Education

National Institute of Education (NIE): Arts (Applied Psychology)

Category Art and Social Sciences, Education, National Institute of Education (NIE), Postgraduate, Psychology, Singapore
Tags Applied Psychology, Arts, National Institute of Education, NIE

The Master of Arts (Applied Psychology) aims to produce graduates who will become leaders in the field of psychological service.

In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of pupil counselling and career guidance in schools. Since the introduction of pastoral care and career guidance in schools, more and more teachers are motivated to acquire knowledge and skills in counselling. The inclusion of the Learning Support Programme in primary schools has also highlighted the crucial role played by educational psychologists in schools.

In the meantime, Family Service Centres have mushroomed all over Singapore whilst counselling agencies already established in the community have grown from strength to strength. To cater to the changing needs of clients and expansion of services, there is a need for professional growth and upgrading for the counsellors and psychologists working in these organisations.

This programme in Applied Psychology is designed to provide theoretical knowledge and research insights as well as practical skills to interested individuals who have the pre-requisite qualifications to train as specialists in the field of Educational Psychology or Counselling Psychology.

The Master of Arts (Applied Psychology) programme provides specialist training as an Educational Psychologist or a Counselling Psychologist.

Candidates seeking admission to the programme must normally have a good undergraduate degree, preferably in psychology from a reputable university approved by the Academic Board. Preference will be given to candidates with relevant experience and who are able to pursue the programme full time.

Programme Structure and Content

The programme has a twin-track structure, one offering a specialisation in Educational Psychology and the other in Counselling Psychology. Candidates are required to take four core courses plus one required elective in their area of specialisation and three elective courses, at least two of which must be in their chosen area of specialisation. The courses are 39 hours in duration and some may be taught in the evenings. All candidates are required to undertake two practica attachments totalling 400 hours and a research-based dissertation of around 15,000 words.

Candidature

The minimum duration of this programme is two years. This is achievable only by students who are full-time candidates. In the first year, candidates who are keen to finish in the shortest possible time attend three three-hour lectures per week. Since each course involves three hours of contact time plus a further six hours of reading and associated study activity time, a person who undertakes three courses should expect to commit 27 hours of time to study. In the second year, students complete their coursework, undertake their thesis and complete the two practica.

Students who also work should expect to complete in three to four years. Two concurrent courses is the usual maximum for part-time students.