Psychology

Why study with us?

Top 10

We are ranked in the top 10 for psychology in the UK Complete University Guide rankings.

95% of our research is world-leading or internationally excellent.

From award-winning firefighter decision-making research that led to a nationwide policy change, to producing the most detailed images of the brain, our research delivers real world impact.

Research-active staff involved in course design and delivery

Most of our teaching staff are practising researchers and, in many cases, leading experts in their fields.

2nd most affordable city

Cardiff is the second most affordable UK student city (NatWest Student Living Index, 2023).

Children’s Psychological Disorders (MSc)

Full time

This programme will equip you with a theoretical understanding of the psychological factors that cause and maintain emotional and behavioural problems in children.

Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology for Adult Lifespan (CAAP) (MSc)

Full time

Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (PgCert)

Part time

This BABCP accredited training programme will provide you with the knowledge and clinical skills to qualify as a psychological therapist.

Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (PgDip)

Part time

This BABCP accredited programme is available as a second year, following on from the postgraduate certificate. It enables mental health staff to develop further competence in high intensity CBT.

Psychology (MSc)

Full time

This BPS accredited conversion programme will provide you with the necessary skills to begin a career in psychology after completing an unrelated undergraduate degree or career path.

Social Science Research Methods (Psychology) (MSc)

Full time, Part time

This programme provides advanced training in research methods across the full range of the social sciences and meets the training requirements for ESRC PhD funding. It provides students with a thorough knowledge of research design, data collection, and the principal methods of analysing quantitative and qualitative social science data.

Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)

Full-time

The doctorate programme will provide you with the necessary skills to register as a Clinical Psychologist with the UK Health and Care Professions Council.

Doctorate in Educational Psychology (DEdPsy)

Full-time

This Professional Doctorate programme will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to qualify as a practicing Educational Psychologist.

Psychology (PhD)

Full-time, part-time

We provide an excellent environment for research in psychology with guidance from acclaimed researchers and access to outstanding facilities.

I had a fantastic time on the MSc in Psychology course. The topics we covered were fascinating, and the staff were always on hand to help. The skills that I acquired through the degree provided me with the opportunity to go onto do a PhD, which I otherwise would not have had. I highly recommend this course for anybody that has an interest in Psychology and is seeking to further understand how the human mind works.

Joseph Newton - MSc Psychology graduate 2021

Our postgraduate taught courses

MSc Psychology (conversion)

On this BPS accredited conversion programme, you will be provided with the skills necessary to become a psychologist without requiring prior experience of psychology.

You will study psychology from a scientific standpoint with an emphasis on its social, cognitive, clinical and biological aspects, whilst developing your experimental and analytic research skills. The course also features a 12-week professional placement in which you can experience life as a professional psychologist in a organisational, research or laboratory setting.

MSc in Children's Psychological Disorders

Gain the skills, knowledge and experience to pursue a rewarding career in child neuro-development, clinical psychology or educational psychology.

Based in our dedicated developmental science centre, CUCHDS, this programme aims to provide you with a theoretical understanding of the psychological factors that cause and maintain emotional and behavioural problems in children.

Our professional training courses

Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (PG Certificate and PG Diploma)

Our BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) training programmes will provide you with the knowledge and clinical skills to qualify as a psychological therapist.

Both courses are intended for professionals working in mental health, such as mental health nurses, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers. However, the BABCP offers another route called the Knowledge and Skills Assessment (KSA) which practitioners with sufficient levels of experience and knowledge may be able to attain the equivalent level of training.

I did my undergraduate degree here at Cardiff University and went straight from that into doing a PhD. I study the way that we perceive motion in sound when we are moving, which involves playing different sounds to participants in our custom audiolab, we then have them make decisions about how those sounds appear to be moving. Our results are fascinating!

Joshua Stevenson-Hoare, Psychology PhD

Our postgraduate research programmes

We provide a dynamic and stimulating research environment with an excellent research infrastructure that offers a range of opportunities.

Students conducting sound perception experiments

Psychology (PhD)

This programme comprises student-led, frontier translational research spanning the entire discipline of psychology and enables you to conduct research and training in your chosen area; from synapse to society.

Students on our Educational Psychology programme

Educational Psychology (DEdPsy)

This fully-funded professional doctorate programme will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to qualify as a practicing Educational Psychologist.

Clinical Psychology at Cardiff University

Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)

This professional doctorate programme leads to the award of Doctor of Clinical Psychology validated by Cardiff University and is the basis for registration with the UK Health and Care Professions Council.

Where you will study

We have three locations for postgraduate study offering unparalleled opportunities for research and training. You will be based at one of three locations depending on which programme you choose to study. Each of our buildings is equipped with outstanding facilities dedicated to specific areas of psychology – they’re also all within walking distance of each other.

Tower Building

Our main psychology hub located right in the centre of the Cathays Park campus featuring various teaching, research, and laboratory space. This is where our MSc Psychology course, Cognitive Behavioural Therapies courses and many of our research and clinical psychology students are based.

Exterior of the £44m Brain Research Imaging Centre

Cardiff University Centre for Human Development Sciences (CUCHDS)

Located next door to Tower Building, this dedicated developmental facility contains specially designed laboratory space for those students on our MSc in Children's Psychological Disorders course, Educational Psychology course and our developmental research students.

Research

Our internationally leading research delivers advances in knowledge and improvements in quality of life through shaping public policy and health outcomes.

From award-winning firefighter decision-making research that led to a nationwide policy change to producing the most detailed image of the brain, our research spans the entire discipline of psychology and is supported through research centres, multi-disciplinary partnerships, and collaboration with industry and the third sector.

We are fortunate to have access to state-of the-art facilities supporting interdisciplinary research including our flagship brain imaging centre - CUBRIC, our dedicated developmental centre - CUCHDS, our climate change and social transformations research centre - CAST, and HUFEX – our innovative human factors excellence research centre.