Postgraduate Course: Dissertation - MSc in Applied Psychology (Healthcare) for Children and Young People (CLPS11009)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 60 |
ECTS Credits | 30 |
| Summary | This core course within the MSc Applied Psychology (Healthcare) for Children and Young People provides students with the opportunity to design, conduct, analyse and present a research project. This course provides students with the opportunity to work individually on a research project of their choice and to complete a dissertation. |
| Course description |
The dissertation may take the form of an empirical project (qualitative or quantitative; data may be primary or secondary), service evaluation or systematic review. The project should focus on a topic that is in keeping with the programme (e.g., child and adolescent mental health). Students propose their own topic and develop this idea with guidance from their research supervisor. The programme team will also propose potential projects at the beginning of the year that they would be particularly interested in supervising.
The dissertation teaching will be based on individual or small-group supervision alongside formal teaching. Supervisors will provide 12 hours of input including formative feedback such as email exchanges, formal supervision meetings and draft reading.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Please note: this course is available to students on the MSc Applied Psychology for Children and Young People programme only. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Flexible |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
600
(
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 49,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
539 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Dissertation (7,000 - 8,000 words) (90%)
Academic poster (10%)
The dissertation component will assess LO 1-5. The poster component will assess LO4 and LO5. |
| Feedback |
Ongoing formative feedback on project design, planning and execution will be given via feedback and meetings with supervisors.
The formative assessment will involve comments on (a) one initial draft of the introduction and methods, and (b) one full draft of the dissertation (excluding discussion), and (c) one draft of the poster component. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate extensive, detailed and critical knowledge and understanding of contemporary literature to support a rational justification for the study
- Implement a viable research project that can demonstrate logical links between research questions, design and (primary/secondary) data collection.
- Demonstrate competence in collating/analyzing data and providing a critical and contextual interpretation of findings
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate appropriately and succinctly to a target audience, using appropriate language
- Exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in undertaking research, including time and project management skills
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Reading List
Readings related to the research topic will be recommended by supervisor.
Barker, C. (2002). Research methods in clinical psychology: an introduction for students and practitioners. John Wiley.
Field, A. P. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics: and sex and drugs and rock ¿n¿ roll. Sage.
Silverman, D. (2014). Interpreting qualitative data. SAGE.
Deighton, J. (2014). Measuring mental health and wellbeing outcomes for children and adolescents to inform practice and policy: a review of child self-report measures. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
¿ Development of extensive, detailed and critical knowledge and understanding in one or more specialisms, much of which is at, or informed by, developments at the forefront
¿ Plan and execute a significant project of research, investigation or development
¿ Critically review, consolidate and extend knowledge, skills practices and thinking in a subject/discipline
¿ Undertake critical evaluations of a wide range of numerical and graphical data
¿ Communicate, using appropriate methods, to a range of audiences with
¿ different levels of knowledge/expertise.
¿ Personal and intellectual autonomy skills, including accountability, time-management and working with others |
| Keywords | Dissertation,children,young people,mental health |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Helen Sharpe
Tel: (0131 6)51 3982
Email: Helen.Sharpe@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Giovanni Panella
Tel: (01316) 513922
Email: gpanella@ed.ac.uk |
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