MSc Education: Child and Adolescent Psychology pathway

This pathway takes a psychological perspective towards understanding development from infancy to adolescence. We focus on cognitive, social and emotional development, placing this within a broad understanding of educational theory and policy.

The pathway draws on psychological theories and research to explore questions such as: 

  • What are the key processes of child and adolescent development? 
  • What is the role of family in children’s development and education? 
  • How do developmental disabilities such as autism and Down’s Syndrome influence children’s experiences and development? 
  • How do children learn through play? 
  • What factors influence children’s interaction with technology? 
  • How can knowledge of child and adolescent development inform work in educational contexts? 

This pathway is for those interested in or with previous experience supporting children’s development in educational settings. You will engage with current issues across a stimulating range of topics, from early literacy to friendships in autistic children; from the role of physical activity in cognitive development to the impact of technology on children’s futures. 

You will explore this field through lectures, group discussions and multimedia projects, with the opportunity to work with many different technologies. You will study with well-established child development researchers and benefit from guest lecturers from the fields of education, psychology and technology. 

We will support you as you develop your thinking through a range of assessments, including presentations, essays, blog posts and collaborative video projects. You will participate in a vibrant research environment by, for example, attending seminars organised by the Developmental Psychology in Education research group.

As someone new to education, I've managed well in the MSc Education (Child and Adolescent Psychology) programme, thanks to the immense support from lecturers, tutors, and classmates. I truly appreciate how caring and supportive the school staff and friends are. Their support was all I needed to overcome challenges and obstacles throughout this journey! The skills I've gained as both a student and cohort lead will undoubtedly help me in pursuing a teaching career back in Singapore.

Hazel Li, MSc Education Child and Adolescent Psychology graduate

Pathway structure

You are required to take five compulsory and two option courses and complete a dissertation to earn this MSc degree.  

Compulsory courses

You will take the following courses:

Option courses

You will also complete two option courses (40 credits) selected from those on offer within the School. Option courses are subject to change each year, but have included: 

Please note: Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Children and Technology, and the Psychology of Learning and Teaching can also be taken as an option course. 

Course Descriptions (2024-25)

What I enjoyed most about the MSc Education (Child and Adolescent Psychology) was the interactive approach in the classroom. Rather than simply listening to lectures, the workshops allowed me to engage more actively in the learning process. I especially appreciated the small group discussions where we collaborated on designing projects or organising debates. These experiences helped me connect theory with practice, share my own ideas, and integrate others’ perspectives, filling in the gaps that individual thinking might miss.

Wenqian Zhou, MSc Education Child and Adolescent Psychology graduate

Dissertation

During semesters one and two, our staff will support you to become more independent in your studies. This helps prepare you for your dissertation project. Once you successfully complete your compulsory and option courses, you will produce a dissertation. This is a piece of independent, original research of 12,000 words on a topic within developmental psychology. This might take the form of a systematic review or an empirical piece of work. 

Once you reach this stage, you will have a series of small-group and one-to-one meetings with your supervisor, who will work closely with you throughout the project. One of the benefits of being in a large department is that our staff have a wide range of skills to draw upon, so you’re more likely to find a dissertation supervisor who is a specialist in your chosen area of research. 

Examples of recent dissertations include: 

  • The effect of the Daily Mile project on school-aged children's working memory
  • Parent-child play and parent ethnotheories of play in India
  • The cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between cognition and mental health among UK adolescents: From the Millennium Cohort Study
  • Studying minimally verbal autistic children’s embodied interactions with screen-based technology

Pathway-specific career opportunities

This pathway provides a solid foundation for further study to doctoral level with a focus on children’s development. It also suits those who wish to work with children and young people in an educational profession (for example, as a digital officer for a local authority or educational advisor in a children’s charity).Graduates will develop: 

  • a critical awareness of current developmental psychology research 
  • an understanding of the research methods used to help understand the lives of children and young people, and the ethical issues involved when working with children 
  • the capacity to think analytically about the potential applied value of research findings to work with children in educational settings 
  • the ability to critically evaluate claims made in relation to educational and technological interventions for children and young people
  • digital skills and understanding of statistics 

Contact us

For further information about this pathway, please contact the Pathway Co-ordinator.

Pathway Co-ordinator: Dr Katie Cebula

Apply now

Find detailed entry requirements, fees and costs, and apply for this pathway via the Degree Finder.  

Apply now

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