Our MSc Addiction Psychology provides advanced study of the psychological theory underpinning the development and maintenance of pharmacological and behavioural addictions, as well as their evidence-based treatments.
The addictions field is wide in scope and this programme extends beyond traditional substance-related dependence disorders to include a wide range of established and emerging behavioural addictions, such as Internet Gaming and Gambling Disorder.
In addition, you will learn practical research skills and advanced psychological analytical techniques in the investigation of a range of addiction disorders.
A strong applied focus reflects the teaching and research strengths of the psychology group, with emphasis on the importance of employability. We support students in developing and recognising both generic and transferable skills. The master's course provides a solid foundation for doctoral level study.
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Don’t worry if your qualifications are not listed here, we take a range of factors into account when assessing your application and are happy to consider other alternative combinations of qualifications and experience
If you are applying with an EU or non-EU qualification, please check our Postgraduate Entry Requirements page which gives more information about country-specific entry requirements.
An Honours degree in Psychology with a classification of 2:1 or above (normally).
Applications will be considered from applicants who have a 2:2 classification if they can demonstrate relevant professional experience that indicates a capability to meet the required academic demands within the course.
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).
SOCIAL WORK DEGREES
For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.
For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:
* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
The master's degree will be delivered via a blended learning approach utilising lectures, seminars, practical skills workshops, and has flexibility in terms of having full-time and part-time study options available.
To achieve the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) you must complete six (20 credit) taught core modules as follows:
Successful completion of the PgDip allows you to proceed to the master's module:
The MSc content combines an international and regional perspective in addiction disorder and is fully underpinned by current research.
You will be engaged in learning and teaching through a diverse range of teaching approaches and methods, including:
Throughout the course, you will engage with lecturers, tutors, peers and external partners.
Our course provides a variety of integrated learning and assessment opportunities and experiences which will increase your:
All of this standing you in good stead when the times comes to seek employment.
LEARNING AND TEACHING
ASSESSMENT
Graduates should find careers in diverse roles within public, private and third sector organisations related to addiction disorder. Specifically in research and support roles in relation to psychological and behavioural disorders, health and well-being.
The MSc is suitable for individuals aiming to develop specialist knowledge and understanding of addiction disorder as well as expanding and refining their psychological research skills.
The MSc Addiction Psychology programme can be used as an opportunity to work towards entering PhD level study and Doctoral level psychology training programmes such as PhD / DClinPsy / DProf.
Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) postgraduate tuition fee and living cost loans may be available for eligible (Scottish/EU) students. Check SAAS website for more information.
The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.
In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs like study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of financial support available to help students meet the cost of their study. This ranges from:
The sections below provide details of additional costs that your course may involve along with any financial support that may be available.
You can also find additional information in our Postgraduate Money, Fees & Funding section.
Students on certain degrees will incur some additional costs not covered by their tuition fees. These could be for things like specialist equipment, study materials, work placements, graduation, membership of relevant organisations or costs related to carrying out fieldwork.
For students on course with an element of fieldwork, there may also be extra costs for travel and accommodation.
Please contact the course leader for details of the additional costs associated with this course.
All students should apply directly to the University through our online application system. Before you apply, you should check that you meet our entry requirements and you should have all your supporting documents ready.
The first stage of the process is to complete the initial application form. You will then receive a follow-up email with further instructions relating to your application including documents that you will need to forward to support your application, e.g. degree transcripts and certificates etc.
Most courses don't have a formal closing date, but they will close when they are full; apply early to avoid disappointment. There may also be funding deadlines that apply to you.
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applies to all international students and researchers (apart from exempt nationalities) who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study or research at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects.
Students and researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an ATAS certificate.
An ATAS certificate may be required for certain taught postgraduate master's degrees for international students at UWS.
For the latest information on ATAS and details of eligibility and how to apply for a certificate check the UK Government's dedicated ATAS web pages.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
Use the Link below to download details of our full-time, part-time tuition fees for Bachelor, Masters, Research, and English Language pre-sessional courses for session 2023-24.
Tuition FeesWith cutting edge facilities, specialist knowledge and world-leading and internationally excellent expertise, we aim to develop research outputs that have a tangible, early and positive impact on society across the globe.
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