Skills Training Programme

Introduction

In addition to the core modules and your chosen optional unit(s), we also run a skills training programme which has been specially designed for health psychology students.  If you have any questions about the skills training progamme please contact the MSc Health Psychology programme director in the first instance.

Aims and Learning Outcomes

This programme aims to help you to improve your academic skills and acquire basic practical skills essential for applied health psychology and related professions.  By the end of this programme you will be able to:

  • Plan, reflect on, and take responsibility for your Continuing Professional Development
  • Describe and demonstrate basic core applied health psychology skills:  communication skills; teaching skills; and consultancy.
  • Use library resources effectively, including specialist referencing software
  • Understand options for further training in health psychology and other sub-disciplines of psychology
  • Critically appraise published research
  • Use basic project and time management techniques
  • Present your dissertation proposal and/or early results as an academic poster at the Psychology Postgraduate Conference.
  • Use specialist data collection skills for your dissertation (e.g. “isurvey” to implement online questionnaires, qualitative interviewing)

Summary of Syllabus Content

Workshops cover a range of topics and skills including: (i) skills specifically relevant to your personal development as an MSc Health Psychology student (e.g., taking responsibility for professional development, communication skills, and skills for consultancy, teaching, and interventions); (ii) academic skills you will use throughout the programme (e.g., critical appraisal, advanced academic writing); (iii) skills specifically pertaining to your dissertation project (e.g. data collection workshops); and (iv) a range of broad generic professional skills (e.g. library skills, time management).  Workshops that focus on your dissertation will consider challenges that students commonly face, help you to problem-solve, and give you an opportunity to discuss your progress with your class-mates.

Summary of Teaching and Learning Methods

This programme consists of a series of interactive workshops, designed to introduce you to content matter and give you the opportunity to acquire and practice new skills that are important not only for this MSc programme but also for your ongoing academic and professional development.

Additional resources, handouts etc. are provided on the Skills Training Programme Blackboard site (www.blackboard.soton.ac.uk).

Summary of Assessment Methods

The skills training programme is assessed via Professional Development Portfolios, which contribute to your grades for the three core health psychology modules.  The portfolios enable you to document and evidence the skills you develop during the Skills Training Programme. This will help you to make the most of the opportunity to develop applied health psychology skills during your MSc. By completing the portfolios, you will compile a record of your skills development that you can draw on when planning the next stages in your career.

If you are a student registered on the MSc Health Psychology, you will complete three portfolios, one associated with each of the core health psychology modules.

If you are a student registered on another programme taking a health psychology module as an optional unit, you will only complete the portfolio associated with the particular health psychology module(s) you are studying.

Fully completing the associated portfolio is a formal requirement for each of the three core health psychology modules.

For full instructions on the portfolios see the Skills Training Programme Blackboard site (www.blackboard.soton.ac.uk).

Submission dates for all assessments can be found here https://www.efolio.soton.ac.uk/blog/handbook-jw-health-psychology/msh-assessment/msh-submission-dates/

Timetable

Skills training workshops are held as part of induction (academic integrity training, details shown on your induction timetable) and as weekly ‘tutorials’ or ‘computer labs’ associated with each of the core health psychology modules (PSYC6001, PSYC6002, and PSYC6003).  The latter are usually held on Wednesdays, 3-5pm, but please see your official university timetable for confirmed times and locations.

For a detailed timetable showing all skills training workshops, including the workshop leaders, dates and times, please see the Skills Training Programme site on Blackboard.  If you cannot access this site on Blackboard, please contact the programme director.