Transpersonal Psychology and Consciousness Studies

One year full-time starting in September or two to four years part-time starting in September or February. Each module involves between 15 and 40 hours of either formal teaching, or attendance at placements, groups or for tutorial meetings. Formal teaching takes place on one day.

Transpersonal Psychology and Consciousness Studies is an emerging new field within psychology. It is an exciting area that offers both new scientific insight into the functioning of human consciousness and practical skills in applying altered and higher states of consciousness to practical, psychological, educational, and other tasks. This course studies higher states of consciousness, which differ from our everyday mode of functioning. Consequently, this programme offers both experiential elements, and traditional taught elements that aim at conveying cutting-edge knowledge and critical analytic skills for dealing with such experiences and their consequences and ramifications.

Students will not only learn how to access such higher states of consciousness, but also to critically analyse the experiences and do high quality research in this exciting new area embedded in a research environment specialised in this area.

The course combines compulsory experiential, compulsory taught, and elective experiential and taught modules and offers a research dissertation to be completed for a full MSc.

The experiential modules are designed to help students gain first-hand experience in higher states of consciousness. For that it is required that students take up and regularly (ideally daily) practice some spiritual discipline, such as meditation or contemplation, Tai Chi, Chi Gong or Yoga, and reflect upon the experiences in a reflective journal. Further experiential elements, such as experiential group work or placements in a work environment that practices with a transpersonal background, complement personal experience. Students who already have their own practice on a regular basis or other relevant background experiences can apply for accreditation of their prior experiential learning. Compulsory taught modules convey the necessary analytical skills and cutting edge knowledge, while discretionary taught modules support the knowledge base of students.

The research dissertation is a qualitative or quantitative empirical study, or a thorough analytical, theoretical or systematic review or meta-analytical study of 15,000 to 20,000 words.

For a full MSc award 180 credits are necessary to be awarded from:

• 30 credits from two compulsory experiential modules
• 60 credits from three compulsory taught modules
• 30 credits from either experiential or taught elective modules or a combination of both
• 60 credits from the research dissertation
• 120 credits without the dissertation will automatically award a Postgraduate Diploma

• Experiential modules (ongoing spiritual practice, group experience, placements) with individual tutoring
• Cutting edge knowledge in transpersonal psychology and theories of consciousness
• External guest teachers

Compulsory experiential modules (15 credits each) include:

• Ongoing spiritual practice 1 and 2

Compulsory taught modules (20 credits each) include:

• History of Transpersonal Psychology
• Neuroscience and Consciousness
• Research Methods

Discretionary experiential modules (10-20 credits) include:

• Experiential group work 1 and 2
• Placements

Discretionary taught modules (10 credits) include:

• Mysticism East and West
• Counselling and Psychotherapy
• Parapsychology
• Spirituality and Health

• Lancaster Approaches to Consciousness: The Marriage of Science and Mysticism 2004 Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
• Ferrer Revisioning Transpersonal Theory: A Participatory Vision of Human Spirituality 2002 Albany SUNY Press

The course combines compulsory experiential, compulsory taught, and discretionary experiential and taught modules and offers a research dissertation to be completed for a full MSc.

Dedicated laboratories and PC suites for Psychology students.

Each module involves between 15 and 40 hours of either formal teaching or attendance at placements, groups or for tutorial meetings. As a rule, formal teaching for all the modules takes place on one day. Some special events, such as special lectures with guest speakers or retreats may require attendance on other days, if chosen. The full MSc runs for one year full-time or two to four years part-time. Part-time students can start the programme either in September or in February; full-time students only in September.

Transpersonal psychology and spiritual approaches are increasingly considered helpful within the therapeutic professions. As this course aims at a broad qualification, the skills learned can be applied to a broad set of working environments. They can be used to enhance personal performance in many professions, find personal fulfilment in already existing careers, or help finding one's true vocation.