Applied Child Psychology MSc

Explore how children develop, communicate and thrive in a rapidly changing world. From AI, social media, gaming and screen time to mental health, wellbeing, neurodiversity and autism, you will examine the issues shaping childhood today. Alongside these contemporary topics, you will develop advanced skills in research methods, statistics, and ethical research with children and vulnerable groups, while gaining valuable real-world experience through placements, apprenticeships and applied research opportunities. This combination of cutting-edge knowledge and practical training will prepare you for careers across education, health, community, research and child-focused services.

Why choose this course?

* High staff-to-student ratio enhanced by small-group tutorials and an inclusive research community

* Practice and research-led teaching draws on our broad expertise in children’s social and cognitive development and religion

* Optional placement opportunity enables you to relate your learning to professional settings and applications in policy, research or practice

* Opportunities to hear from guest lectures with experience of working with children, families, carers, teachers

Since childhood plays such a huge role in shaping the rest of our lives, studying the mind and behaviour of children in order to support their physical, mental, intellectual and emotional growth can be both fascinating and rewarding.

Our MSc Applied Child Psychology will be of interest to anyone, UK-based or international, who currently works with or is interested in careers supporting children, from infancy to adolescence, in a professional or personal capacity in education, healthcare, childcare, forensic settings, such as courts, and leisure or voluntary settings, such as sports clubs and youth groups.

It will prepare you to design and conduct psychological research to assess children’s physical, cognitive and emotional development. This encompasses everything from memory capacity to how they learn language, use reasoning or imagination, feel and express their emotions, and interact with their peers and with adults.

About Keele

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.