MSc in Developmental Disorders

Develop your understanding of a wide variety of conditions, including autism, learning difficulties, and childhood mental illness. Through engagement with advanced-level theory and practical work, you will learn about:

• Research methods
• Diagnosis and assessment
• Therapeutic and educational interventions

Our research is award-winning and has real-world impact. For example:

• Dr Sarah Cassidy was named ‘Most Impactful Researcher’ by the National Autistic Society for her work on suicide prevention.
• We are working with Nottinghamshire Police to assist them with better treatment of autistic victims, witnesses and perpetrators.
• We helped create resources for teachers to help them with greater support for pupils affected by preterm birth.

You will get to develop your own research project, giving you an opportunity to explore your interests in-depth.

You will have the opportunity to apply for the British Psychological Society qualification of Test User, Educational (CCET), following completion of the Psychological Assessment module.

Why choose this course?

• £1 million
  • Annual research income from research councils, the EU, Government, charities and companies.

• Excellent facilities
  • including eye-tracking and EEG suite, medical imaging equipment, and a dedicated toddler lab

• Research project in a wide range of fascinating topics

• Top 10 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2014)

• Award-winning research
  • Dr Sarah Cassidy was named Most Impactful Researcher for her work on suicide prevention (Autism Professionals Awards 2020)

Modules

Core modules

• Professional Skills - Developmental Disorders MSc

• Developmental Disorders in Context

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• Psychological Assessment

• Advanced Methods in Psychology

• Childhood Clinical and Behavioural Disorders

• Research Project

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

• Lectures

• Workshops

• Seminars

• Supervision

You will study a total of 180 credits.

Teaching is provided by academic staff within the relevant School with additional support in small group and practical classes from PhD students and post-doctoral researchers. We also have occasional guest lectures from people working in the field.

We expect that class sizes will be around 15-25 students.

How you will be assessed

• Presentation

• Practical demonstrations

• Coursework

• Exams

• Research project

Modules are assessed using a variety of individual assessment types which are weighted to calculate your final mark for each module. Typically taught modules are assessed via coursework.

You will need an average mark of 50% to pass the MSc overall – you won't get a qualification if you don't achieve this. You will be given a copy of our marking criteria when you start the course and will receive regular feedback from your tutors.

Contact time and study hours

As a guide, one credit is equal to approximately 10 hours of work. During the taught semesters you will have around 9-12 contact hours per week.

During the summer semester, you will mostly be doing self-study for your research projects.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2021 entry.

Home/ UK students

EU/ International students

English language support

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

For presessional English courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

Alternative qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a variety of experiences and follow different pathways to postgraduate study.

We treat all applicants with alternative qualifications on an individual basis. We may also consider relevant work experience.

If you are unsure whether your qualifications or work experience are relevant, contact us.

Bret Kavanaugh / Unsplash

Where you will learn

University Park Campus

University Park Campus covers 300 acres, with green spaces, wildlife, period buildings and modern facilities. It is one of the UK's most beautiful and sustainable campuses, winning a national Green Flag award every year since 2003.

Most schools and departments are based here. You will have access to libraries, shops, cafes, the Students’ Union, sports village and a health centre.

You can walk or cycle around campus. Free hopper buses connect you to our other campuses. Nottingham city centre is 15 minutes away by public bus or tram.

Psychology facilities - Developmental Disorders

The School of Psychology has a range of facilities for students to use for their projects. These include:

• Eye moving recording suite

• EEG suites

• Toddler lab

• Driving simulator

• Medical imaging equipment at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre

Careers

Careers advice

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students.

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

More than 1,500 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

Job prospects

Graduate destinations

The skills and knowledge you will learn on this course are great preparation for further study. This could be a PhD or a clinical or educational psychology doctorate. Alternatively, you may choose to work in education or healthcare services.

Career progression

80.0% of undergraduates from the School of Psychology secured graduate-level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £32,000.*

* HESA Graduate Outcomes in 2020. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

The University of Nottingham was founded on the vision and philanthropic spirit of Jesse Boot who, in 1928, donated the land that is now University Park. The vision of a university devoted to the discovery, enterprise and the advancement of the human condition, combined with his lifelong commitment to improving health and wellbeing, remains intrinsic to the culture of the University today and will continue to underpin our future purpose.

We have inspiring campuses in three countries, energising us to be a globally engaged university that is also committed to making a difference in our cities and regions

We empower and support students and staff to collaborate in learning, scholarship and discovery across all realms of knowledge, solving problems and improving lives

We are stewards of a pioneering and entrepreneurial tradition of creativity and innovation