StepEx

Funding a psychology conversion master’s

Psychology master’s we checked cost £7,100 to £30,400, most within the Master’s Loan. Accreditation, part-time routes and the gap.

  • Up to £13,206

    Master’s Loan

Find courses you could afford

A psychology conversion MSc is a full master’s, so the £13,206 Master’s Loan applies. Full-time psychology master’s we checked cost from £7,100 (Cumbria, 2026/27) to £30,400 (LSE, 2027/28); the conversion MScs among them run from £8,400 (Newman, 2027/28) to £15,400 (Bristol, 2027 entry). The loan covers 124 of the 177 full-time courses; on the others the gap runs from £44 (Loughborough) to £17,194 (LSE). Part-time routes cost £7,100 (Cumbria, 2026/27) to £30,400 (LSE, 2027/28) for the whole course. Courses accredited by the British Psychological Society give the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership; unaccredited courses do not.

ItemFigure
Master’s LoanUp to £13,206
Full-time psychology master’s we checked£7,100 (Cumbria) to £30,400 (LSE)
Full-time conversion MScs we checked£8,400 (Newman) to £15,400 (Bristol)
Part-time routes we checked, whole course£7,100 (Cumbria, 2026/27) to £30,400 (LSE)
University of Nottingham, Psychology (Conversion) MSc, 2027£13,800 full-time; £13,800 for the whole course part-time by distance learning
University of Reading, MSc Psychology (Conversion), 2027/28£13,600 full-time; part-time at 50% a year over 2 years
AccreditationBPS-accredited courses give the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership

Courses for this guide

Psychology conversion courses in the finder

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Our ranking is impartial: whether a course has a StepEx loan is not a factor. All courses are ranked by affordability, then graduate pay at 5 years. Courses with a StepEx loan are also shown in a separate section above.

More about how we rank

Top 5 of 191 courses

190 likely affordable · affordable first, then highest graduate pay at 5 years

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University of Bristol

MSc Psychology (Conversion)

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£15,400

Fee for 2027 entry

£2,194 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 88%

University of Bristol

MSc Applied Neuropsychology

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£15,400

Fee for 2027 entry (September 2027 start)

£2,194 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 88%

University College London

Health Psychology MSc

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£14,200

Fee for 2027/28

£994 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 89%

University College London

Psychological Sciences MSc

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£16,800

Fee for 2027/28

£3,594 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 89%

University of Exeter

MSc Psychology (Conversion)

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£13,300

Fee for 2027 entry

£94 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 82%

Open Affordability or Outcomes on any course for the detail. Courses with a StepEx loan are marked and get no preference in the order. How we work it out

Paying the university directly assumes three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months. Estimates based on the figures shown, not advice. A StepEx loan is subject to identity, affordability and credit checks; approval is not guaranteed.

Why accreditation matters

The British Psychological Society says graduates without an accredited psychology degree can take a conversion course to become eligible for its Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), which is the entry point to professional training such as clinical or educational psychology. An unaccredited course does not give GBC.

The loan against the fee

The Postgraduate Master’s Loan from Student Finance England is £13,206 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2026. It is paid to you, not the university, in three instalments a year (33%, 33% and 34%), and the amount does not depend on your income or your family’s. You repay 6% of what you earn over £21,000 a year (£1,750 a month); interest is currently 6% a year. The 2027/28 amount has not been published.

Ways to pay

  • Student loan. Where the course qualifies, the Master’s Loan of £13,206 (England; other UK nations differ, see the nations guide).
  • Pay the university. Ask about paying in instalments across the year; the university’s own page sets the dates.
  • Employer. Some employers pay all or part of a fee, usually with a condition that you stay for a period afterwards.
  • Scholarships and discounts. University scholarships and alumni discounts, see the scholarships guide.
  • StepEx loan. On the courses listed on the finance availability page, credit from StepEx Lender Ltd lets you pay the fee in monthly repayments after a deposit. Approval is not guaranteed. The representative example for each course is on the provider’s page.

Ways to pay

  • SLC

    The government SLC master's loan. The amount depends on where you live.

    How the SLC master's loan works

  • Pay the university directly

    Usually in three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months.

Check finance availability

Questions people ask

Not the conversion course. NHS funding applies to later professional training such as the clinical psychology doctorate, which has its own entry route.

Related guides

Sources and dates

Checked 7 November 2026. Figures are for UK students and change each year; check the university's page before you apply. Not advice.

Estimates, not advice.

Questions about these guides? Contact us.