General OverviewIntroduction to the Programme
Study the human mind and behaviour in this British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited course – the first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist. The primary aim of the psychology degree is to develop our understanding of how and why people act in the way that they do.
Key features of the course:
- Focus on the application of psychology to real-world settings and problems, such as mental and physical health, education and young people and the world of work.
- Develop an understanding of the research and investigation process through the collection, analysis and interpretation of data.
- Development of employability skills and an awareness of how psychology helps us to understand the workplace.
- The degree provides BPS accreditation and as such is the first step on a path to a career in psychology.
Student Learning Journey
In the 1st and 2nd year, the degree introduces students to the key topics and methods of investigation used within psychology and considers how psychology can aid our understanding of current real-world issues. The Psychology modules that are studied in 1st year are Introduction to Psychology A, Introduction to Psychology B, Applying Psychology and Investigating Psychology. In addition, in 1st year, students also choose two option modules from another subject area in each term, alongside their psychology modules. This provides students with the opportunity to be exposed to different disciplinary perspectives and enriches their understanding of the world and their awareness of the cross-disciplinary implications of the material they are studying. In 2nd year the focus on Psychology will be intensified and students will take six Psychology modules:, Introductory Cognitive & Social Psychology, Biological & Developmental Psychology, Qualitative Research Skills in Psychology, Quantitative Research Skills in Psychology, Essential Skills for Psychologists, and Understanding Psychology Past and present. These modules introduce and further develop understanding and application of core BPS content (e.g Contemporary and Historical issues in Psychology) and the skills and research methodologies necessary to engage in psychological enquiry.
In 3rd year students will further develop their understanding of psychology knowledge, skills and methods by taking six modules that cover the core areas of psychology as outlined by the British Psychological Society, including Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Biological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Research Methods and Individual Differences.
In the 4th year, there is the opportunity to study the applications of psychology through several specialised and applied optional modules. The optional modules provide students with an opportunity to explore the application of psychological knowledge to our understanding of real-world issues, utilising research-informed teaching that mirrors UWS specialisms or modules that facilitate experiences of professional psychology routes. In addition, students carry out a research project on a topic of their choosing. Throughout their time on the BSc (Hons) programme, students are allocated to a personal tutor who will be able to provide advice and support their studies.
Learning, Teaching and Assessment
A range of teaching and learning methodologies are used within the degree. This includes lectures, seminars, workshops, group work, flipped-classroom and inquiry-based learning and authentic assessment experiences. Our emphasis is on building independent learning skills and working in collaboration with our students.
A hybrid based learning approach is an important part of the research-led learning experience that is provided for students throughout the programme. At each level, students have opportunities to further their learning by carrying out inquiry-based collaborative tasks and research, either individually or in collaboration with their fellow students. In 1st year students take the core Investigating Psychology module. This module adopts an inquiry-based format whereby students are provided with the opportunity to develop their understanding of a key debate within psychology through independent inquiry by identifying and formulating an appropriate research question related to that debate. In 2nd year students take two core Research Skills modules (Qualitative Research Skills in Psychology, Quantitative Research Skills in Psychology) that aim to get students actively involved in the process of carrying out research. During the module, students learn about psychological research methods by identifying and exploring research problems utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in collaboration with their fellow students. The inquiry-based approach culminates in the final year Psychology Dissertation module which takes an inherently inquiry-based approach as students undertake an independent empirical research project. In order to do so, they must go through the process of identifying an appropriate research question and selecting an appropriate method with which to investigate this research question.
As students progress, the level of autonomous work increases culminating in the final year project where students carry out their own individual project with supervisory guidance. Some optional modules adopt student-centred teaching in the form of student-led seminars and presentations. Laboratory and other practical and project work form a key component of the skills developed by students on this programme. Core modules will include an element of practical activity. These include a range of exercises which, as the student progresses through the programme, increase in scope and complexity and in the later stages depend more on the initiative of the student and less on direction by tutors.
The modules employ a variety of assessment methods and formative exercises. A range of coursework is used including essays, critical review exercises, practical reports, case studies, forensic case assessment, posters and oral presentations, lab exercises and digital assessments, such as narrated presentations, , etc. In addition, exams style of assessments is used in a small number of modules from 2nd year onwards. The assessment strategy places greater emphasis on continuous assessment in the early stages of the programme while introducing students to the necessary skills to underpin the later levels of their degree. The 1st-year study is grounded in an approach to learning and teaching aimed at developing the skills of the active learner in students new to higher education and making that transition a successful one. To accomplish this, we use collaborative continuous assessments that contain key learner skills, including inquiry-based learning aimed at preparing the student for the demands and rigour of study at university.
All modules within the degree are supported by the use of the online Social Learning Platform (SLP). The SLP sites provide students with a range of active learning tasks, i.e., Podcasts, narrated screencasts, quizzes and multiple-choice tests. Teaching and Learning practices are evaluated in an ongoing way through the Division Board and School Annual Monitoring processes.
Our Research Underpins and Links to our Teaching
Throughout the degree, modules are underpinned by the research interests and activities of the psychology group who are part of the School’s Research Group for Psychology, Social Work and Drug and Alcohol Studies. These research interests focus on lifespan development, marginalised and at-risk groups, the working lives of young people, the impact of our environment on our learning and health, our behaviour in the online world, and healthy and unhealthy behaviours, how our biological responses can influence our behaviours, how human-animal interaction can impact on our wellbeing and how we become, experience and recover from addictions. In the early years of the degree, these research interests underpin the applied themes within modules, e.g., in the Applying Psychology module. This allows students to be exposed to the ‘real world’ research and gain some insight into the links between the research and their undergraduate studies. In addition, as students move through the degree they will be able to study several optional modules from a suite of research-led applied modules (e.g. Psychology and Education, Atypical Child Development) that provide students with an opportunity to explore the application of psychological knowledge to our understanding of real-world issues, such as, mental and physical health, education and young people and the world of work, all of which draw on current staff research interests.
Internationalisation
Students have the opportunity to participate in study abroad through the Turing exchange scheme. Under this scheme, students can spend a maximum of one term at one of our partner institutions.
The international perspective of the degree is enhanced by the perspective adopted by psychology which emphasises cultural perspectives and individual differences.
Further Study
The degree provides students with an understanding of the core areas of psychology as defined by the British Psychological Society (BPS). The BSc (Hons) Psychology degree is accredited by the BPS and provides the basis for Graduate Registration (i.e. Graduate Basis of Chartership (GBC) with the Society). This accreditation ensures that graduates can pursue a career in psychology by specialising through post-graduate study. A number of postgraduate courses exist including Educational Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology, Occupational Psychology and Counselling Psychology. An accredited BPS degree is necessary for entry to these courses.
However, many psychology graduates use their skills and knowledge to enter a wide variety of careers. Through the degree, graduates will attain specific knowledge in psychology and they will gain a range of additional skills that employer’s value such as communication, numeracy, teamwork, computing, critical thinking and working independently. Many psychology graduates enter the industry or commerce sectors. The range of generic skills embedded in the psychology degree provides graduates with a wide variety of options. These include market research, personnel management, teaching, civil service, research, careers guidance and working in the charity/non-governmental organisation sector. Further information on psychology and careers options can be found on the British Psychological website at www.bps.org.uk.
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