都柏林大学学院

The Higher Diploma in Psychology is an intensive two-year postgraduate conversion course for graduates with an honours degree in a discipline other than psychology, who would like to take the first step towards a professional career in psychology.

Applicants to the Higher Diploma in Psychology programme must be graduates with an honours degree (typically a 2.1 or higher), or final year students on an honours degree programme in any discipline. Offers to applicants who are not yet graduates will be contingent on degree results. The programme welcomes applications from mature students. The selection process for the Higher Diploma in Psychology will take account of: 1) undergraduate record and, where relevant, postgraduate record; (2) certified modules or courses in psychology; (3) experience of psychology through work or voluntary activities; (4) employment record; (5) references; (6) applicant's personal statement on the application form.

Course features:

• Psychology conversion course
• Equivalent to Honours BA degree in Psychology
• Two years fulltime or four years part time
• Accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI)
• Internationally recognised degree
• Enables further postgraduate training in clinical, counselling, health or other types of psychology

Vision and Values Statement

The purpose of the Higher Diploma in Psychology in UCD is to foster an evidence-based appreciation of mind, brain, lived experiences, social context, and behaviour, and the nature and outcomes of their complex interactions. Students will learn the importance of psychological approaches to problems in modelling the full richness of mental life, as well as the role of empirical research in shaping and influencing theory. The programme stresses the importance of critical thinking, informed awareness of the multiplicity of levels of understanding psychological phenomena, the significance of building research skills, and of ethics in research and practice.

Knowledge is developed through teaching core areas at a number of stages; beginning at an introductory level, supported by tutorials and team-teaching, but becoming steadily more advanced, complemented with increased individual choice and selection of options. Learning is based on active participation, and culminates through demonstrating an ability to undertake an independent piece of research, from hunches and hypotheses, through to execution, data collection, analysis and write-up. Individualised tuition and supervision support the student in the completion of this project. A range of assessment methods is used including traditional, innovative and group-based, with detailed feedback to the student an essential components.

Professional Accreditation

The degree is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) as a first degree (equivalent to an Honours BA in Psychology), and confers eligibility for Graduate Membership of PSI. The Higher Diploma in Psychology is an internationally recognised degree that allows graduate membership of relevant psychological societies including the British Psychological Society (BPS).