PY0776 - MSc Thesis

You will engage in an independent piece of psychological research with the support and guidance of an individual supervisor. In semester 1, you will identify a research area of interest. You will meet with your supervisor regularly during Semester 2 to discuss the development of the research. Supervisors will provide guidance with respect to specific skills, techniques, and research methodologies, as well as information relating to ethical issues and processes. In semesters 1 and 2, you will receive further guidance in the form of lectures to support your progress. In Semester 3, you will continue to meet with your supervisor in line with the stage of your study. During this time, supervisors will provide guidance on topics relevant to your stage of progression, such as practical data collection issues or interpretation of findings.

Scheduled sessions will be provided during Semesters 1 and 2 to support the MSc Thesis. These will include sessions during the Induction period to the allocation of supervisors. You will receive sessions on choosing a thesis topic, managing your progression, ethics, and finalising your thesis. You will also receive information about the thesis process via email, and resources, including assessment information, will be available via the e-learning portal.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Critically evaluate knowledge, theory, and evidence relevant to the psychological discipline of the project.
2. Understand how theory and research can be applied to solutions in real-world contexts.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
1. Individually conceptualise and plan a psychological research study that addresses a current issue with the clear intention of advancing understanding within the domain.
2. Communicate the findings of the research in written form.

Personal Values Attributes:
1. Recognise and apply the relevant ethical guidelines to the design of a psychology-based research project.

Ethics process: You are required to gain full ethical approval before beginning data collection. Failure to submit the final application for ethical approval to your supervisor by the published deadline will result in 5 marks being deducted from your final mark for the thesis report.

Formative Assessment on Ethics: Regarding ethics, you will receive both written (email) and oral feedback throughout the year from your supervisor.
MLOs: K&U 1, 2; IPSA 1;

Once you have developed and submitted your final ethics application it will be entered into the university ethics process. The ethics review process may require you to adjust your submission further in order to gain ethical approval.
MLOs: PVA1

Summative Assessment on Thesis: You will write a thesis in journal submission format of up to approximately 8000 words. Your mark will constitute 100% of the module mark. You are required to gain full ethical approval before beginning data collection.

You will receive individual written feedback on the thesis highlighting strengths and weaknesses of your work, along with areas for improvement.
MLOs: K&U 1, 2; IPSA 1; IPSA 2

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The aim of this module is to provide students with an opportunity to undertake an independent piece of psychological research with the support and guidance of an individual supervisor. Students will have the chance to work with state of art facilities in a research-rich environment conceptualising, planning, and implementing a research study of their own. Students will be able to identify and develop their research skills to become more experienced, competent researchers able to communicate their findings in written form. The project represents the degree’s capstone and will enhance employability through gaining diverse skills, including project and time management, planning, problem-solving, working with others, and communication skills.