Behaviour Change MSc

Program Overview

The MSc Behavior Change at Aberystwyth University is an interdisciplinary program equipping students with the skills for careers in various behavior change sectors. It focuses on addressing complex societal issues like health, environment, education, and crime, emphasizing collaborative solutions. Students specialize in either psychology, geography, business, or international relations while gaining expertise in psychological perspectives and principles of behavior change, including qualitative and quantitative research methods. The program emphasizes experiential learning through collaborations with stakeholders, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for roles where behavior change expertise is crucial.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MSc Behaviour Change at Aberystwyth University is a multi-disciplinary program designed to equip students with the skills needed for a successful career in the field of behaviour change. The program focuses on addressing complex issues at national and global levels, such as politics, crime, the environment, food security, health, and education. The program aims to provide students with the knowledge and expertise to inform organizations, influence policymakers, and implement strategic change in behaviours to benefit businesses, governments, communities, and societies.

Outline:

Program Content:

• The program draws on multi- and transdisciplinary scholarship from the Department of Psychology, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth Business School, and the Department of International Politics.
• Students can specialize in their preferred discipline: geography, psychology, business, or international relations.
• The program covers the psychology of human behaviour and mechanisms of behaviour change from various psychological perspectives, including evolutionary, cognitive, social, biological, and developmental branches of psychology.
• Students will learn about the structural, institutional, and systemic bases of behaviour, as well as the principles and practice of transdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative working.

Program Structure:

• The program is a 1-year full-time or 2-year part-time program.
• Contact time is approximately 10-14 hours per week in the first two semesters, followed by mutually agreed contact time with the assigned supervisor.

Course Schedule:

• Year 1:
• Core Modules:
• Behaviour Change in a Changing Environment (EAM4420) - 20 credits
• Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (PGM0810) - 10 credits
• Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis (for social scientists) (PGM1010) - 10 credits
• The Psychology of Behaviour Change (PSM0320) - 20 credits
• Transdisciplinary Dialogue (PSM0520) - 20 credits
• Psychology PGT Dissertation (Behaviour Change) (PSM0660) - 60 credits
• Optional Modules:
• Futures for International Relations Theory (IPM1720) - 20 credits
• Global Climate Change: Debates and Impacts (EAM4320) - 20 credits
• Global Marketing (ABM7220) - 20 credits
• Global Supply Chain Management (ABM3520) - 20 credits
• Human Geography Theory and Method (GGM1320) - 20 credits
• Implementation Science (PSM0120) - 20 credits
• Indigenous Politics: challenging the global order?
(IPM0620) - 20 credits
• International Business Environment (ABM3220) - 20 credits
• International Politics (IPM1920) - 20 credits
• Key Concepts and Debates in Human Geography (GGM3120) - 20 credits
• People and Organizations (ABM5320) - 20 credits
• Project Management Tools and Techniques (ABM2920) - 20 credits
• Warfare in the 21st Century (IPM8220) - 20 credits

Assessment:

• Assessment Methods:
• Essays
• Report-writing
• Presentations (oral and poster)
• Mini conferences

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods:
• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Seminars
• Faculty:
• Expert academic staff from various departments.
• Unique Approaches:
• The program emphasizes experiential learning through stakeholder-posed behavioural challenges.
• Guest lectures from external collaborators and stakeholders, such as Public Health Wales, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Dyfed-Powys Police, Natural Resources Wales, Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water), local businesses, and the Welsh Government.

Careers:

• Potential Career Paths:
• Health sector
• Business and management
• Local and national government
• NGOs
• Lobbying
• Environmental planning and consultancy
• Any context where facilitating behaviour change is helpful, ethical, and desired.
• Opportunities:
• The program develops essential employability skills, including problem-solving, communication, teamwork, analytical thinking, innovation, active learning, complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, originality, initiative, judgement, decision-making, fluency of ideas, systems evaluation, and management of personnel resources.
• Outcomes:
• Graduates are well-prepared for roles in various sectors where behaviour change expertise is valuable.

Other:

• The program is available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh.
• The program emphasizes the development of employability skills, which are in high demand among employers.
• The program is designed to provide students with a thorough psychological grounding in behaviour change and a comprehensive sociological foundation training in collaborative problem-solving for contemporary challenges.
• The program includes numerous coursework assessments and dissertation options based on experiential stakeholder-posed behavioural challenges.
• The program provides tuition in quantitative and qualitative research methods.