Psychology can explain so much about our lives, from why we fall in love and need sleep to how others influence us. This course - taught by an academic team actively involved in leading-edge research - covers all the major areas of psychology, including cognitive, biological, social and developmental psychology, as well as individual differences and how psychology applies to everyday life. It also offers you the opportunity to specialise in your areas of interest such as counselling, criminal behaviour, mental health and occupational psychology.
Your studies also develop your own abilities and understanding as you learn to consider and evaluate different perspectives; increase your self-awareness through enquiry, analysis, evaluation and reflection; build your independence and confidence through team activities and your own final-year research project.
Why choose this course?
- It is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and is your first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist
- Our academic team are members of the Research Centre for Applied Psychology, applying psychology to a range of ‘real world’ situations and problems
- You benefit from a wide variety of teaching methods including workshops, problem solving, simulations, computer-based activities and guided learning
- You take part in research studies and run your own studies as part of your learning and assessment
- The findings of your final-year research project are made available to your peers as part of the Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference
- You can take the course over four years (see below) and include a fee-free year’s placement in industry where you gain practical experience, build your CV and make contacts for the future
- If you would like a step-up into higher education, you can take a Foundation Year which guarantees you entry to the Undergraduate course
Unit Information - What will I learn?
Units
- Foundations To Psychology (PSY001-1) Compulsory
- Introduction To Psychological Research Methods And Data Analysis (PSY002-1) Compulsory
- Psychology In Every Day Life (PSY004-1) Compulsory
- Health And Wellbeing Psychology (PSY019-1) Optional
- Introduction To Counselling And Psychotherapy (PSY020-1) Optional
- Psychology And Criminal Behaviour (PSY005-1) Optional
- Biological And Cognitive Psychology (PSY002-2) Compulsory
- Methods Of Research In Psychology (PSY016-2) Compulsory
- Psychology In Practice (PSY019-2) Compulsory
- Social Processes And Lifespan Development (PSY001-2) Compulsory
- Culture And Individual Differences (PSY019-3) Compulsory
- Psychology Research Project (PSY033-3) Compulsory
- Applied Health Psychology (PSY012-3) Optional
- Atypical Child And Adolescent Development: Theories And Applications (PSY001-3) Optional
- Coaching Psychology (PSY002-3) Optional
- Cognitive Neuropsychology (PSY003-3) Optional
- Critical Social Psychology (PSY004-3) Optional
- Occupational And Organisational Psychology (PSY015-3) Optional
- Problem Solving (PSY007-3) Optional
- Psychology Of Language And Vision (PSY032-3) Optional
- Psychology Of Mental Health (PSY006-3) Optional
How will I be assessed?
Throughout your degree you will encounter a wide variety of types of assessment collectively designed to suit the variety of individual learning styles. The assessments provide feedback to help with your own development and to inform your completion of future assessments. Development of presentation skills: Presentation skills are introduced in Level 4 where there is a focus on the techniques of delivering a presentation as well as summarising material on a general topic area you have chosen. These skills are further developed in Level 5 where you present aspects of a group organised study. In Level 6 you get a chance to present your own work at the Undergraduate Psychology Conference at the end of your final year. Development of group-work related assessments: Group-work forms a key activity at all levels and allows you to reflect on interactions with peers. In Level 5 the Research in Psychology unit involves teams engaging in and reporting on a project. Social Processes and Lifespan Development involves reflection on a group performance. Group-work is developed further in Level 6 where teams produce an artefact in Atypical Childhood Development. Development of report writing: The general structure of a report is introduced in Level 4 paying particular attention to the format for writing a quantitative and qualitative report in preparation for several reports on studies at Level 5 so that by the end of that year you should be in a position to develop your own individual study based on the research expertise of staff in the Level 6 Honours Project. Development of essay writing: Essays, literature reviews and critiques allow you to develop skills of analysis and critical thinking as well as writing for a particular audience and in a particular genre. Essays are used to assess your ability to construct an argument and your information literacy and referencing skills. There is an essay early on in the Foundations to Psychology unit and another on a different topic later on in the unit. You can therefore use the feedback on the first to improve on the second. Besides these there is a range of other assessment types such as: computer-based assessments, portfolios, reflective journals, exams and much more. Support is provided through staff office hours where you can discuss the progress of your Project and any challenges that you may be encountering with staff as well as statistics drop-in sessions. Throughout your university career in Psychology you will be required to take a wide variety of types of assessment to assess your progression and success. Thirty credit units have three assessment points and 15 credit units have two assessment points. Feedback is given to students for each assessment point and it is expected that you will use this feedback for your own development and to inform your completion of future assessments. The criteria for passing a unit are given in the University Regulations Section 3.1.7. Examples of the range of assessment types are given below: Written essays are used to assess: - Your conceptual knowledge (your understanding of the material presented in the units). - Your ability to communicate ideas (communication skills). - Depth of knowledge of a topic. Student presentations assess: - Aspects of successful group work (working as a team). - Communicating ideas clearly and succinctly. Computer-based assessments: - Factual knowledge. - Relational knowledge (how one concept relates to others). - Breadth of knowledge of a range of topics. Portfolios are used to assess: - Your assessment of your own performance and learning (Personalised learner development). - Breadth of understanding of issues. - Your use of different formats and writing genres. - Reflection on your own performance (feedback to feedforward). - Producing personalised action plans. Reports are used to assess: - Your understanding of a topic. - Your understanding of the structure of a report. - Skills in research and statistics (information literacy). - Methods of investigation. - Analysis of cases studies. Exams are used to assess: - `Summative knowledge of topics in the course. - The degree to which you have studied the course. - Breadth and depth of knowledge of topics. Case studies are used to assess - Your in-depth understanding of a topic. - To illustrate how a theory or method applies to a particular instance. - Your application of the topic to real life situations. Parent Information Pack is used to assess - Your skills of presenting academic and professional information in style that can be understood by individuals outside of Psychology. Article critiques are used to assess - Your critical thinking skills. - Evaluation skills. - Breadth and depth of knowledge of topics. - Synthesis of academic material. Computerised continuous assessments using BREO - Short multiple choice questions on a small range of topics to assess your knowledge at regular intervals. Each assessment provides you with immediate feedback on your performance.
