MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health: What can this programme do for me?

Whatever your practice, professional or personal background, and your future aspirations in fields aligned to mental health, this programme offers a wide, multi-dimensional perspective of mental health, including its neuroscientific and psychological basis. With content that is developed by subject experts, the programme progresses over seven modules.  

Module Breakdown

The first three modules offer a range of perspectives, theories and contexts around mental health and its determinants, including consideration of common mental health issues among people and how these are managed, and a focus on the neurological basis of mental health and illness.  The other 3 modules look in more detail at specific areas of mental health, including children and young people, addiction and dependence, and complex mental health conditions. These six modules meet the requirements of the Postgraduate Diploma.  The seventh module on research in an area of mental health you choose leads to the Master of Science award.

Experienced Tutors and Learning Environment

Our MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health online programme accredited by the University of Warwick, benefits from facilitation by experienced, international tutors who support learning on one of the world’s most advanced medical education platforms. A key and exciting aspect of this programme is the diversity of the student group who bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and perspectives from a multiplicity of backgrounds in terms of their professions, country of origin and motivations for studying this programme.

Who Enrols in This Programme?

Many of our students come on to this programme to enhance their knowledge and understanding of mental health to support them in their professional roles. Our current students include medical doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, therapists and counsellors who already work within the mental health field. In addition, it's fantastic that our student cohort also includes a vast range of other occupations and professions that are not working directly in mental health but want to learn more about it to enhance their professional development. This includes teachers in schools and lecturers in university settings, biologists, neuroscientists, researchers, students who are in leadership and management roles, and those in early career health and care positions who aim to become professional practitioners.

Motivations for Enrolling

It's exciting to hear the reasons our students give for enrolling on this programme: some want to deepen and enhance their knowledge to be more effective professionals and better practitioners for those they care for, and many of our teaching and lecturing students want to better understand their learners. Those in leadership and management describe wanting a better understanding of people they work with to be more effective in their roles, some are doing this Master's intending to move on to a PhD, and many students enthusiastically talk about their deep interest and fascination in learning about mental health to better understand themselves and others, regardless of their professional role.

The Joy of Learning

It’s great to see students at the beginning of the programme talking about their motivation being the joy of learning, and this being a subject that they are deeply interested in because mental health and well-being impact all our lives. For example, how childhood experiences impact brain development and mental health later in life, understanding neuroplasticity, the effects of trauma on the brain and subsequent mental health conditions that can manifest, and how we can support recovery from addictions and mental health conditions with interventions that are psychologically or pharmacologically based.

The Value of Diverse Perspectives

Although experts develop the programme's content, the lived experiences of students from diverse professional and personal backgrounds, cultures, and countries contribute a wealth of perspectives. This diversity enriches discussions on mental health and well-being, adding depth, relevance, and authenticity.

Inclusive Learning Environment

The diversity of our students means that we have designed the programme so that those in medical and mental health professions can develop their practice, but those without direct mental health experience can engage fully in the programme. The inclusion of foundational content for those without background experience, and supplementary readings for those who want to take their learning further, ensures students from all backgrounds can engage meaningfully.

For more information or to apply to our University of Warwick Online MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health, please visit our programme page.