In at the deep end! Enhancing the experience of Psychology “conversion” programme students

The British Psychological Society (BPS) is the accrediting body for Psychology
degrees in the United Kingdom. An accredited degree in Psychology is the first requirement for any student wishing to pursue further training in Psychology professions governed by the BPS (e.g., clinical psychology, educational psychology, health psychology) and confers Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS. While most students gain this status through completing an accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology, an alternative route is to complete an accredited postgraduate Master’s programme in Psychology, often known as a “conversion course”. In this chapter, we discuss the demographics of the diverse students who complete these popular programmes and the unique challenges that conversion programmes present to both students and staff. We describe some practical innovations that can be implemented to address some of these challenges and ensure that students graduating from accredited Master’s have a positive student experience.