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Psychology at UEA
Find out more about studying Psychology at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreMSc Developmental Science with a Placement Year
Key details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
Other Start Dates
Gain a competitive edge with a placement year
This course is also available with an integrated placement year, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable UK industry experience alongside your master's degree
Other Start Dates
14th
UEA is ranked 14th overall for research quality in Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience
Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisTop 20
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research Quality
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research QualityCourse Overview
Why MSc Developmental Science with a Placement year at UEA?
Uncover how infants and children learn, exploring topics such as language, cognition, sleep, neurodevelopmental conditions, and neurodiversity. Gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge research methods in developmental psychology and neuroscience.
Why Choose UEA
- Expert teaching: Study in a department ranked 14th overall for research quality in Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience
- Hands-on training: Gain experience with specialist facilities for eye-tracking, infant neuroimaging, and sleep research
- Build your career: Strengthen your employability through research or industry placements
What is MSc Developmental Science with a placement year?
How do babies learn? How do children develop language, memory, and social understanding? On MSc Developmental Science, you’ll explore psychological development across infancy and childhood using tools such as eye-tracking, EEG, and fNIRS.
You’ll study leading developmental theories while gaining hands-on experience with specialist research methods. Teaching combines interactive seminars, practical lab sessions, and close supervision from internationally recognised developmental scientists. You’ll learn how to design studies, work ethically with young participants, and communicate research effectively. Your independent project will help you build advanced analytical and research skills.
At UEA, you’ll work in specialist developmental research spaces designed for studying infants and children. Optional research or industry placements also give you valuable real-world experience in settings such as schools and child-focused organisations.
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Placement Year
Enhance your Master's degree with an integrated placement year, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience in the UK before you graduate.
Before your placement, you'll take part in a dedicated employability programme designed to prepare you for the recruitment process and develop the skills employers are looking for. Through careers workshops, personalised guidance and practical training, you'll be supported as you search for a placement opportunity.
During the placement year, you'll either work with an employer in a professional placement or complete three industry projects set by different UK organisations. Both routes allow you to apply your learning to real-world challenges, strengthen your professional skills and gain experience that will help you stand out in a competitive job market.
You'll be responsible for securing your own placement, with ongoing support from our specialist placement partner, one-to-one careers coaching and employability workshops throughout the process.
If you're unable to secure a placement, you'll still graduate with valuable industry experience by completing three employer-led projects for organisations across a variety of UK sectors.
Find out more about our Postgraduate Placement Year(opens in a new window) opportunities.
Careers
Career Pathways
MSc Developmental Science is an excellent stepping stone towards a wide range of careers such as:
- PhD Researcher (Developmental Psychology): Conduct advanced research into child development, learning, and behaviour
- Educational Psychologist Trainee: Progress towards supporting children’s learning, wellbeing, and educational development
- Policy Advisor: Help shape research-informed policy for government or public organisations
- Programme Officer (Nonprofit): Support child development and education projects within charities or community organisations
- Data Analyst: Analyse research and behavioural data to support decision-making and scientific studies
Career Support
MSc Developmental Psychology includes an optional research or industry placement, helping you apply your skills in real-world settings. You’ll receive tailored careers training and ongoing support as you develop your professional goals. Throughout the course, you’ll present your work and connect with visiting researchers, building valuable academic and professional networks. You’ll also have access to UEA’s Career Central(opens in a new window) for personalised guidance throughout your studies.
After the Course
After graduation, you’ll be well prepared for further study, including PhDs in developmental or educational psychology. Your advanced training in research and data analysis opens doors to careers involving evidence-based decision-making. You’ll also develop specialist knowledge of child development valued across education, health, and support services.
Study and Modules
Structure
On this course, you'll learn new skills across two modules per semester, alongside completing a research project and working towards your dissertation with your supervisor.
You’ll study a range of topics in developmental psychology, covering cognitive development, language, developmental conditions, and neurodiversity. You’ll examine the challenges of working with participants of different ages. At the same time, you'll learn about methods used in developmental research, often in hands-on sessions, including introductions to programming experiments in e-prime, Gorilla, or PsychoPy. You’ll learn to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses. You’ll choose which analytical methods to study at an advanced level.
You can also gain real-world experience and build valuable connections through an (optional) external placement, which will help you gain career-relevant experience. Past placements have included visits to research labs in the UK and abroad, as well as work in special schools, museums, and the Ministry of Justice.
In your research project, you’ll do independent research on a topic you choose, investigating the area that interests you the most under the supervision of an expert in this field. In this context you’ll receive hands-on methods training and learn skills for working with children. You can choose to work in our Developmental Labs or in schools. Explore potential supervisors and research areas(opens in a new window).
Examples of research topics from previous years include:
- Toddlers’ word learning
- Infant temperament and later screen time
- Moral development in children
- Visual cognition and infant habituation; a computational modeling study
- Understanding poor sleep in infants at risk for ASD
Before starting your placement year, you'll complete an Employability Skills module designed to help you succeed in the UK job market. Through interactive workshops, practical careers activities and personalised support, you'll develop the skills and confidence to secure a placement and make the most of the opportunity.
You'll build expertise in areas including CV writing, job applications, interview techniques, professional networking and workplace preparation.
The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis and must be successfully completed before you can progress to the placement year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 40)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
Your second year is dedicated to gaining real-world professional experience through a 60-credit placement module.
You'll begin by securing a placement with support from dedicated employability specialists, one-to-one guidance and careers workshops that will help you navigate the recruitment process and prepare for the workplace.
If you don't secure an industry placement, you'll complete three employer-led industry projects with different organisations, applying your knowledge to live business challenges while gaining valuable professional experience.
Assessment for the placement module is on a pass/fail basis and consists of a portfolio documenting your placement search, together with a reflective report on your placement or industry project experience.
By the end of the placement year, you'll have developed practical workplace skills, gained valuable UK industry experience, expanded your professional network and enhanced your CV, giving you a competitive advantage when you graduate.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
You’ll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and hands-on workshops. These include topic sessions taught by experts in the area, in-depth discussions, and practical sessions focused on specific methods and lab skills.
You'll deepen your analytical skills with a module chosen to benefit your research project (quantitative or qualitative).
For your research project (dissertation) you'll study a topic independently in-depth and develop your own project from start to finish. Here you'll be supported by regular meetings with your supervisor in which you receive tailored guidance to help you develop your skills and manage your progress.
Our postgraduate students also regularly attend our weekly seminars by internal and external guest speakers, as well as research group meetings. This offers you additional opportunities to network and broaden your skills beyond your own topic. You'll also be a member of our vibrant school community, with social learner communities meeting regularly around shared interests.
Throughout your degree, your career development will be supported by tailored sessions with careers advisers. You'll also have access to the Learning Enhancement Team(opens in a new window) and Student Support(opens in a new window) as well as teams dedicated to support your wellbeing, should you need it.
Assessment
Your progress will be assessed through coursework-based assignments. Here you'll develop your analytical and communication skills to produce assessments such as a research proposal, critical literature review, or report on your placement experience. Throughout the course, you'll receive written feedback. Modules include practice assessments to help you build confidence before submission.
For your dissertation, your supervisor will provide feedback throughout the year, both verbal and in writing after draft submission.
Varied assessments will help you graduate with a robust set of transferable skills.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Psychology or related degree (eg. medicine, neuroscience or biological science)
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Psychology or related degree (eg. medicine, neuroscience or biological science)
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in all components)
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, our UEA International Study Centre offers a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £9,250
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International Students: £23,850
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
If you choose to take this course with a placement year, your tuition fees for the first year will be as shown above. An additional fee of £3,500 will apply for the placement year (see our FAQs page for further details).
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Course Related Costs
Please see additional course fees(opens in a new window) for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.