Psychology and Special Educational Needs BA (Hons)

PSYCHOLOGY

The importance and relevance of psychology to all areas of life and society continues to grow, meaning that an undergraduate degree in psychology will prepare you for a diverse range of careers. The Psychology courses at Liverpool Hope University equip students with knowledge and understanding of human thinking and behaviour. The single honours BSc Psychology course has a focus on applications of psychology and students are supported in their development of skills to apply psychological knowledge to real-life settings. As an alternative, a combined honours Psychology degree at Liverpool Hope allows you to study psychology alongside one of over thirty other disciplines (e.g., Tourism, Criminology, Geography; see the list on the combinations tab for the full range of Psychology combined honours courses) meaning you can choose to study psychology in a way that matches your interests. 

Accredited by the British Psychological Society, the single and combined honours Psychology courses provide an in-depth scientific knowledge and understanding of the core areas of psychology. You will be supported by a friendly team of experienced and research-active lecturers to acquire skills of critical thinking and independent learning. The transferable skills developed through the course will be relevant to a variety of sectors including healthcare, the criminal justice system, education, and marketing.    

You will have the opportunity to enrich your degree through a series of extra-curricular activities, such as working as a research intern, supporting your peers as a mentor, and applying psychology outside the University (e.g., working in groups on an outward-bound retreat and teaching in another country as part of our Global Hope network). You will also have access to the School of Psychology labs where you can gain first-hand experience of specialist psychology techniques and equipment, such as eye-tracking, EEG, and observational methods. 

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The Special Educational Needs course will equip you to become a passionate advocate for disability rights and equality in your chosen profession. There are more than 16 million disabled people in the UK, and graduates with expertise in special educational needs and disability are in demand in a wide range of areas including education, health, social work and social care, local government, and business. In recognising the contributions of disabled people, we encourage you to replace needs with knowledge.

A supportive team of disabled and non-disabled academics will enable you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to become a future leader in this area. You will learn about the historical, social and cultural factors that shape our understanding of special educational needs and disability. Your understanding of academic theories and models will be deepened by activities which challenge you to explore how this knowledge can be applied in professional settings. As well as tutors’ extensive professional experience, course content is informed by input from a range of guest speakers, and from our partner organisations, which include disabled-led and self-advocacy groups, education and care providers, charities, and disability arts organisations.

The Special Educational Needs course at Liverpool Hope is unique in that it is informed and enriched by the work of the Centre for Culture and Disability Studies, an internationally recognised centre of excellence in disability studies research, and the only UK research centre to focus on disability and culture. 

You can also study Special Educational Needs via a Single Honours degree with the course.