Psychology in Education BSc (Hons) (with Foundation Year)

The Foundation Year is a great opportunity if you have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualifications required to enter directly onto our degree programmes. A significant part of the Foundation Year focuses upon core skills such as academic writing at HE level, becoming an independent learner, structuring academic work, critical thinking, time management and note taking.

Successful completion of the Foundation Year will enable you to progress into the first year (Level C) of your chosen honours degree. Further details can be found here.

In the first year of your studies, you will cover a series of 30 credit modules. 

Psychology, Self and Society

In this module, you will develop an understanding of the historical and conceptual issues related to psychology as a scientific discipline and consider related questions and debates. You will then study key theories and conceptual issues in social psychology, and personality and individual differences. The content is related to important topics in society (e.g., racism, populism, environmental pressures).

Psychological Research Methods

This module lays the foundations of the critical awareness skills required to examine the scientific and empirical basis of support for the philosophical and conceptual questions raised across the degree programme. Here, you will learn about the practicalities of engaging in research and develop key skills around ethical issues, different forms of research design and methods of analysis.

Educational Challenges

In this module, you will be taught about mass education and the National Curriculum. This will cover topics such as the benefits and drawbacks of individualised educational experiences, the comparisons between private and public/state education, and the equality of opportunity (e.g., social class, gender and ethnicity in both past and contemporary contexts as predictors of educational success). Further, you will study the different forms that education can take and the needs that these forms serve, in addition to the interface between education and social phenomena, such as the economy and technology.

Systems of Learning

This module considers the fundamental question of what learning is and how it is managed. Specifically, this focuses on learning and development (including psychological learning theories, child development/cognitive development theories, philosophical approaches, and sociological/historical perspectives) and the history of learning (e.g., enlightenment coffee house culture, scientific societies, libraries, role of education in industrial and political ‘progress’). Finally, some ‘indigenous’ perspectives of learning will be considered (e.g., Plato’s Theory of Reminiscence vs. Aristotle). 

Explorations in Psychology and Education

Year two focuses on the topics of cognitive and developmental psychology, and on applications of psychology. Students will gain knowledge and awareness of how psychology can be applied to the field of education, covering issues such as inclusion, wellbeing, technology, and life-long learning.

In Vision and Cognition, you will study topics such as visual perception, memory, attention, and language, and in Developmental Psychology you will cover topics such as maturational changes, biological factors in development, and emotional influences through the lifespan. Research Design and Analysis 2 introduces more complex research designs in quantitative psychology and also covers qualitative methods (e.g., observation, thematic analysis) and mixed methods approaches to research. Integral to this is the increased critical awareness of the role of ethics in research.

In the second year, we continue to consider how psychology can be applied to different educational contexts and settings. You will study Educational Psychology which discusses fundamental issues in education such as classroom behaviour, young people who are considered to be at risk in education, civic engagement, and thriving neighbourhoods. You will then select two options from the following*:

- Health Psychology: These lectures explore the role of psychology in supporting psychological health. There is a particular focus on evaluating how psychological perspectives can be used to inform health interventions in the workplace.

- Clinical Psychology: These lectures examine psychological models applied to mental health. The curriculum covers classification, assessment, and treatment, and focuses on specific diagnoses including anxiety, trauma, stress, PTSD, mood and eating disorders, depression, addiction, psychosis, and schizophrenia.

- The Psychology of Learning: This part of the course focuses on concepts such as intelligence, creativity, motivation, and memory. Students will develop an understanding of the key components essential for cognitive development and learning.

Education Research and Policy: In this part of the course students will focus on UK policy at all levels of education. Students will be supported to develop a critical understanding of social, cultural, historical, economic, and political forces that shape education policy.

Advanced Studies in Psychology and Education

Year three covers biopsychology, motivations, and emotions, and students choose options based on their interests within psychology and education. Biological Psychology examines psychological functioning at a biological and cellular level and relates this back to societal and individual issues covered in years one and two. The topics covered include brain plasticity, reward circuits, and neuroscientific methods.

In Motivation and Emotion, you learn about the principles and processes associated with motivational goals, such as growth mindsets, social-emotional intelligence, and aggression. You also have the opportunity to explore Future Challenges for Psychology, critically reflecting on the future of the discipline and the challenges (and opportunities) associated with identity and wellbeing, an aging population, increased globalisation, and a warming world.

In the final year all students complete an independent empirical research project, the Dissertation. Here you will explore in-depth an area that you are passionate about and you will be supervised by a lecturer in the School of Psychology. A series of lectures and workshops support the dissertation, helping to further develop the skills needed to conduct an independent research project.

This final year marks the point where students have more ownership over their studies. This will include you choosing to study one from a selection of 12-week Specialist Seminars (topics include Cognition and Wellbeing, Forensic Psychology, Psychology of Addictions, and Perception and Action in Training and Rehabilitation*). You will also choose to study two from a selection of 12-week Options (options include Applied Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Aesthetics and the Arts, Counselling Theory and Practice, Psychology of Religion, Human Memory, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Psychology of Peace and Conflict*).

*Subject to change