PSYCHOLOGY COURSES THAT COUNT

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1 PSYCHOLOGY COURSES THAT COUNT Department of Psychology

2 Why study Psychology at Sunderland? Psychology courses at Sunderland will equip you with all the knowledge and skills you need to pursue a career in the field. You will be given the opportunity to tailor your degree to meet your personal interests and our expert staff will support you in achieving your full potential. Sunderland is a great place to study psychology because: Top 20 We are in the top 20 out of 116 Psychology departments for Teaching on my Course, Academic Support, Personal Development and Assessment and Feedback according to the National Student Survey % of psychology students are satisfied with the overall quality of the course at Sunderland, according to the National Student Survey Top facilities The course is taught at the purpose-built, award winning, Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter s, on the banks of the River Wear. This facility has dedicated psychology and computer laboratories, so you can make the most of your studies. Accredited by the British Psychological Society 2 3

3 Our Courses BSc (Hons) Psychology UCAS CODE: C800 BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling UCAS CODE: C8BX At Honours level, your course will be made up of the following modules: LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 MODULES COMMON ACROSS BOTH COURSES Genes to Mind Mind to World Academic Mentor 1 40 Credits (Core Modules) Foundations of Psychological Research Cradle to Grave Twenty-Four, Seven: Everyday Motivations and Biases 40 Credits (Core Modules) Psychological Research BSc (Hons) Psychology 20 Credits Psychology in the Media Academic Mentor 2 20 Credits of options from: Psychological Perspectives Attraction and Sexuality (10) Dialogue (10) Psychology of Religion (10) COURSE-SPECIFIC MODULES BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling Introduction to Theories and Concepts in Counselling 10 Credits (Core Modules) Personal and Professional Development 30 Credits (Core Modules) Foundations of Counselling and Listening Both of these courses are full-time and take three years to complete. They are accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society (BPS), provided the minimum standard of a Second Class Honours Degree is achieved. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. As a graduate of this discipline, you will be equipped with the skills you need to pursue a career as a professional psychologist. There are numerous postgraduate psychology areas for you to choose from if you decide to continue with your studies. These include clinical psychology, counselling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, health psychology, occupational psychology, forensic psychology and educational psychology. LEVEL 3 40 Credits (Core Modules) Empirical Project 10 Credits (Core Modules) From Lab to Life: Big Issues in Psychology 70 Credits of Options from (at least two 20 credit options must be taken) Clinical Neuropsychology Mental Health and Illness Occupational Psychology Health Psychology and Behaviour Change Contemporary Evolutionary Psychology Environmental Psychology Dark Personalities (10) Psychology of Art (10) Memory and Life (10) Cyberpsychology (10) Advanced Quantitative Methods (10) Mental Health and Illness Contemporary Counselling in Context 30 Credits of Options from (at least one 20 credit options must be taken) Clinical Neuropsychology Occupational Psychology Health Psychology and Behaviour Change Contemporary Evolutionary Psychology Environmental Psychology (20 Dark Personalities (10) Psychology of Art (10) Memory and Life (10) Cyberpsychology (10) Advanced Quantitative Methods (10) 4 5

4 What Will You Study? BSc (Hons) Psychology UCAS CODE: C800 As a student on this course, you will learn about the mind, behaviour and how people think, act, react and interact. This will develop your knowledge and understanding of psychological theory and research, and you will be encouraged to apply your learning to the diverse big issues in contemporary society, which include violence, mental illness and consciousness. At Level 1, core content modules include Genes to Mind, where you will learn how genes ultimately give rise to thinking, conscious human beings. In Mind to World, you will learn how minds interact with one another and come together to create societies. Level 2 of your studies will see you focus on two key themes. The first, Twenty-Four, Seven: Everyday Motivations and Biases, is based around social, biological and cognitive psychology. This module examines the everyday influences on psychology. You will also apply developmental, cognitive and evolutionary psychology in the Cradle to Grave module, which will help you to understand psychological issues across the lifespan. Studying these themes is not only more engaging, but more worthwhile in terms of your development as a psychologist. A report by the Higher Education Academy (2011) advocated the sort of integrative approach to teaching that we have at Sunderland. As you develop as a psychologist, you will be able to specialise in a number of areas, including forensic psychology, mental health, personality disorders, environmental psychology, media psychology, evolutionary psychology and cyberpsychology. BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling UCAS CODE: C8BX Combining two exciting disciplines, Psychology with Counselling will teach you skills that will prove invaluable in both listening to and understanding people. In addition to studying the same core modules as Single Honours Psychology students, you will take specific counselling modules, where you will learn about the theories of counselling, which will help to develop your skills in this area. Studying both of these subjects can provide you with a variety of career options employers see the value in having employees with these skills, as they are invaluable when working with individuals. At the University of Sunderland you have so many opportunities to take up outside of your studies that definitely help you to grow as an individual. Amii Stewart, BSc (Hons) Psychology Graduate 6 7

5 Teaching and Assessment Staff at Sunderland promote learning through inquiry and use a variety of teaching methods, which include lectures, seminars, practical workshops and tutorials. Additionally, we also use more innovative, student-centred methods, such as problem-based learning. This will allow you to use your knowledge of psychology to tackle particular problems. Our assessments are designed to interest and challenge. They feature essays, research reports and examinations, as well as more contemporary assessments, such as media reports, expert witness reports and case studies. One of the assessments on our new Psychology in the Media module even allows you to develop a media artefact, such as a blog or short film. You will work with a member of staff on your own psychology research project at Level 3. Past students have produced numerous outstanding research projects, some of which have been published. We provide you with high-quality assessment feedback, which you can use to improve your work. The student experience is our driving ethos at Sunderland and helps our students develop a huge amount during their time as members of our vibrant department. Facilities Sunderland has a number of purpose-built psychology laboratories that allow you to carry out a wide range of experimental work. These include: Computing Laboratory and Power Laboratory Skillslab Multimedia and Games Research Room Cognitive Laboratory Linguistics Laboratory Visual Psychophysics Laboratory. Research Research is central to our activities and ethos. A number of our staff are engaged in research projects in diverse areas, such as evolutionary psychology, mindfulness, autobiographical memory and computational neuroscience, among other projects. Members of our staff also use their skills to support projects in the local community. This very much enhances our undergraduate courses research is integrated into the curriculum, so teaching is supported by examples of our staff s research work. There are also opportunities for you to work jointly with members of the Psychology Department on research projects a lot of students choose to do this at Level 3 as part of their own research project, or you may choose to volunteer as a research assistant. Dr Matthew Watson, Principal Lecturer 8 9

6 Careers The Higher Education Careers Services Unit (November 2010) reported that psychology graduates are highly regarded by employers due to their transferable skills. You will therefore be well placed to work in a number of different disciplines, such as: Education Health and social welfare Marketing and PR Research, design and development Social care. Employability is embedded into our psychology courses it is something we take very seriously at Sunderland. We offer practical guidance and resources over and above our teaching to support you in finding work experience and highlight opportunities to gain future qualifications in psychology. You also have the option to go on to further postgraduate study, which includes Masters and PhD courses. You may also pursue chartered status in a number of different psychology fields, such as: Clinical psychology Forensic psychology Occupational psychology Educational psychology Counselling psychology Sport and exercise psychology. Psychology at Sunderland allows you to explore human behaviour in an exciting environment, with some of the most influential staff a student could ask for. I can t recommend this course highly enough. Jonathan Howard, BSc (Hons) Psychology Graduate

7 Other Courses Combined Subjects Psychology (Major, Dual or Minor) A Combined Subjects degree course provides the opportunity to study psychology alongside another subject, for example, sociology or criminology. BPS accreditation is only available when psychology is taken as the major subject. Joint Scheme of Extended Programmes Science Psychology Pathway UCAS code: C801 This course offers progression onto psychology and is designed for those students who don t meet the entry requirements for BSc (Hons) Psychology. It provides a solid grounding in science and the study skills needed to tackle a degree. It covers physiology, biology and psychology. Entry Requirements For full information on all our entry requirements, visit and search using the UCAS course code or course keyword. Further Information Marketing and Recruitment The David Goldman Informatics Centre The Sir Tom Cowie Campus St Peter s Way Sunderland SR6 0DD t: e: [email protected] w: Applications for entry must be submitted through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). For further details go to When completing your UCAS form please use the following code for the University of Sunderland: S84. TWITTER Follow us on