Child Psychology and Development MSc

On this course you will learn about psychological aspects of human development in childhood and adolescence. You will examine children's cognitive, social, and emotional development, starting with key processes in young children’s learning and broadening to cutting-edge topics in developmental psychology across childhood and adolescence.

Through engagement with current research and advanced methodological approaches, you will develop specialised knowledge in selected areas of developmental psychology and their practical applications.
You will receive advanced training in psychological research methods and your studies will culminate in an extended research project relevant to human development. The content and format of the project should be suitable for publication in an academic journal in the field.

The transferable skills you will gain through this course include data collection and analysis, research design, decision making, critical thinking and presentation skills.

The course is structured to provide in-depth knowledge and skills in the psychology of child and adolescent development. It provides excellent research training through a psychological research methods programme designed to meet the Economic and Social Research Council's Postgraduate Training and Development Guidelines (ESRC). Studying this course will prepare you to enter professional practice in fields such as education, as well as for research careers in developmental psychology.

How you will study

You can study this postgraduate course full time or part time. This allows you to fit your studies around other commitments.

If you choose to study full time the course will take 1 year to complete. You will study 5 compulsory modules.

If you choose to study part time the course will take 2 years to complete and the modules will be split across both years.

You can find out which modules are available in each semester in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

You will undertake high quality research training designed to meet the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Postgraduate Training and Development Guidelines.

This course provides a range of structured learning across the modules, including:

• Seminars
• Practical workshops
• Supervised research
• Supported open learning
• Virtual learning environments, for example Moodle
• Independent study 

You will receive exceptional personal tuition and support. Our small class sizes and interactive teaching methods enable you to optimise your learning. All tutors offer weekly office hours where you can access personalised support.

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

In relation to specific assessments, this course provides a range of assessment types across the modules in order to help you develop your skills and challenge you to reach your full potential.

Assessment is designed to be both rigorous and diverse, incorporating:

• Portfolios
• Funding proposals
• Critical reviews
• Oral presentations

You will also create your own final research project under the supervision of one member of staff, which you can tailor to your own interests and career goals.

Qualifications

We will consider applications from holders of degrees that are not in Psychology on a case-by-case basis.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.0 (with no skill below 5.5) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2026 - 2027 entry

The tuition fee for 2026 entry is:

• £8,800 for full time study
• £4,400 per year for part time study

Postgraduate loans are available to help you pay for your master’s course. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

International 2026 - 2027 entry

The international tuition fee for 2026 entry is £11,800 for full time study.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Child Psychology and Development take you?

This course could lead you to a career directly related to psychology, such as working as an educational psychologist, or it could take you in a completely different direction, using the many transferrable skills you will develop. These include problem solving, developing arguments, analysing and evaluating information, collaboration, independent working, communication and more.

This will give you an advantage in careers such as:

• Educational psychologist
• Pastoral care in education
• Psychological wellbeing practitioner
• Special educational needs practitioner
• Teacher
• Doctoral researcher (PhD student)
• Market researcher
• Policy researcher

Alumni stories

Visit our YSJ Snapshots blog to see what our past students from across the University have done with their York St John degrees.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market.

Our careers service, Future You, provides support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.