Psychology at university

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN APPLYING

BA, BSc or MSc: What's the
difference?
•Bachelor = undergraduate •MSc = Master of science
•3 years (+1 if sandwich •Undergraduate = 4 years
course (see later)) (Msci)
•Bachelor of Arts or •Postgraduate = 1 year
Bachelor of Science (after completing a
bachelor degree)
What is BPS accreditation: what
is it and why does it matter?
https://www.bps.org.uk/public/b
ecome-psychologist/accredited-c
ourses?type=UG
•Not essential but does denote
quality standards in
education and training
•Needed for some future study
•Needed for chartered
recognition
•Some common components
 Why psychology?
•IT’S INTERESTING! •Communication skills:
verbal and written
•Theoretical and practical
•Critical evaluation
•Diverse subject matter
•Data handling
•Continually updating
•Literacy
•Real world impact
•Groupwork
•Wide range of job
possibilities
 Careers in Psychology
•Clinical •Educational
•Counselling •Teaching (!)
•Forensic •Marketing
•Health •Legal
•Occupational •Financial
•Sport & exercise •HR
•Teaching & Research •NHS
 Clinical Psychology
•Assess and treat patients for a range of mental health issues
(depression, addiction, anxiety, relationship issues etc.)
1. Graduate basis for chartered membership (BPS
accredited undergraduate degree)
2. BPS accredited doctorate in Clinical Psychology*
* Very fierce competition for training places, so work experience
necessary, usually via assistant psychologist posts (for which competition
is also tough, so take every chance to gain relevant experience to
maximise chances)
Clinical Psychology
continued…
•Some universities now offer undergraduate degrees in
Clinical Psychology – mostly same content as general
Psychology degrees, but with more focus on mental health –
graduates are not qualified clinical psychologists.

•Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner – MSci (4years)

What about psychiatry?
Do a medicine degree, then specialise!
 Specialist courses or general
psychology?
•Common elements if BPS •Criminal / Forensic
accredited, but with varying Psychology
options in second and third
years (see later) •Sport Psychology

•Cognitive Neuroscience •Health Psychology

•Social Psychology •Business Psychology

•Child Psychology •Educational Psychology
•Counselling Psychology
https://www.bps.org.uk/public/ •Joint degrees
become-psychologist/accredite
d-courses?type=UG&status=C
 Course choice and final year
projects
Courses totaling 120 credits each year.
YEAR 1:
1. Three core modules in Psychology:
Introduction to Psychology 1: Cognitive and Biological Psychology (20 credits)
Introduction to Psychology 2: Developmental and Social Psychology (20 credits)
Introduction to Psychological Research (40 credits).

2. In addition, you will take the following compulsory tutorial-based module:

Classic Papers: A Tutorial Introduction to Psychological Science (20 credits).

3. A module to the value of 20 credits from another University department

(including modules from the University’s Centre for Foreign Language
Study)
 Course choice and final year
projects
Courses totaling 120 credits each year.
YEAR 2:
In the second year, you will build upon your first year and complete 120
credits of compulsory Psychology modules:
•Modules in the core areas of Psychology: Abnormal Psychology, Biological,
Cognitive, Developmental, Individual Differences, and Social Psychology
(6 x 10 credits)
•A tutorial-based module on Contemporary Issues in Psychology (20 credits)
•Research Methods in Psychology (20 credits)
•Statistics for Psychology (20 credits).
 Course choice and final year
projects
Courses totaling 120 credits each year.
YEAR 3:
•Either 80 credits worth of Psychology courses (see next
slide) OR 60 credits of Psychology courses and 20 from
another department
AND
•40 credit final year research project (equivalent of
dissertation)
 Course choice and final year
projects
YEAR 3:
•Psychology and Health Promotion (10 • Learning and Animal Cognition (20 credits)
credits) • Social Perception (20 credits)
•The Psychology of Illness (10 credits)
• The Visual Brain (20 credits)
•Sport and Exercise Psychology (10 credits)
•Reward and Addiction (10 credits) • Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience (20 credits)

•Mind, Brain and Consciousness (10 credits)
•Vision and Visual Neuroscience (10 credits)
•Neuropsychology of Amnesia (10 credits)
•Cognitive Neuropsychology (10 credits)
•Child Health in a Social Context (10 credits)
•Fetal Development (10 credits)
•The Multisensory Body (10 credits)
•Forensic Psychology (10 credits)
• Psychology into Schools (20 credits)
• Psychology in the Workplace (20 credits)
• Psychopathy (10 credits)
• Human Evolutionary Psychology (10 credits)
• Atypical Development (10 credits)
• Cognitive Development (10 credits)
• Psychological Practice (10 credits)
 Sandwich Courses
•Typically 4 year course
•Placement in year 3
•Some placements arranged by university (regular
agreement), others self-organised
•Usually still pay fees to the university in placement year
•Most placements will be unpaid. Some may cover travel
•Highly competitive (and valued by employers)
 Expectations
Contact hours: expect 10-12 hours per week in year 1,
with an additional 20 hours of independent study
Contact hours include lectures (large group), lab work
(practical e.g. running a study) and seminars (small group
discussions)
Practical participation
Statistics
DEADLINES!
 Requirements
•Exact entry criteria vary, but the more competitive
the institution, the higher the demands
•GCSEs will be taken into account
•Maths skills are necessary (usually a minimum of
GCSE grade B/6) as are English language skills
(also GCSE B/6)
•Subject mix should match the degree course
 Personal Statements
Interest in the subject! - wider reading, MOOCs, work
experience, extra-curricular activities
Fluent writing style
Taking opportunities
Relevant volunteering / internships
Focused and relevant discussion of EPQ/HSS (even if not in
a related area – what skills have you learned in the process?)
 Recommended reading
Plenty of reading suggestions can be found in the file on Teams.
Do go beyond this list and find other books related to the subject.
Once you have read them send me a short summary of the book
and I can read it, and include it in the list so others can enjoy it.
You can also look up the original journal papers from many of the
studies we look at. These will give you an introduction to
academic writing and help you develop your evaluation skills for
your essays!