Psychology, Community Health and Wellbeing MSc

Apply psychological knowledge and social insight to facilitate meaningful improvements in health and wellbeing at both community and individual levels.

During this interdisciplinary course, you’ll explore the foundations of health and wellbeing from a community psychology perspective.

You’ll look beyond the individual level to focus on how social, cultural, economic and environmental factors shape outcomes and combine to affect people’s quality of life. You will become familiar with aligning practice to the principles of the United Nations Human Rights Framework and Sustainable Development Goals.

This will allow you to critically reflect on the role of these factors as determinants of health and become equipped to deliver effective, ethical, and sustainable initiatives across diverse global and cultural settings.

You'll start by exploring what ‘quality of life’ means for groups in the UK and across the globe, while developing your understanding of key psychological and social change theories.

This combination will give you the foundation to then critically assess real-world examples of policies and approaches used to enhance people’s health and wellbeing and make informed judgements about what has and hasn’t worked effectively.

## Gain key skills

Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll have gained:

* A critical and holistic understanding of key health and wellbeing challenges, including the social, cultural, political and policy contexts that shape outcomes at individual, community and population levels

* The ability to critically analyse and evaluate policies, models and interventions designed to improve health and wellbeing across diverse settings

* Advanced, evidence-based knowledge to design and justify ethical, contextually appropriate strategies to address complex health and wellbeing challenges in different communities

## Apply your skills to real-world issues

You will have the opportunity to use your knowledge and skills during either a dissertation or consultancy project. You’ll receive support to choose the pathway that best aligns with your interests and career goals.

The consultancy project offers a practice-focused experience, giving you the opportunity to co-develop a project brief with a partner organisation and apply your learning in a real-world setting.

You’ll engage in activities such as:

* critically engaging with literature including evaluating policies or practices

* contributing to improvement or reform initiatives

* working on community engagement initiatives

* analysing data to inform decision-making

Both pathways are supported by expert academic supervision, ensuring you develop the skills, insight and experience needed to progress in your chosen field.

## Graduate prospects

This master’s degree is suitable if you’re looking to progress from undergraduate study or are a professional looking to further or change your career.

Worldwide, there is increasing emphasis on preventative, community-based approaches to health and wellbeing that recognise the social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors shaping health outcomes.

Governments, international agencies, and employers are prioritising initiatives that promote health equity, community resilience, and sustainable development. Examples include the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and nationally, the UK, *Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England* (Department of Health and Social Care, 2025).

This course prepares you for a wide range of established and emerging roles in public health, community development, mental health, health promotion, social care, and wellbeing services. Graduates may work across healthcare, government, NGOs, charities, education, housing, policy, and international development settings.