PSYCHOLOGY BSC (HONS)
UCAS Code: C800|Duration: 3 years|Full Time|Hope Park|UCAS Campus Code: L46Accredited|Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
ABOUT THE COURSE
We provide a number of programmes of study in Psychology. As well as three Single Honours programmes - BSc Psychology, BA Psychology & Education, and BSc Sports Psychology - we offer a number of Combined Honours programmes. Combined Honours programmes allow students to combine a core curriculum on Psychology with the core curriculum of a second subject. Giving students a choice over what they study is important to us. Choice of programmes allows students to study a course that reflects their prior interests, lived experience, or future goals.
Ethical practice and working within a shared set of values is also important to us; our University is deeply committed to serving the common good. We see Psychology as a discipline with the capacity, and responsibility, to make a positive contribution to how people live in everyday life. Through our teaching of Psychology, we strive to enable our students to grow into constructive citizens who are curious about people, and motivated to make a positive difference to the lives of others. Beyond classroom learning, there are opportunities to enrich your chosen programme of study in a way that will help you in developing your psychological thinking. They include going on a placement, working as a research assistant in a laboratory, travelling to another country as part of Global Hope, or under the Erasmus study abroad scheme.
Our enthusiasm for the discipline is reflected in our University’s TEF Gold Award, and our consistently high ratings in other reliable measures of the quality of a University; e.g. National Students’ Survey. If our departmental narrative matches with what you aspire to be, then come and study with us at Liverpool Hope University.
*examples include Early Childhood & Youth, History, Health & Wellbeing, Geography
COURSE STRUCTURE
Teaching on our degree programmes is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars of smaller groups of around 20-30 students, and tutorials which typically have 10 students.
If you are studying Psychology as a Single Major degree, then in the first year of study there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, which reduces to around 10 teaching hours in your second and third years.
If you are studying Psychology as a Double Major degree (you combine the Core part of our Psychology programme with the Core part of a second programme), then in your first year of study there are approximately 6 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 5 teaching hours in your second and third years for Psychology.
In addition to in-class hours, you will read relevant texts, and prepare assignments, both on your own, and sometimes in groups. Specific enrichment-related activities include our Global Hope Programme, Special Interest Groups, Placements, and Research Internships.
ACCREDITATION
Upon completion of studies, given a degree grade of a 2.2 or above, and achieving a pass grade or above in the 3rd year dissertation project, students are eligible for Graduate Basis of Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). This gives students access to the postgraduate training courses of the BPS.
ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK
Students complete a number of assessments, including written exams, essays, reports, portfolios, presentations and assessed laboratory work, both as individuals and in teams, culminating in an individual research dissertation.
Electronic written feedback is provided for all coursework, with an opportunity to discuss this with a tutor in more detail.
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Psychology is the study of people, with a particular focus on individuals. Knowledge and skills cultivated within the discipline enable practitioners to intervene at personal- inter-personal- and systemic-levels in order to enable people to live better lives.
The Core course in our curriculum, which is studied by both Single and Combined Honours students, enables essential learning. Meanwhile, the elements of the course studied by Single students only stretches our understanding of people in relation to contextual variables.
YEAR ONE
Core course
- Lectures: First term, introduction to the scientific method as applied in Psychology. Terms 2 and 3, application of the scientific method to an understanding of individuals and of groups. All through the year, there are lectures in research design and analysis.
- Seminars: Practice of research design and analyses techniques.
- Tutorials: Checking understanding of lecture content, improvement of scientific writing skills and oral presentation skills.
Single Honours only
- Lectures: First term, considering the moral challenges of studying people. Second and third terms, cultural variables that shape individuals and groups
- Seminars: First term, examining evidence for, and the causes of, current day social problems. Second and third terms, basic programming skills in designing experiments that measure accuracy and reaction time
- Tutorials: Match the format of the Core but with an emphasis on a reflective and responsible Psychology
YEAR TWO
Core course
- Lectures: First term, exploring people’s perceptual and cognitive abilities. Second and third terms, how perceptual and cognitive abilities develop and change over time, and differ across individuals.
- Seminars: Research design and analyses, drawing upon qualitative (e.g., interviewing people and conducting focus groups) in addition to quantitative research (numerical data).
- Tutorials: Conducting small research projects in preparation for dissertations in year three.
Single Honours only
- Lectures: Psychologists as practitioners (e.g. educational and clinical settings)
- Seminars: Designing a psychological intervention of choice
- Tutorials: Psychological research in the work place
YEAR THREE
Core course
- Lectures: First term, emotions and individual differences in motivation. Second and third terms, connections between cognitive abilities, emotional experience, and various aspects of brain structure and function
- Seminars: Selecting one seminar from a number of options that currently include: Aesthetics, Education, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Peace & Conflict, and Religion
- Dissertation: Towards the end of Level I, students identify research questions that they would like to address through their third year dissertations. Staff members work with students on an individual basis to improve, and supervise each dissertation, as it develops.
Single Honours only
- Lectures: Challenges that psychologists must face in order to contribute to a better society, given the current context, varying from the prevalence of mental distress to climate change
- Seminars: Select a second seminar from a number of options, currently including: Aesthetics, Education, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Peace & Conflict, and Religion
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
| A-Levels | Single Honours: BBB Combined Honours: BBC |
|---|---|
| UCAS Tariff Points | Single honours: 120 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Combined honours: 120 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications for both Single and Combined Honours. |
| BTEC | Single Honours: DDM Combined Honours: DMM |
| Access to HE | Single Honours: 120 Tariff Points Combined Honours: 120 Tariff Points |
| IB | 28 |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | Single Honours: 120 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only Combined Honours: 120 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
| Subject Requirements | In addition, you should have a minimum of GCSE grade C (Grade 4 or above in the new grading system) in Mathematics (or equivalent). |
INTERNATIONAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
| Specific Country Requirements | Select your country |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 overall (with reading and writing at 6.0) and no individual score lower than 5.5. We also accept a wide range of International Qualifications. For more information, please visit our English Language Requirements page. |
CAREERS
Successful Psychology graduates are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Pyschological Society. This is a prerequisite for professional training programmes in Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Occupational Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sport and Exercise Psychology or Forensic Psychology.
In addition, Liverpool Hope Psychology graduates have professional transferrable skills that mean you can gain employment in a wide range of careers, in addition to traditional psychology careers.
ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
TUITION FEES
The tuition fees for the 2021/22 academic year are £9,250 for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,250.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
On top of your tuition fees, you need approximately £250 for the purchasing of key textbooks. There may also be a cost for any fieldtrips; details of costs will be given to you with plenty of notice.
There is a small cost for student BPS membership, and once you graduate, there is a registration fee and annual fee thereafter for Graduate Membership – full details of costs can be found on the BPS website.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
SCHOLARSHIPS
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
INTERNATIONAL TUITION FEES
The International Tuition fees for 2021/22 are £11,400.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
COURSE COMBINATIONS
This course is also available as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects:
Email our enquiries team
enquiry@hope.ac.uk
GOOD TO KNOW:
- Taught in our Health Sciences Building with state-of-the-art laboratories and specialist equipment
- 86% of the Psychology Department’s research activity is internationally excellent or recognised (REF2014)
- All teaching staff are research-active