological practice, making its content relevant to students with diverse career ambitions. 

This course provides an excellent opportunity to study the psychology of the child and family in context across the lifespan, engaging with, and being taught by, leading experts in the field. With a heavily applied focus, you will learn, explore and examine how theory can be used to explain contemporary issues in the area, while undertaking training in research methodology, ethics and practical issues. Our course also emphasises employability skills, embedding a range of professional and practical skills across all modules. 

Students that do not wish to study the full MSc programme, can choose to study to a PGDip/PGCert level instead.

 


What you’llStudy

Substantive modules will explore issues such as child development and the changing family, mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders, and issues in social policy and practice. You will develop a range of practical and professional skills in the research methods and advanced skills modules, before conducting a piece of original research.

Module content:

This module introduces students to the essentials of psychological research, and includes an introduction to qualitative methods and quantitative methods, including questionnaire / survey and experimental research methods.

Overviews of qualitative methodologies are given covering both data acquisition (e.g interview, focus group, photo elicitation) and major analysis techniques (e.g. discourse analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis,
etc.). Thematic or content analysis is covered in more detail.

The module also introduces quantitative designs (e.g. surveys and experimental studies) and key analytical techniques. Laboratory exercises provide students with hands-on activities and include training in the use of statistical software packages (e.g. SPSS).  The module introduces students to the nature and philosophy of the experimental method, the design and execution of psychological experiments, descriptive statistics, frequentist and Bayesian inferential parametric and non-parametric statistical procedures (e.g. chi-square, t-tests, (factorial) ANOVA, correlation, regression, and allied analyses). The module covers the replication crisis and potential remedies.

Students receive guidance on the production of qualitative and quantitative research reports.


Module aims:

To provide MSc level students, who may not have studied psychological methods and statistics in depth before, with advanced training in the methods of psychological research, including: 

  • An understanding of the principal concepts of psychological methods and statistics
  • A thorough grounding in the selection and use of appropriate methodologies
  • Knowledge of the major quantitative and qualitative methods used in psychological enquiry
  • Clear understanding of the use of computer packages for statistics

Module content:

This module will introduce students to the issues that surround the successful management and completion of research projects in professional and applied settings. The course will focus on two core strands. Firstly ethical and professional standards will be examined in detail. The course will then focus on the practical issues and skills surrounding research projects, their development and their management. An emphasis on applied research, and on research with different populations, will be made during the course.

Content:

Professional standards, procedures and ethics in research

Research proposals: selling the idea

Writing research proposals

Grant applications

The design of research projects

Costing research projects

Developing research timelines

Project and team management.

Disseminating research

Time management

Effective listening and communication

Influencing strategies

Presentation skills

Research and the development of policy and practice


Module aims:

  • To develop a strong set of transferable skills in students;
  • To enable students to gain an appreciation of the professional and ethical issues relating to research and practice in applied psychology;
  • To enable students to gain an understanding of the processes involved in developing, writing and presenting research proposals;
  • To provide students with practical experience in the costing and time-scaling of research projects;
  • To provide students with an understanding of the issues involved in the management of applied research;
  • To provide students with training in skills relevant to the successful management of research projects e.g., effective communication;
  • To provide students with an appreciation of the ways in which research influences and develops policy and practice.

Module content:

This module is designed to equip students with key knowledge that is at the forefront of the developmental discipline. In light of this the module will cover both classic and contemporary theories in a range of diverse areas which may include:

 

  • Early development
  • The social self and the family
  • Symbolic development and communication
  • Parenting
  • Relationships within and beyond the family (e.g., education, peers)
  • Adolescent development and identity

 

As such, individual sessions will be responsive to changes in research and current staff expertise


Module aims:

The aims of this module are as follows:

 

  • To consider core theory and research in the field of child development.
  • To consider child and adolescent development in terms of the impacts that it may have on family structure and functioning, and vice-versa.
  • To engender critical understanding of the classic and contemporary theories and approaches in child development studies.
  • To develop critical understanding of key methodological approaches to the study of child development.
  • To develop advanced knowledge of specialist areas within the field, as specified in the learning outcomes.

Module content:

This module focuses on family psychology in society, examining social and cultural influences on family functioning.The module also emphasises the practical applications of family psychology, including the interplay between psychology and social policy, and interventions for helping families in crisis. Consequently, some sessions my be delivered by outside speakers, who are practitioners in the field, depending on availability.

The following topics are indicative of the content of the module:

  • Deprivation and disadvantage
  • Children and domestic abuse
  • Attachment
  • Family breakdown
  • Family well-being
  • Cultural issues in families
  • Policy and legislation

 


Module aims:

The aims of this module are as follows:


1. To enable the student to critically discuss and analyse the practical implications of recent research
2. To formulate arguments and communicate them in writing for a specific audience
3. To give the student the opportunity to work in a group on a collaborative task
4. To present the findings of their groupwork through an oral presentation in a specified format

Module content:

This module focuses on the changing family, with change conceptualised as both diversity in the family unit, and the adjustment of family members to transitions within the life cycle, such as the transition to parenthood. This will include the consideration of classic and contemporary theories and research in the area of family lifestyle and transition, including:

  • Different theoretical approaches to family lifestyle and transition (e.g., family systems theory, interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory, attachment theory, life span transitions theory, developmental approaches)
  • Typical life cycle transitions (e.g., leaving home, intimate relationships, marriage/living together, parenthood, retirement, death)
  • Unexpected life cycle transitions (parental separation and divorce, new parental relationships, illness, unemployment, mental illness, unexpected death)
  • Approaches to child rearing (e.g., cross-cultural differences)
  • Different types of family unit (e.g., single and absent parents, lesbian and gay parents)
  • Agents of socialisation within families (e.g., the role of parents, siblings, grandparents)

A further, practical aim of the module is to prepare students for their research dissertation by providing the opportunity to carry out a more substantial literature review.

Note: the topics shown in brackets are indicative, and may change due to staff availability and expertise.


Module aims:

The aims of this module are as follows:

  • To develop a critical understanding of classic and contemporary theories and research in family lifestyle and transition
  • To critically evaluate different methodological approaches to the study of family lifestyle and transition
  • To carry out an independent literature review related to family lifestyle and transition

Module content:

The focus of this module is to enable students to further strengthen their knowledge of a specific research area in family and child psychology and further develop their research methodology skills.  

Individual student learning needs are addressed through supervision and there are Faculty support workshops available to all students to enhance research and study skills.


Module aims:

  • To provide the student with an opportunity to investigate systematically and in depth a topic of direct relevance to his or her career aspirations. 
  • To further enhance and consolidate the student's skill and rigour in research, research methodology and evaluation in an applied environment. 
  • To enable the student to draw on and contribute to the development of the growing body of knowledge in family and child psychology.
  • To enable the student to develop skills in modern resource technologies to support his/her research project.

Module content:

  1. A range of neuro-developmental and psychological disorders affecting children and adolescents (e.g., autism, ADHD, eating disorders, self-harm)

 

  1. Theoretical models and approaches which explain disorders in childhood and adolescence

 

  1. Classification, diagnosis and assessment of disorders in childhood and adolescence
  1. Prevention, intervention and treatment of disorders in childhood and adolescence with particular focus upon the role of parents, family, peers and educators (e.g., parent-child interaction therapy, family therapy, parenting programmes, educational programmes)
  1. Research methods and ethics when working with children, adolescents and their families

Module aims:

To provide an overview of classic and current theories and research in the area of child and adolescent mental health and neuro-developmental disorders

To develop an awareness of the major disorders which affect children and adolescents, their aetiology, and issues of early detection, intervention and prevention 

To consider the role of the family (e.g., parents, and siblings) and significant others (peers, educational practitioners) in the treatment of child and adolescent disorders 

To promote awareness of the ethical and professional issues involved in working with children, adolescents and their families

To consider the contribution of psychological research to informing clinical and related practices (e.g., in education, social work, family services
etc) when working with children, adolescents and their families

MSc Family and Child Psychology YouTube video

MSc Family and Child Psychology

Who you’ll Learn from

Dr Julie Kirkham

Senior Lecturer; Programme Leader for Family and Child Psychology MSc
Dr Julie Kirkham

Professor Lisa Oakley

Professor of Safeguarding and Knowledge Exchange
Prof Lisa Oakley

Dr Astrid Schepman

Senior Lecturer
Dr Astrid Schepman

Dr Annie Scudds

Senior Lecturer; Programme Leader for Applied Psychology MSc
Dr Annie Scudds

Dr Mandy Yilmaz

Senior Lecturer
Dr Mandy Urquhart

Dr Julian Lloyd

Senior Lecturer
Dr  Julian Lloyd

How you'll Learn

Teaching  

Based in the School of Psychology, your teaching and learning will be centred around in-person study, such as workshops, seminars and practical classes that are informed by contemporary research and evidence with occasional live online sessions. Online learning materials will also be used to enhance knowledge and understanding. The learning experience can be tailored to your own areas of interest. 

Assessment 

You will be assessed entirely through coursework using a range of methods that promote applied, transferable and employability skills (e.g., through scientific reports, presentations, extended essays, etc.). Both formative and summative feedback is available to support your learning. 

Entry Requirements

2:2 honours degree

Generally, we require an undergraduate honours degree (minimum 2:2) in psychology, or other social science degrees that contain an acceptable component of psychology.  Applications from professionals working with children and families who have degrees in other areas will also be considered on an individual basis.

 

2:2 honours degree

Generally, we require an undergraduate honours degree (minimum 2:2) in psychology, or other social science degrees that contain an acceptable component of psychology. Applications from professionals working with children and families who have degrees in other areas will also be considered on an individual basis. 

English Language Requirements

For those who do not have IELTS or an acceptable in-country English language qualification, the University of Chester has developed its own online English language test which applicants can take for just £50. 

For more information on our English Language requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

Where you'll Study Exton Park, Chester

Fees and Funding

£8,505 per year (2024/25)

Guides to the fees for students who wish to commence postgraduate courses in the academic year 2024/25 are available to view on our Postgraduate Taught Programmes Fees page.

£14,750 per year (2024/25)

The tuition fees for international students studying Postgraduate programmes in 2024/25 are £14,750. 

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships for postgraduate study, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.  

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.  

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees. 

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills. 

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees & Finance section of our website.

Your future Career

Job prospects

Graduates from our programme progress into a diverse range of roles working with children and their families in psychological, social work, forensic, health, and charitable settings. Graduates may also progress to further study at doctoral level.   

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs.