Social Sciences (Applied)

You will be able to register online or in person on campus. We also invite you to attend the induction evening before commencing your first module. This is running on Fusehill Street campus on Wednesday 2 October between 6 and 9pm. Teaching is then due to commence on 9 October 2013. Why study with us? The MSc Social Sciences Framework is designed to build on existing learning experiences and offers flexible learning opportunities that will enhance the academic and professional knowledge and skills of learners with a view to improving career prospects. The MSc Applied Social Sciences Framework aims to provide a stimulating and challenging academic and scholarly environment for learners who wish to advance their academic and professional development beyond undergraduate level, through developing specialised knowledge and a critical awareness of issues at the forefront of their field of practice within this area.

The programme incorporates a variety of blended learning and campus based modules which have been explicitly designed to meet the needs of learners working in a wide range of practice situations.

A particular feature of this Framework is the opportunity it provides for students to have some flexibility in defining their own pathway title for their target award, further enabling the award to reflect individual and their career goals. Students will be guided on this throughout the MSc course and receive career counselling after completing the compulsory modules (core to each pathway) to enable they make an informed decision about which pathway to take.
What can this course lead to? This course can lead to further qualifications including MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology, Criminal Justice and Policing, Psychological Research Methods or Applied Social Sciences. Resources and facilities The framework is provided by specialist staff in the areas being taught. Staff are research active and expert academics in their field, for example within the Psychology team there are 6 lecturers four of whom are chartered psychologists. If you join us you will enjoy great facilities and learn alongside caring, committed and experienced professionals. Our employment record is excellent. Entry requirements

1st or 2nd class honours degree

Students with other qualifications may be admitted to the course via APL procedures

More about levels and credits

Selection criteria

Admission criteria are per the University Admissions Policy. Normally applicants will be required to hold an Honours degree classification 2ii or above in a cognate subject. In applicants who do not meet this requirement non-standard entry criteria will apply. In such cases applicants will be interviewed. This decision will be at the discretion of the programme leader. It is expected that such candidates will have evidence of successful study at level 6 (or equivalent) within the preceding 5 years.

Applications will be reviewed on an individual basis and potential students will be offered advice by an academic tutor on the suitability of the award and their module choice within the award, dependent on factors such as currency of prior learning, and their personal and professional development needs. Students should be able to show potential benefit from studying for the award and offer a rationale for their module choice.

Additional contact information

Please contact either Julie Taylor (Julie.Taylor3@Cumbria.ac.uk) or Dr Liz Bates (Elizabeth.Bates@Cumbria.ac.uk) for more information. Or visit the staff pages of the Applied Social Sciences:

Applied Psychology website or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Criminology and Social Sciences

Policing

Modules

All pathways will requires learners to complete the core modules (listed below). From there they will choose a target award with each having different requirements and flexibility in choosing modules. Below are the modules that are listed compulsory for each award and then the optional modules available where appropriate.

Core Modules (compulsory to each pathway)
APSY7006: Professional Values and Ethics
APSY7012: Research Skills and Methods
APSY7013: Dissertation

Core Modules Applied Forensic Psychology
APSY7002: Forensic psychology, Offending Behaviour and the Criminal Justice System
APSY7004: Settings in Forensic Psychology
APSY7005: Working with Specialist Populations in Forensic Psychology Settings
APSY7014: Advanced Statistics*

Core Modules Psychological Research Methods
APSY7014 Advanced Statistics*
APSY7015 Historical and Philosophical Issues in Psychology
APSY7016 Implementing Psychological Research Techniques
APSY7017 Qualitative Research Methodologies and Techniques

Core Modules Criminal Justice and Policing
APSY7018 Contemporary challenges within Policing
APSY7019 Police Incident Management
APSY7020 Comparative Criminal Justice Policy
Plus one Optional Module (listed below)

Applied Social Sciences
Choose any from the 4 modules listed below

Optional Modules
APSY7002 Forensic psychology, Offending Behaviour and the Criminal Justice System
APSY7004 Settings in Forensic Psychology
APSY7005 Working with Specialist Populations in Forensic Psychology Settings
APSY7014 Advanced Statistics*
APSY7015 Historical and Philosophical Issues in Psychology
APSY7016 Implementing Psychological Research Techniques
APSY7017 Qualitative Research Methodologies and Techniques
APSY7018 Contemporary challenges within Policing
APSY7019 Police Incident Management
APSY7020 Comparative Criminal Justice Policy
APSY7021 Criminal Law, Litigation and Evidence
APSY7022 Theories of Contemporary Society
APSY7023 Contemporary Criminology
APSY7024 Independent Study (This module may be substituted into any of the 4 pathways – however if it is substituted into Applied Forensic Psychology Pathway or Psychological Research Methods pathway then it needs to meet the LO’s of the substituted module)

(* = Pre-Requisite: Candidates from Criminal Justice and Policing or Applied Social Sciences will need to be able to demonstrate statistical competence at Level 6 to select this module)

Course summary

For the MSc Applied Social Sciences Framework learners are required to undertake the following core modules: Research Skills and Methods (20 credits), Professional Values and Ethics (20 credits) and Dissertation (60 credits). The remaining credits and choice of modules will depends on the chosen target award:

Applied Forensic Psychology – learners will be required to take the 4 modules listed above (i.e. Forensic psychology, Offending Behaviour and the Criminal Justice System; Settings in Forensic Psychology; Working with Specialist Populations in Forensic Psychology Settings; Advanced Statistics) with no optional modules.

Psychological Research Methods - learners will be required to take the 4 modules listed above (i.e. Advanced Statistics; Historical and Philosophical Issues in Psychology; Implementing Psychological Research Techniques; Qualitative Research Methodologies and Techniques) with no optional modules.

Criminal Justice and Policing - learners will be required to take the 3 modules listed above (i.e. Contemporary challenges within Policing; Police Incident Management; Comparative Criminal Justice Policy) and one optional module from the list.

Applied Social Sciences – learners have the flexibility to pick 4 optional modules to complete this target award.