Psychology and Education (MA) (2025 Entry)

Psychology and Education students discussing a document

Course code

P-C8X3 (full-time); P-C8X3 (part-time)

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time; 2 or 3 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Education Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-C8X3 (full-time); P-C8X3 (part-time)

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time; 2 or 3 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Education Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

Apply now

Find out more about our Psychology and Education taught Master's degree.

Do you work in the education sector and hope to increase your knowledge of psychology to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to reach their potential? Are you interested in how applied psychological research translates into classroom practice? Perhaps your background is in social policy or education and you want to specialise in educational psychology issues? Whatever your goals are, enhance your knowledge and practical skills with this course.

Course overview

This is a research-led course that sits at the crossroads of psychology and education. It offers a unique interdisciplinary perspective on important issues regarding child developmental and educational outcomes; notions of difference and disability; the role of early intervention in maximising children’s life chances; and what we mean by evidence based practice in the field of education.

The modules of this course are carefully chosen to help you to develop the intellectual and critical tools required to tackle some of these issues. If your outlook is wider than one academic discipline and you have the passion to explore and understand problems from a variety of perspectives, then you are ideally placed to benefit from our style of teaching and learning.

Our flexible modules offer you a wide range of teaching and learning experiences and the capacity to examine in depth topics about individual differences (e.g., emotions, personality and intelligence) and the role they play in children’s learning; how contextual factors such as poverty, social class and parenting, work together to shape children’s developmental outcomes; and how SEN and Disability policy translates into practice in schools.

Seminars and debates are at the heart of the way in which these issues are examined, so there will be a number of opportunities to work with your peers, collaborating, debating, and researching practical solutions. Your interdisciplinary skill set will be developed throughout this course, enabling you to pursue a diverse array of career pathways, including those directly relating to SEN and Disability and psychology in practice.

Skills from this degree

Capacity for advancing evidence-based arguments and drawing conclusions that are supported by in depth data at a dissertation level
Confidence in engaging in academic debates on the intersections between Psychology and Education
Intellectual thoroughness required to review diverse bodies of research and analyse their findings
Understand current theoretical and policy issues with regard to special educational needs and disability
Undertake a research project that involves theoretical and methodological understandings. Create a well-defined topic with a view to advancing evidence-based arguments. Drawing implications for policy and practice.
Reflect on your own potential as a learner

Important information

We are planning to make changes to our Psychology and Education MA for 2025 entry. Our core modules will undergo approval through the University's rigorous academic processes. As changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:2 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

Band B
IELTS score to 7 overall, no more than two components at 6.0/6.5 & rest 7.0+

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Academic References

We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses, and two academic references for research courses.

You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.

View our guide to academic references.Link opens in a new window

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Modules

Core modules

Special Educational Needs and Evidence-Based Practices

The module examines current policy and practice around special educational needs along with research around the academic and behavioural profiles of children with different types of need (e.g., autism, intellectual disability). In parallel, the module focuses on evidenced based approaches: i.e., approaches to intervention that have been shown effective for improving children’s outcomes. We review evidence-based interventions, but we also learn and practise behavioural skills (e.g., what is reinforcement and when to use it) as these are core components of effective methods for addressing the needs of students, including students with special educational needs.

Early Intervention

This module will provide an overview of early intervention as a means of improving the life chances of children, with particular reference to addressing the adverse effect of social disadvantage and special educational needs and disabilities, especially autism or intellectual disability.

Research Methods in Psychology and Education

This module will run through the Autumn and Spring terms. The aim of this module is to provide students with a foundation training in research methods in psychology and education. It is designed to meet the needs of home and international students who seek to enhance their learning experience with research methods. The module has two main ambitions. The first is concerned with enabling students to engage in understanding, designing and implementing research projects (i.e., dissertation). The second is concerned with equipping students with basic skills in a range of established research strategies and techniques. This is intended to enable students to frame and refine research questions, to design a research appropriate to their own research interests.

Dissertation

The dissertation is an opportunity to explore, in depth, an area of academic and/or professional interest related to your degree. Building on the knowledge and skills developed during the Research Methods module, and your other modules, you will conduct an independent research project, developing a deeper understanding of your chosen topic. From your research project, you will produce a dissertation, with guidance from a supervisor who will be allocated to you. Through the dissertation, you will demonstrate the ability to analyse and synthesise relevant literature, produce coherent arguments supported by relevant evidence and logical discussion, and acknowledge sources of ideas and information.

Optional modules

This programme has a number of optional modules to choose from. Our optional module lists are subject to change each year to keep the student learning experience current and up-to-date.

Find the most up-to-date optional module list on the Education Studies website.Link opens in a new window

Important information

We are planning to make changes to our Research Methods in Psychology and Education module for 2025 entry. Our core modules will undergo approval through the University's rigorous academic processes. As changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Teaching

For full-time students, all of our modules are delivered in-person at our well-equipped university campus. Please note that if you wish to study on a part time basis you should be aware that most modules are taught during the normal working day and there is no out of hours provision. If this is a consideration for you please contact us prior to applying so that we can advise you further. Part-time students are able to complete some of their modules as asynchronous distance-learning modules.

Most modules include weekly teaching sessions, giving you the opportunity to join with your colleagues to discuss and debate the topics being explored. These sessions are delivered in a range of formats that suit the module (these may include lectures, seminars, group work and practical workshops, for example). In addition, you will be given various pre- and post- session tasks and readings to support your learning.

Assessment

Assessment types vary depending on modules selected but may include different types of assignments, of varying lengths, as well as oral presentations. You will also complete a dissertation based on an individual research project, with support from a research supervisor.

Reading lists

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Additional course costs

You may wish to undertake some research with children or young people that may require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check or a Certificate of Good Conduct for students from outside of the UK. A Certificate of Good Conduct can vary in price.

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Find out more about our additional course costs.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Careers

Your career

The majority of graduates from this MA programme work in schools in positions as diverse as counselling, Learning Support Coordinator, NHS NGOs, and teachers in special schools in the UK and internationally. Also, a number of students go on to pursue a doctorate in Educational Psychology.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

Careers in Education
Careers with Children and Young People
Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

Department

Education Studies at Warwick

Education has the power to change lives

Education changes lives through teaching, coaching, training, and through work in local and global communities. What do you understand about that power? Bring your fascination for the way we communicate and learn to Warwick.

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Application deadlines

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2026 opens on 2 October 2025.

Applications close on 2 August 2026 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

Useful links

Applicant portal
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2024 entry

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We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
Live chats
Talk and Tours
Department events

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Why Warwick

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Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

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We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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Psychology and Education (MA) (2025 Entry)

Find out more about our Psychology and Education taught Master's degree.

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

How to apply checklist

I'm ready to apply

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

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Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

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Gold standard teaching

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