Handbook of Graduate Studies in Psychology at the University of Akureyri

MS research programme in psychology

Table of Contents

Postgraduate studies at the Department of Psychology, UNAK

The Department of Psychology at the University of Akureyri offers an ambitious graduate programme for a master’s degree in psychology. This handbook provides information on the main aspects of the graduate programme. Further information and advice regarding the application process and the organization of the programme is provided by the supervisor of the graduate programme, who is specified in Ugla. Furthermore, the faculty members s in the department will provide advice and information concerning their fields of expertise.

Organization of postgraduate studies at the Department of Psychology, UNAK

Role of students in postgraduate studies

Postgraduate students are responsible for their studies and will adopt independent working methods. It is the students’ responsibility to obtain information about the rules that apply to the programme, follow the curriculum, and submit final projects that meet the set requirements. Master’s students must choose a subject, make a study and research plan, and follow it up in consultation with their supervisor. They must take the initiative to communicate with the instructor and be responsible for informing them about the progress of the study and any problems that may arise. Postgraduate students are strongly encouraged to participate in research seminars at the University of Akureyri where master’s students, faculty, and other academics present and discuss their research.

Role of supervisors in postgraduate studies

Every master’s student must from the beginning of their studies have a mentor from the Faculty of Psychology. Primary supervisors must have a doctorate and be either tenure-track faculty members or post-docs. The student’s project must be in the instructor’s field of expertise. The supervisor advises the student on the organization of the programme, the choice of courses and other things related to the programme. The supervisor meets with the master’s student and gives them regular feedback according to the agreement, at least three times a semester. The supervisor advises the student on the selection of material for the final project, helps them with problems that may arise and monitors the progress of the project with reference to the research and study plan. The supervisor sits on the student’s master’s examination committee, organizes the master’s defence and participates in the final assessment of the master’s thesis together with the examiner.

Role of the master’s committee

The master’s committee is intended to provide support to master’s students in writing a master’s thesis. The committee consists of a supervisor and two experts in the field of the master’s thesis. The committee approves the master’s student’s research and study plan and approves the master’s thesis after the defence.

Role of the graduate programme coordinator

The graduate programme coordinator in the department in question assists instructors and students provides information about the organization of the programme, ensures that the regulations for graduate programmes are followed, and provides advice on issues that may arise. The graduate programme coordinator makes proposals to the study committee regarding the processing of applications and study plans, the appointment of examiners, and other matters concerning the postgraduate programme. The graduate programme coordinator organizes research seminars and other presentations of graduate students’ projects and must be invited to attend the presentation of the research plan and the defence of the master’s project.

Role of the study and evaluation committee

The study and evaluation committee in psychology oversees the graduate programme on behalf of the Faculty.
The committee approves or rejects applications based on the review of the graduate programme coordinator, monitors the quality of the programme, evaluates previous studies at master’s level, appoints examiners for master’s projects and rules on issues that may arise.

Role of the department office

The department office provides general information about the master’s programme to applicants and handles general administration, such as queries from students and classroom bookings.

Submission of master’s theses

The master’s thesis must be submitted in an electronic format no later than three weeks before the defence of the thesis. Theses must be submitted no later than 25 working days before the graduation date. No deadline extensions are granted for the submission of a thesis.

Evaluation of master’s theses

The examiner and the supervisor both award grades for the master’s thesis, which is considered approved if both award at least the grade Pass, which is equivalent to a performance of 7.25 (first grade) (see article 4 of the University of Akureyri’s rules on assessment). The master’s programme coordinator is responsible for the submission of grades. They can request the opinion of another examiner if there is a significant difference between the grades of the examiner and the supervisor or if there is significant inconsistency between the master’s theses. The supervisor, the examiner, and/or the faculty will apply the best available methods to assess the academic integrity of the work, including whether plagiarism or other inappropriate practices invalidate the work. This refers to quantitative results from matching software together with a qualitative assessment based on the individual’s professional knowledge and judgment of the context of each individual offence. The average of the grades of the examiner and supervisor counts as the final grade for the master’s thesis. See a description of the process in Figure 1.
Flow chart

Figure 1. Flow chart of procedures for the submission of a master’s project in the MS programme at the Faculty of Psychology at UNAK

MS programme in psychology

Degree

A 120 ECTS credit research-based Master of Science in Psychology degree is available. Psychology is the academic discipline involving exploring the relationship between behaviour, the mind and the brain using scientific methodology. The programme is intended to prepare graduates for a variety of jobs requiring data collection, processing, and analysis skills, and understanding and ability to use research methods in different fields of psychology, social, and/or healthcare sciences. The programme additionally prepares graduates for doctoral studies in the psychological and behavioural sciences and related disciplines at Icelandic and foreign universities.

The structure of the programme

The coursework component of the master's programme consists of 36 ECTS of obligatory courses, offered by the Faculty of Psychology, and an additional 24 ECTS of elective courses, for a total of 60 ECTS. The student should choose electives in agreement with their supervisor. The thesis component of the programme likewise consists of 60 ECTS. The master's thesis can take either of two formats:

a) One continuous manuscript, with a minimum length of 10000 words and a maximum length of 20000 words.

b) One scientific article, that has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, bookended by an additional introduction and summary.

The study programme ends with the defence of a master’s thesis with the participation of the master’s committee and an examiner.

Applying for the programme

The applicant must have completed a bachelor’s degree (BA, B.Sc. or B.Ed.) at a recognized university with a first grade (7.25) or higher. To apply, the first step for the prospective student is to find a faculty supervisor, since admission to the programme depends on a faculty member at UNAK’s psychology department with expertise in the relevant field being ready to guide the student. The student is free to contact a potential supervisor first, by sending them a cover letter describing their research interests. This cover letter can also be sent to the MS programme coordinator. The master’s programme coordinator will likely assist students in finding supervisors if requested. Together, the applicant and prospective supervisor prepare a short description of the research idea, a proposal for the composition of the master’s committee, and the student’s customized curriculum (see Appendix 1 for details). Application for the MS research programme in psychology is open throughout the school year. After the study committee in psychology has approved the proposal prepared by the prospective student and the supervisor, applications must be submitted to the student registry of the University of Akureyri. The study committee in psychology discusses applications and decides upon them in consultation with the graduate programme coordinator.

Learning outcomes for the MS programme in psychology

Knowledge

After completing the master’s programme in psychology, the student should have knowledge of:

A specific field of study within psychology
The requirements for academic research plans and the main elements of applications for research grants
Key methods in their field of expertise that meet the requirements for publication in a peer reviewed forum
The main peer reviewed journals in a specific research field and the requirements for peer reviewed publication of research results

Skills

After completing the master’s programme in psychology, the student should be able to:

Independently broaden their knowledge in the main fields of psychology
Write research plans and applications for research grants
Independently start new lines of research, formulate research questions and choose appropriate research methods to answer those questions
Select and apply appropriate methods for data analysis in a specific field of expertise
Present research results to the public, professional groups and academics
Publish research results in a peer reviewed forum

Competence

After completing the master’s programme in psychology, the student should be able to:

Plan and manage research projects in the field of psychology and related academic disciplines
Maintain, increase and share their knowledge
Study for a doctorate or another postgraduate course in psychology

Appendix 1. Rules of the MS research programme in psychology

Article 1 - MS research programme in psychology

The Department of Psychology at the University of Akureyri offers an MS research programme in psychology. In the programme, students take courses with their cohort and are mentored individually by their faculty advisor. The MS research programme in psychology is 120 ECTS, courses for 60 credits and a master’s thesis for 60 credits. The maximum duration of the programme shall be three and a half years according to Article 29 of the rules for the University of Akureyri. The study committee in the Faculty of Psychology can grant an exemption from that time limit.

Article 2 - Admission requirements and processing of applications

The applicant must have completed a bachelor’s degree at a recognized university with a First Grade (7.25 or higher out of 10) or equivalent performance at universities where other grading scales apply. The applicant must find a supervisor who approves the plan for a master’s thesis. Together, the applicant and prospective supervisor prepare an application with a short description of the research idea, a proposal for the composition of the master’s committee and the student’s customized curriculum. After the study committee in psychology has approved the proposal prepared by the prospective student and the supervisor, applications must be submitted to the student registry of the University of Akureyri. Application for the MS research programme is open throughout the school year.

Article 3 - Role of the study and evaluation committee of the Faculty of Psychology in the MA research programme

The study and evaluation committee of the Faculty of Psychology oversees the graduate programme on behalf of the faculty meeting of the Faculty of Psychology. The committee approves or rejects applications based on the review of the graduate programme coordinator, monitors the quality of the programme and rules on issues that may arise. The dean of the school appoints examiners for master’s projects.

Article 4 - The coordinator of the MS programme in psychology

The coordinator of the MS programme in psychology is elected at the faculty meeting of the Faculty of Psychology for two years at a time. The coordinator must be a permanent faculty member at the Faculty of Psychology with a doctorate or academic rank of lecturer/asst. professor (or higher). The MS programme coordinator checks the applications and processes them in cooperation with the study committee in psychology. The coordinator also guides prospective applicants through the application process and assists with the selection of a faculty advisor if necessary. The coordinator also advises master’s students, supervisors and the study and assessment committee on issues that may arise. The coordinator organizes research seminars with the participation of master’s students, teachers and other academics. The coordinator attends the presentation of the research plan and the defence of the master’s thesis.

Article 5 - The student’s main supervisor in the MS research programme

A primary supervisor in the MS research programme must have a doctoral qualification in psychology or a related discipline. The supervisor must be a recognized expert in the field in which the master’s student intends to write a master’s thesis. The supervisor shall normally hold a tenure-track position at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Akureyri or another approved university or have a post-doc position for the duration of the proposed student’s study. However, upon receiving a proposal from the master’s programme coordinator, the study committee may approve an external supervisor who meets the above eligibility criteria. The supervisor approves the applicant’s research idea, makes a proposal for the composition of the student’s master’s committee and guides the master’s student in the final project. The supervisor is also the chair of the student’s master’s committee.

Article 6 - The student’s master’s committee

The student’s master committee consists of a supervisor and two experts in the field of the master’s thesis, nominated by the supervisor in consultation with the student. The study committee must approve the appointment of the master’s committee. Experts on the master’s committee must have completed at least a master’s degree and have conducted research related to the topic of the proposed master’s thesis. The role of the master’s committee is to approve the master’s student’s research plan and study plan, provide support for the writing of the master’s thesis and approve it for the master’s degree after the defence.

Article 7 - The student’s curriculum

Together, the supervisor and the MS research programme student make a proposal to the study committee for the student’s curriculum of 60 ECTS. The curriculum must include all six Master’s-level courses offered by the Faculty of Psychology. The curriculum must also state which other courses the student intends to take at the University of Akureyri or at other Icelandic or foreign universities. Changes to the student’s curriculum may be made with the approval of the study committee in the Faculty of Psychology. A student who has taken a course at the bachelor’s level is not allowed to repeat it at the master’s level. Courses at the bachelor’s level can count for a maximum of 12 ECTS. However, students who take such courses must complete an additional project in consultation with their instructor and master’s committee. Furthermore, the supervisor is allowed to organize a special reading course at the master’s level on the topic of the thesis. The course description must be approved by the study committee in psychology. Such courses can count for a maximum of 12 ECTS in total towards a master’s degree in psychology.

Students can earn up to 2 ECTS for conference participation. Active participation (i.e., giving a talk or poster presentation) is worth 1 ECTS per presentation. Passive participation (i.e., attendance without presenting) is worth 0.25 ECTS per full conference day. Students must provide evidence for the relevant participation and contribution.

Article 8 - The student’s research plan

The MS research programme student must submit a research plan for the master’s thesis before the end of the first semester. The research plan must contain a brief overview of the state of knowledge in the field of the proposed thesis, a definition of the subject and the main research questions, a description of the proposed methods and a time and cost estimate. If the student intends to base the thesis on a peer reviewed article, they must also describe the proposed content and publication possibilities of the article. A research plan is considered part of the work on a master’s thesis and credits are awarded for it. The master’s student must present their research plan and receive the unanimous approval of their master’s committee for it.

Article 9 - The master’s thesis in the MS research programme in psychology

Master's theses in the MS research programme in psychology can be a monograph or one peer-reviewed article in the standard APA format. The student must be the first author of the relevant article. Articles that appear in journals in the ISI database, the ERIH journal list, or the list of the ranking committee of the state universities are considered peer reviewed. Furthermore, the master’s programme coordinator can have the article of the master’s student peer reviewed and, on that basis, approve it as part of the master’s thesis. The master’s thesis must be submitted in the format prescribed by the rules of the University of Akureyri. Theses may be in Icelandic or English, but abstracts must be in both languages.

Article 10 - Submission of master’s thesis

The master’s thesis must be submitted in an electronic format no later than three weeks before the defence. In the spring semester, the thesis must be submitted no later than 25 working days before the graduation date. No deadline extensions will be granted for the submission of a master’s thesis.

Article 11 - Approval of master’s thesis

The defence of the master’s thesis consists of an open lecture on its topic, delivered by the student. At the end of the lecture, the student answers the questions of the master’s committee and the examiner appointed by the faculty dean. The examiner and the supervisor both give grades for the master’s thesis, which is considered approved if both give at least the grade Pass [equivalent to 7.25 or higher]. The master’s programme coordinator is responsible for the submission of grades. The coordinator can request the opinion of another examiner from the faculty dean if there is a significant difference between the grades of the examiner and the supervisor or if there is a significant inconsistency between the master’s theses. The average of the grades of the examiner and supervisor counts as the final grade for the master’s thesis.