Master of Educational and Child Psychology

Programme Code

54054-FT (Full-time) / 54054-PT (Part-time)

Mode Of Study
Mixed-mode

Normal Duration
2 Years (Full-time) / 3 Years (Part-time)

Credits Required for Award
60 (including 45 credits for academic subjects, 6 credits for supervised practicums and 9 credits for one research-based dissertation)

Award Leader
Professor Cynthia LEUNG

Programme Leader
Professor Cynthia LEUNG

Fund Type
Subsidized by The University Grants Committee (UGC) of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Note: This programme admits students in alternate year and only Full-time mode will be offered in 2015-2016

DEFINITIVE PROGRAMME DOCUMENT

Download

 

---

課程簡介

本碩士學位課程由香港特區政府透過大學資助委員會撥款資助,旨在培訓專業的教育心理學家,為有志獲取該專業資格的人士,提供教育及兒童心理學的應用知識與實踐培訓;主要向各類型學校 (包括學前教育、小學、中學及大專院校),和以兒童、青少年為服務對象的機構 (如政府教育局及非政府機構等) 提供專業支援。本課程學生修畢指定的科目、完成實習所需的時數、及科研為本的論 文後,冀能達至課程的目標及成果如下:

1. 專門知識/專業領袖

本碩士學位課程的畢業生將具備當代教育及兒童心理學實務上的最新知識、技能及態度,並且能將之應用,參與籌劃策略及制定政策。他們被培訓為具學術知識、專業技能、勇於負責、敏於文化差異及充滿關愛的專業教育心理學家,並能在適當時侯在他們的專業服務上擔當領導的角色;

2. 策略性思維

本碩士學位課程的畢業生將能全面及策略性地處理有關教育心理專業服務的複雜問題和處境,並成為有智慧而富創意、具批判思維,擁有跨界別合作的技巧的靈活問題解決者。他們擅於發掘實用及具創意的方法,解決各種不同的教育心理學問題;與

3. 持續終生學習

本碩士學位課程的畢業生將有能力投身成為透過研究為基礎的探索及在專業實務上以實證為本作反思的持續終生學習者

 

PROGRAMME AIMS

The Master of Educational and Child Psychology (MECP) Programme is a postgraduate programme, subsidized by The University Grants Committee (UGC). It is tailor-made to provide instruction and training in both theories and practice of applied educational psychology, and therefore will lead to a professional qualification for psychologists who wish to work in educational settings and organizations relevant to children and adolescents, including the pre-school, primary and secondary school sectors, tertiary institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs). On successful completion of the required subjects, supervised practicums and research-based dissertation, graduates of this MECP award will benefit from the following overall programme aims:

1. Professional Competence of Specialist/Leaders of a Profession: Graduates of the MECP programme will possess state-of-art knowledge, skills and attitudes in the professional practice of educational and child psychology, and be able to apply them, and to contribute to strategic planning and/or policy formulation. The graduates should develop into academically knowledgeable, professionally competent, ethically responsible, culturally sensitive and caring educational psychologists; with readiness for assuming a leadership role in their professional practice; and

2. Strategic Thinking: Graduates of the MECP programme will be able to think holistically and strategically in dealing with complex problems and situations pertinent to the professional practice of educational psychologists. The graduates should be versatile problem solvers with good mastery of intellectual creativity, critical thinking and skills of multi-disciplinary collaboration, who can generate practical and innovative solutions to diverse psycho-educational problems; and

3. Lifelong Learning Capability: Graduates of the MECP programme will be committed to and capable of continual professional development through research-based inquiry and evidence-based reflection on professional practice.

SPECIAL FEATURES

The educational philosophy of the MECP programme is built on an essential and close linkage between research-based knowledge and professional competency in applied educational psychology. The ‘Scientist-Practitioner’ model is therefore employed to shape and chart the direction of academic and professional scholarship of the programme which is characterized by five distinctive features:

1. The ability to demonstrate a scholarship of teaching and learning on ‘active practice’, that emphasizes ‘concrete connected knowledge’ over ‘abstract analytical knowledge’ of traditional research, such as ‘Problem-based Learning‘ and ’Case Study‘ methods;

2. The ability to formulate coherent curriculum, employ effective instructional strategies and conduct student-centred mentorship that are built on a scholarship of integration which underscores reflective observations and thinking derived from both indigenous theories and global empirical research, such as adopting an interactionist perspective and evidence-based investigation;

3. Striving for cross-fertilization of academic and professional knowledge, skills and attitudes through scholarly teaching and research support of the inter-disciplinary psychology team and faculty members, whose expertise and specialisms are respectively in applied educational psychology, clinical child/adolescent psychology, social work education, rehabilitation, health care, and associated disciplines;

4. Assuring a high quality of the programme through teaching processes and learning outcomes of professionalization and internationalization, with the valuable contributions from knowledgeable academics and professional collaborators from both local and global networks;

5. Accomplishing the university and departmental missions and visions, graduates should become Proactive, Reflective, Innovative, Constructive, Empirical (PRICE) educational psychologists with cultural sensitivity and humanistic concerns, and endeavour to make valuable contributions to the benefit of student populations and associated stakeholders.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

To be eligible for the MECP award, students (Educational Psychologists-in-Training, EPiTs) are required to complete a total of 60 credits, made up of 45 credits for successful completion of academic subjects, together with one dissertation (9 credits) on evidence-based research of applied educational and child psychology of 15,000 to 20,000 words in length; and three supervised practicums (6 credits) totalling at least 1,200 hours and one pre-practicum orientation of at least 160 hours.

List of Subjects

15 Academic Subjects (3 credits per subject, sub-total=45 credits)

1. Psycho-educational Assessment I
2. Psycho-educational Assessment II
3. Psycho-educational Intervention I
4. Psycho-educational Intervention II
5. Professional Skills Training Workshop I
6. Professional Skills Training Workshop II
7. Exceptionality in Children and Adolescents: Diagnoses, Interventions and Prevention
8. Curriculum-based Designs and Response to Instructional Strategies
9. Applied Developmental Science
10. Learning Processes and Problems
11. Positive Development in Children and Adolescents and Parenting
12. Integrative Seminars on Professional Ethics and Issues in Educational Psychology
13. Research Methodology and Statistics for Educational Psychology
14. Psychometric Theories and Practice
15. One Professional Elective Subject from The Postgraduate Scheme of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

One Research-based Dissertation of 15,000 to 20,000 words (9 credits)

16. Dissertation Research I, II & III

Three Supervised Practicums and Pre-practicum Orientation for 1,360 hours (6 credits)

17. Pre-practicum Orientation (160 hours) (18) Practicum I (400 hours)

18. Practicum II (400 hours)

19. Practicum III (400 hours)

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. A recognized Bachelor degree with Honours in Psychology; OR
2. An approved equivalent qualification in Psychology, recognized by The Hong Kong Psychological Society; AND
3. Eligibility for Graduate Membership of The Hong Kong Psychological Society or equivalent.
4. If the applicant is not a native speaker of the English language, or has not obtained a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification awarded by institutions where the medium of instruction is English, he/she is required to fulfill the minimum English language requirements for admission purposes, as follows: 

• A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 or above for the paper-based test; or a TOEFL score of 80 or above for the internet-based test; OR
• An overall Band Score of at least 6 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

After successful completion of all requirements of the MECP programme, graduates can apply for full membership of the Division of Educational Psychology of The Hong Kong Psychological Society.

 

CAREER PROSPECTS

The MECP programme provides the Educational Psychologists-in-Training with opportunities to be employed as professional Educational Psychologists (EPs) in government-based or non-governmental organizations relevant to children and adolescents. The current educational settings for the EPs’ services range from special schools/ special education centres to mainstream secondary, primary and pre-schools. A few EPs are employed in counseling or student affairs units of tertiary institutions, serving both students and teachers. An individual EP may practice on his/her own, or cooperate with other professionals to offer services to the public, including psychological consultation and training.

 

 

APPLICATION PERIOD AND SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION

Prospective applicants can obtain the application material and submit online applications via Study@PolyUduring the Application Period. 

Application Period 

http://www.polyu.edu.hk/study Postgraduate Programmes > Select a Programme 

Submit an Application 

http://www.polyu.edu.hk/study

ENQUIRY

Please contact Ms Freda LAU at 3400 3688 or e-mail to Ms Florence LIU at sspg@polyu.edu.hk for enquiry.