BSc Psychology

This is a three-year full-time degree, with a September entry point, accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. The School typically has 195 undergraduate places.

You will take 60 credits in the first semester of year one at level four, which does not count towards the final degree classification. In level five (commencing in the second semester of year one and continuing through year two) you will take modules to the value of 180 credits. At level six, the final year, you will take 120 credits.

Modules are compulsory at level five and optional at level six (with the exception of the research project).

Performance in level five contributes 30% towards honours classification and level six contributes 70%.

Year One

Level four of the degree occupies the autumn semester of year one and is designed to help you make the transition from school to university-level study. It consists of three modules. These modules will:

• Introduce scientific thinking skills and use example research topics to help you learn the differences between good and bad science
• Provide an overview of the main subject areas of psychology
• Introduce the basics of research methodology through practicals and research design teaching

Core Modules for Year One

• Psychological Research
• Introduction to Psychology
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Language and Memory
• Biological Psychology & Individual Differences
• Thinking About Human Behaviour

Year Two

Level five occupies three semesters, starting in the spring of the first year. This level covers the main psychology areas in depth, combined with further teaching of research design and statistical analysis, practical work, and tutorials.

Core Modules for Year Two

• Developmental Psychology
• Perception, Attention and Action
• Thinking, Emotion and Consciousness
• Psychological Research Skills
• Social Psychology
• Mental Health and Clinical Psychology

Year Three

Level six is the final year. Here, you will undertake a supervised research project that runs over two semesters. The research project is an opportunity to carry out an independent piece of research with individual supervision from a member of the academic staff with expertise in the research area. In addition to the project, students at level six complete a range of final-year modules (commonly around six depending on whether the modules selected are single or double modules). The option modules offer the opportunity for deeper exploration of topics that are close to the research interests of staff.

Core Modules for Year Three

• Research Project

Optional Modules for Year Three

• Forensic Psychology: Violence and Crime
• Animal Learning and Cognition
• Modelling creativity and curiosity in the brain
• Neuroimaging in health and disease
• Decision Making
• Applying Cognitive Science
• Sensational Adventures in Perception and Action
• Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
• Human Factors Psychology
• Evidence-based Health Psychology
• Behavioural Intervention
• Social Perception
• Neuroscience of Learning and Memory II
• Attitudes and Attitude Change
• Developmental Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence
• Environmental Psychology

How Will I Be Assessed?

Knowledge and understanding are assessed both summatively and formatively via multiple choice and conventional written examinations, essay writing, and practical and project reports.

Formative feedback is provided at seminars, tutorials, and practical classes.

What Skills Will I Practise and Develop?

You will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those that are discipline-specific and more generic ‘employability skills’.

As a result of engaging fully with this course, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological facts, theories, ideas, methods, concepts and principles and appreciate their significance
• Demonstrate an understanding of psychology as a coherent and developing scientific discipline
• Demonstrate the skills/abilities necessary for scientific research in psychology, including abilities to formulate research hypotheses, design and conduct empirical studies, analyse data, and interpret findings
• Demonstrate skills in comprehending and evaluating psychological material, including the ability to communicate clearly and concisely the concepts of literature and critically appraise the literature, in both written and oral presentation
• Conduct safely, ethically and competently psychological research studies involving human and non-human animals
• Record, analyse statistically, present (written and orally) and interpret data from psychological experiments
• Communicate ideas, principles and theories effectively by both oral and written means
• Use information technology e.g. the Internet, reference databases, spreadsheets, word processing, graphics and statistics packages
• Perform and interpret statistical analyses of data
• Work and communicate effectively both as an individual and in a team
• Demonstrate effective time-management skills and the ability to meet deadlines
• Be aware of ethical guidelines

Achieving a BSc in Psychology can prepare you for a wide range of careers including academia, human factors, and education.

The School of Psychology, in liaison with the University Careers Service, provides Careers Management Sessions (in year two) and an annual careers talk in the final year.

Graduate Careers

• Health Psychologist
• Sports, Neuro or Educational Psychologist
• Occupational Psychologist
• Clinical Psychologist
• Counsellor
• Researcher or Academic
• Mental health practitioner