1 School of Social Sciences Psychology Undergraduate Study
Welcome I am delighted to be the Head of such a dynamic and multidisciplinary School that has expanded significantly over the past few years. We are one of the largest Schools in the University offering a wide variety of undergraduate programmes in the following Departments: Anthropology Economics and Finance Politics and History Psychology Sociology and Communications. Our teaching gives students valuable skills for the workplace, and as such we have a long tradition of producing graduates who are highly valued by employers. Many of our students also go on to postgraduate study at Brunel and other leading universities. We are confident that we can help you fulfil your aspirations whilst also offering you an academically challenging and rewarding experience and we look forward to welcoming you into our successful international community. Left: Professor Justin Fisher is a globally renowned political scientist. 2 3
Why choose Brunel? Teaching based on up-to-the-minute research: We are proud of our research which improves lives and addresses global issues, whilst informing the content of the courses we teach. State-of-the-art facilities for work and free time: We have invested almost 400 million on buildings and infrastructure, with many new and refurbished social, teaching and sporting facilities. Our library is open 24 hours/day during term time. Excellent accommodation on campus: We have excellent accommodation on campus - our 4,545 rooms, the vast majority of which are en-suite, provide high quality, modern facilities, all with free network connection. Accommodation is guaranteed for all new UCAS main scheme first year undergraduates. A focus on employability and your career: Our graduates have the skills and information they need to compete for the jobs they want. Plus we have an award-winning placement and careers service. A friendly campus near central London: We are a campus-based university so virtually everything you need is within moments of where you live and study. You can travel into central London in approximately 40 minutes. Student support throughout your studies: You will have access to all the support you need to manage academic, administrative, accommodation, employment, legal, pastoral and financial matters. Scholarships to help fund your studies: For 2013 entry we are offering over 700 Scholarships based on a wide range of criteria. See our Fees and Funding web pages for more details. Diverse clubs and societies and an action-packed social life: Our campus provides the perfect setting for trying new activities, socialising and exploring our wide range of clubs and societies. Reasons to choose Brunel Psychology Ranked in the top 5 for psychology in London in The Complete University Guide 2013. Provides graduate basis for chartered membership with the British Psychological Society - an important entry qualification for postgraduate professional training in psychology. We have excellent links with external organisations across different fields of psychology e.g. clinical psychology, neuropsychology, forensic psychology and educational psychology. A full range of laboratory and technical facilities are available for experimental psychology, including brain imaging facilities (fmri, EEG), psychophysics, and eye tracking. We have a thriving student-run Psychology Society which holds regular meetings, events and invites guest speakers. 4 5 Philip Erritty (pictured right at his graduation) has co-authored a published paper with his dissertation supervisor (Professor Taeko Wydell, also pictured) based on his research. He commented: I chose to study Psychology at Brunel for its unique placement opportunities, and graduated with a first in Psychology in 2011. I plan to develop my career in clinical psychology/psychiatry and have been working towards this goal. Philip completed his first placement at the Institute of Psychiatry in London as a research assistant and for his second placement he worked as a Therapeutic Care Worker in a psychiatric rehabilitation hospital. His research explored the general public s perception of schizophrenia symptoms. Only three symptoms: hallucinatory behaviour, unusual thought content and suspiciousness, were reasonably well perceived as indicating mental illness. The research indicates a major need to improve public awareness of schizophrenia, particularly as early intervention leads to better outcomes for patients.
Teaching and learning Placements Careers Our approach We emphasise the real-life significance of psychology by encouraging you to explore the relationship between the practical and theoretical aspects of the subject. Our strong research culture enhances our teaching, with expertise in areas such as neuropsychology, developmental, social, cognitive and evolutionary psychology, and mental illness. You will gain an understanding of the breadth and diversity of the discipline whilst increasingly allowing you to specialise in areas of your own interest as you progress from one year to the next. Inter-disciplinary approach Our inter-disciplinary approach means you can choose to study a three-year single honours psychology degree, a four-year sandwich placement degree (includes two work placements) or a joint honours programme in Psychology and Sociology or Psychology and Anthropology. How will I be taught? You will be taught through various methods, such as lectures, seminars, laboratory classes and integrated or formal lectures. Each module will involve two to three hours of contact time per week. Assessment is via a range of methods, including coursework assignments, poster presentations, oral presentations and seen and unseen examinations. In your final year you will undertake a major piece of research for your dissertation. Practical skills The course will help you to develop specific skills in the practical methods associated with psychology. A full range of laboratory and technical facilities are used in the teaching of experimental psychology, psychophysics and the use of information technology. Staff expertise All members of the academic staff are actively engaged in research and many have international reputations in their field. Their innovative findings feed into your courses to ensure that teaching is up-to-date. If you choose to study on our four-year sandwich course you will undertake two six-month work placements. Placements can be in a variety of settings and can be voluntary (expenses are normally covered) or paid. A key benefit of undertaking work placements is that they enable you to experience different areas of specialisation, which ultimately can help you to decide on your career path. In fact, some students are recruited by their placement organisations on completion of their degree. Our award-winning Placement and Careers Centre has excellent links with industry and a range of organisations, and can help you throughout the application process and beyond. Our students rapidly develop a range of transferable skills that are useful in the wider work place. Students acquire knowledge of new information and communications technologies and rigorous training is provided in methodologies and research skills appropriate to psychology. Our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited courses provide eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC). On completion students can go on to train as a clinical, educational, occupational or forensic psychologist. Alternatively, as psychology degrees are highly valued by graduate employers in a variety of fields, there is a wide range of other career possibilities. These include work with adults or children with disabilities, counselling, personnel management, market research and advertising, prison and probation work, speech and language therapy and teaching, as well as psychological research. 6 7 Amber Pagano Brunel has excellent staff with a broad range of expertise. There s a good balance between coursework and exams and a great choice of modules. I was impressed with the wide range of placements available and the support provided by the Placement and Careers Centre and the Psychology Department. Recent placements Institute of Psychiatry NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Royal Free Hospital Genetic Alliance UK The National Problem Gambling Clinic Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry HAGAM (Hillingdon Advice Group on Addiction Management) Wolfson Rehabilitation Unit, St George s Hospital Look Ahead Housing and Care IPSOS Mori Anna Freud Centre Holloway Prison The Well Project, Guildford College
Research The Department of Psychology promotes a strong research culture. When studying here, you will be taught by internationally-recognised experts within their fields. Besides publishing in high-profile academic journals, and presenting influential findings to scientists all around the world, our work is regularly covered in the popular press, and has been the focus of media attention throughout the globe. Our research can involve a broad range of methods including simple techniques such as administering surveys, to more sophisticated means such as digital image analysis, motion capture, body scanners, eye-tracking devices, and fmri. In either case, our focus is on conducting top-quality research conforming to the highest standards of scientific rigour. The Department supports advanced research on a wide variety of topics, from big-picture questions to immediate applications. Some of our research is fundamental and contributes to the understanding of classic psychological issues, such as the nature of consciousness and the basic design and structure of our brains. We also focus on work of a highly practical nature, engaging with real-world concerns such as eating behaviour, migration stresses, moral decisions, relationship formations and breakdowns, well-being and poverty, and autism. Our research centres demonstrate the breadth of our strengths: Centre for Culture and Evolutionary Psychology: By considering behaviour at a range of levels (individual biology, group processes, broader social environment), we tackle the difficult issues associated with evolution and culture. Centre for Cognition and Neuroimaging: Our expertise encompasses the latest advances in cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, visual psychophysics, and neuroimaging techniques like VEP, MEG and fmri. Centre for Research in Infant Behaviour: Our research looks at both typical and atypical child development, particularly the properties of visual development and the implications for cognition and behaviour. Centre for the Study of Expertise: We aim to answer questions about the general principles underlying the acquisition of expertise in a wide variety of domains. Centre for the Study of Health and Well-being: We draw on multiple disciplines - health psychology, emotions and well-being, sociology and anthropology - to address debates relevant to health care practitioners, patients and policy makers. 8 9 Dr Tara Marshall s research on relationship break-ups has received significant media attention recently. The study found that those people who remained Facebook friends with their ex-partner reported lower personal growth, suggesting that it was harder for them to move on. Those that looked at their expartner s Facebook page more frequently were more likely to report greater distress over the break-up, more negative feelings such as anger, hostility, hatred and jealousy. With her colleagues at Imperial College, London, Dr Charlotte Russell has conducted a study examining how motivation, in the form of monetary reward, affects impaired attention in stroke patients suffering from the disabling syndrome of spatial neglect. Reward improved attention in the majority of these patients and any patient who did not respond had damage to brain regions critical for the interaction between attention and motivation. These results have significant implications for the development of behavioural and pharmacological therapies for patients with these disorders following brain damage. Top Left: Dr Tara Marshall Top Right: Dr Charlotte Russell
Typical modules * How to apply Level 1 Foundations of Psychology 1: Learning and Social Psychology Foundations of Psychology 2: Applied Psychology Foundations of Psychology 3: Brain and Cognition Statistics Research Methods Statistics and Research Methods 2 Individual and Social Processes Evolutionary Psychology Historical and Conceptual Issues Level 2 Advanced Research Methods Advanced Data Analysis Developmental Psychology Social Psychology Individual Differences Biological Psychology Cognitive Psychology Psychological Disorders Level 3 Core: Dissertation (individual supervision on a topic of your choosing) Options may include: Inter-Group Relations Therapeutic Approaches in Clinical Psychology and Mental Health Practical Investigations of Mind and Brain Autistic Spectrum Disorder Evolutionary Psychology Cognitive Neuroscience of Psychology Drugs, Hormones and the Brain Understanding Health Cross-Cultural Psychology The Psychology of Aesthetics *Modules are subject to change Applications must be made through UCAS at www.ucas.com: The UCAS code for Brunel is B84 BRUNL and the course UCAS codes are as follows: Psychology BSc C801 (3 years full-time) Psychology with Professional Development BSc C800 (4 years full-time with 2 work placements) Psychology and Anthropology BSc LC68 (3 years full-time) Psychology and Anthropology with Professional Development BSc LC6V (4 years full-time with 2 work placements) Psychology and Sociology BSc CL8H (3 years full-time) Psychology and Sociology with Professional Development BSc CL83 (4 years full-time with 2 work placements) UK/EU applicants: www.brunel.ac.uk/courses/ug/apply International applicants: www.brunel.ac.uk/international Entry requirements and English language requirements: Please consult the Entry Criteria section on our course web pages for up-to-date information: www.brunel.ac.uk/courses Fees and funding: Information about fees and our wide range of scholarships can be found at: www.brunel.ac.uk/courses/ug/fees Accommodation: All undergraduate students can apply for our on-campus accommodation: www.brunel.ac.uk/services/accommodation Further information: Email: sss-enquiries@brunel.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)1895 265952 10 11
12 Brunel University School of Social Sciences Kingston Lane Uxbridge Middlesex UB8 3PH www.brunel.ac.uk/sss