Course structure
Year 1 core modules
Applications of Psychology
This module has two aims:
1) Introduce students to the major professional divisions within the British Psychological Society so they will be better informed when they have to make important decisions that can affect the possibility of achieving their career goals (e.g. option choices (at levels 5/6) and relevant work experience).
2) Introduce students to personal development planning and a range of study and transferable skills that are relevant to their degree programme and will also maximise their chances of post-graduation career success.
Critical Thinking about Psychology
This module provides students with many of the skills needed to critically evaluate psychological theories and studies. It uses examples from psychology to highlight the common errors that people make when assessing arguments and evaluating evidence.
The module provides step-by-step guidance on how to overcome widespread mistakes and how to construct logical, balanced and coherent arguments. The module also requires students to assess the validity of a number of extraordinary claims, such as parapsychology, alternative medicine, astrology and mediumship. Students will be encouraged to be open-minded, yet require appropriate standards of proof when evaluating such claims.
Human Development and Social Psychology
You gain an understanding of two of the five core areas of study specified by the British Psychological Society (BPS): developmental psychology and social psychology. You consider theoretical and empirical work within human development and social psychology and are introduced to ethics in psychology, psychological research skills and report writing.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
You are introduced to the field of mental health and wellbeing. The module includes discussion of key theories and specific conditions which are amenable to psychological intervention. Brief introductions are given to different therapeutic approaches, medical, social and resilience-based models of mental health and wellbeing. You are given the opportunity to participate in weekly discussion workshops/taster sessions, where topics from the lecture are considered in more depth. During discussion groups you have the opportunity to work on your interpersonal and group management skills using a compassion focused approach to group skills management.
Psychobiology, Cognition and Individual Differences
You gain an understanding of three of the five core areas of study specified by the British Psychological Society (BPS): biological psychology, cognitive psychology and individual differences. You consider theoretical and empirical work within biological and developmental psychology and individual differences and also develop psychological research skills and report writing in more depth to provide you with the skills necessary to plan, conduct and report psychological research.
Psychological Research Design and Analysis 1
Providing a foundation in psychological research methods and analysis, this module covers a range of experimental and non-experimental methodological approaches.
You are introduced to the Windows SPSS package for statistical analysis and graph drawing, and you learn about simple qualitative research and data collection methods.
The module covers ethics in research, qualitative and quantitative methods, survey design, simple non-experimental and experimental designs, reliability and validity, probability, hypothesis testing, descriptive data analysis, simple non-parametric and parametric statistical analysis and research report writing.
By the end of the module, you’ll be able to identify the appropriate method for a range of research questions, analyse the resulting data and draw appropriate conclusions.
Year 2 core modules
Applied Research in Psychology
The module continues to foster advanced research design and analysis, building on the Conducting Research in Psychology module. It will facilitate the further development of knowledge and skills in using advanced research designs, including the use of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques. Module content includes conceptual issues in advanced research designs, focusing on experimental and quasi-experimental quantitative research designs, planning of sample size, quantitative data analysis (ANOVA and ANCOVA), and advanced qualitative research techniques.
Biological and Social Psychology
The module is divided into two halves: biopsychology and social psychology. Biological, neurological and social explanations for a series of identified psychological topics are explored, as well as introducing the concept of evolutionary explanations for human behaviour and the scientific approach to the study of our social behaviour.
You are required to complete a two-hour unseen written examination for your assessment on this module.
Conducting Research in Psychology
The module deals with advanced research design and analysis, building on the module Research Design and Analysis 1. It facilitates the development of knowledge and skills in using advanced research designs, including the use of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques. Module content includes conceptual issues in advanced research designs, a focus on non-experimental/correlational quantitative research designs, regression techniques, assessment design and qualitative data collection and analysis.
Development, Cognitive Processes and Disorders
This module is delivered in two parts. In the first half, competing perspectives, contemporary debates, historical perspectives and applied topics within developmental psychology are studied using a lifespan perspective. In the second half, a range of cognitive processes are discussed in relation to both healthy and disordered functioning, drawing evidence from experimental psychology, neuropsychological case studies and cognitive neuroscience perspectives.
Positive Psychology
Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning at the individual, group and social levels. This relatively new area of psychology is a radical shift away from the focus of psychology on illness and pathology. You are introduced to the field of study and to explore the links between theory and research findings in positive psychology and their applications in a variety of settings e.g. clinical, educational, occupational and personal contexts. You explore the observation of attitude and behavioural change. Key areas covered will include wellbeing and resilience, happiness, emotional intelligence, positive self, positive relationships and attitude and behavioural change.
Psychopathologies and Individual Differences
You develop a knowledge and understanding of psychopathologies and individual differences in psychology. In addition, you develop skills in psychometric measurement and an in-depth knowledge of these areas along with the necessary skills to distinguish between theories and critically evaluate them.
Final-year core modules
Dissertation
Your dissertation is based around the investigation of a topic linked to your programme of study, selected by you in consultation with a dissertation supervisor. It represents a core compulsory element for British Psychological Society membership accreditation.
The dissertation involves a poster presentation, a pass/fail ethical approval and a written project report. It also includes a PDP element which involves you creating a personal statement and a CV written to address the person specifications of a graduate job.
Issues in Psychology
This module is aimed to introduce students to a number of debates in applied psychology. The module content is aimed to meet learning needs of students interested in aspects of applied psychology and to foster self-directed learning.
Psychology in Clinical Practice
You examine some of the areas of work of practitioner psychologists, structured around the core competencies inherent in training to become a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society. You engage with professional and ethical issues inherent in the design and development of research, training, consultancy and interventions in clinical settings, and are introduced to the requirements of postgraduate study in Psychology.
Completion of this module does not provide eligibility for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.
and two optional modules (one must be a psychology module)
Current Issues in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
This module is aimed at students who have an interest in applied aspects of cognitive psychology, especially educational psychology, as well as those interested in developmental and bio-psychology.
The module introduces you to a range of different neurodevelopmental disorders e.g. autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, ADHD, specific-language impairment, Williams syndrome, Dyscalculia, Fragile X and Downs syndrome. Each disorder will be considered in terms of its diagnostic criteria, characteristics, theoretical perspectives and issues with comorbidity. As such we will discuss each condition at the levels of biology (including genetics), cognition, behaviour and the environment.
Wider issues such as the social aspects of neurodevelopmental disorders, including integration in education, lifespan changes and methodological and ethical issues in researching neurodevelopmental disorders will also be addressed.
Developing Skills for Educational and Community Support
This module provides you with experience and knowledge of working as a support worker with Neuro Partners (www.neuropartners.co.uk/). You develop transferable / employability skills, such as confidentiality, data protection, communications, problem-solving, group work, time management, self-management, and record keeping. The work experience enables you to work within a team whilst maintaining boundaries and a professional relationship with an individual. The service users will have a range of conditions, including mental health conditions and possibly co-morbid disorders and considerations when approaching support. You will be working on any combination of the following types of support:
Education-based support: Sighted Guide, Mobility Support, Travel Support, Note Taker, Transcriber, Library Assistant, Proof reading, Reader, Exam Support
Community-based support: Personal Care, Community access, Accessing social and leisure activities with service users, Assisting the service user during Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy. Community-based hours will include evenings and weekends.
Prior to commencing the module, you are required to apply for Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) enhanced disclosure and successfully complete the Neuro Partners interview, assessment centre and training. DBS applications will be made during the interview. You will receive full training for the role of support worker (delivered by Neuro Partners) and have regular contact with an Assistant Psychologist, who will appraise you 3 times throughout the year.
You will have 6 hours contact at Teesside University to introduce the module and go through assessment requirements. This will be delivered as 3 x 2hour lectures (delivered throughout the year). The module requires you to be available for the full duration of the academic year (30 weeks) and accumulate a minimum of 70 hours of support work experience. It is expected that you will gain 2-3 hours support work experience per week and will document your experience by completing logs after every session.
Employability and Work Experience
Gain academic credit for participating in work experience related to criminology, criminal justice and sociology. You may find your own work experience (subject to approval from your module tutor) or you can take advantage of work experience opportunities offered as part of the module.
Work experience must be performed to an agreed job description and person specification for a minimum of 60 working hours. To take part you must complete a DBS check, along with any other security checks required by your work experience provider. You must also agree to and sign a legal agreement outlining the obligations of yourself, the University and the work experience provider. Alongside your work experience you explore employability issues and skills through a number of interactive workshops led by professionals from within and outside the University.
This module has limited places and participation is subject to a selection process involving an application, shortlisting and interview.
Promoting Health, Preventing Illness
This module explores psychology’s role in progressing, treating and managing illness. You will consider the dominant discussions of health and illness and explore the methods used to measure and assess health and illness. This module explores health promotion interventions, particularly the associated psychological issues that need to be considered when you are addressing the health and illness needs of individuals across the lifespan.
The Psychology of Criminal Behaviour
This modules aims to develop an understanding of the psychological explanations of criminal behaviour in relation to a number of specific crimes. The role of the Forensic Psychologist and psychological evidence are explored for topics including sexual offending, CSA, aggression, stalking, and arson. Further, the value of theoretical explanations is considered in relation to the evolution of crimes such as online grooming and cyberstalking
The Psychology of Everyday Self
This module provides an arena for you to study in depth one of the most intriguing and misunderstood aspects of psychological experience – that of selfhood.
It brings together a number of sub-disciplines that throw light on selfhood and subjective experience. Perspectives from social, developmental, and clinical psychology are combined in this module to offer you the opportunity to explore what selfhood means to you and how different constructs of selfhood can be enriching to the human experience.
Therapeutic Care and Meaningful Interactions
Therapeutic Care and Meaningful Interactions provides you with experience and knowledge of working as a Therapeutic Care Volunteer (TCV) within South Tees NHS Trust. You have the opportunity to develop transferable knowledge and employability skills. You cover confidentiality, data protection, communications, problem-solving, group work, time management, self-management, and record keeping. You have the opportunity to work within a health care team across any combination of wards across the Trust and community hospitals, whilst maintaining boundaries and a professional relationship with individuals.
