Has anyone completed a MSc Psychology Conversion course?

[TheOriginalMrsMoss]

I'm considering doing a BPS approved Masters conversion course but I'd like to find out more about how much time I would need to commit to it.

I have a few options; full or part-time and keep on working. I can also attend or do one of the online course options.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has or is currently studying. What are the pro's and cons? Also, what kind of work has it led on to?

Jobs aplenty indeed @HadItInMe!

This link is always useful to see the type of experience needed for a successful application onto the ed psych doctorate.

Thank you for your help. I think I just wanted confirmation that after finishing the conversion course, it wouldn't then be necessary to get another masters before applying for professional doctorate 😊

Any other feedback whether it matters where you go for your conversion? Wouldn't it be good to go to a uni where you are interested in the research there and where you could potentially meet researchers you would want to work with in the future?

Hi, how easy or difficult is it to find a relevant job after MSc psychology conversion ?
also, how much this 3 year training course cost ?

In what field? There's really no point doing a psychology conversion unless you're doing it to then access specialist postgraduate psychology training (ed psych, occ psych, forensic psych, neuropsych) and the paths and prospects in all of these fields are very different.

A Master's costs whatever a given institution wants to charge for it and depends on whether you are FT, PT, a home student or not...

No, what I meant to ask is how can you get that work experience after conversion course which is also a requirement to get into doctoral program.

On cost part, again I was referring doctoral program’s and not masters as I read that only home students will be fully funded.

I've done it, FT. Was fine; content was fairly easy, although I found the statistics part a bit tricky.

What I would say is that it gives you the very basics while not qualifying you for anything. You need to then do a lot of work experience in tough jobs earning very little if you want to get on to a clinical or ed psych doctorate.

After working in schools as an LSA then for the NHS, I went into a wholly different career.

@26A lots of people work as a learning support assistant or specialist teaching assistant to get experience. When you have some experience you can apply for assistant psychologist roles but these are like hens teeth.

Hi, looking for some advice. I am considering applying to do a Masters conversion in psychology course in Sept this year. I am a qualified children’s counsellor and Trauma informed practitioner working in a secondary school, and I am thinking about a career as an Educational Psychologist. I have a real interest in psychology and regretted not studying it at University first time round. Also I have come to realise there is a huge shortage of Ed Psych’s which has a real impact on young people with SEND ( my own child being one of them) when trying to get specialist support or apply for an EHCP.
However I have been researching how hard it is to get onto the training to be an Ed Psych after my masters, although I have been seeing quite a few Ed Psych trainee apprenticeship, so I am wondering if the government is trying different ways to increase Ed Psych numbers??
The other factor is I will be 52 when I begin the masters in September and will have to complete it part time due to financial restraints, so I will be 54 when I gain my masters. Have I left it too late!? Should I do a Masters in something else?

So you need your MSc to give you membership to BPS. The government has already doubled the number of EP training places but it’s still very difficult to get a place, not unusual for people to take 2-4 years to get on the course so you need to consider that. Also think about how many universities you can apply to and where they send their trainees. Some of the areas covered are huge.

Finally make sure you have a really clear idea of what the job involves. Lots of time writing EHCPs, you don’t spend huge amounts of time with children and once advice has been given often don’t see them again.

Im an SEN teacher, I started the Psychology conversion a few years ago and ultimately decided I wanted to stay in schools rather than become an EP. I did all of the taught content but didn’t do the research module. I found it really interesting and it has definitely helped my practice as a teacher.

Hi @Szzle, no, you haven’t left it too late at all!

The only way to become an EP is through the professional doctorate. The Trainee EP positions you have seen advertised, are for year 2/3 trainees on the course. It used to be that they would do their placements on a bursary but many (most?) LAs have switched over to direct employment so that they get pension/sick pay etc.