Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mind, brain and behaviour. Here at York, we teach psychology as a rigorous experimental biological science. We are committed to the application of this knowledge to the benefit of all sectors of society. Many organisations are interested in explaining, understanding, predicting or changing human behaviour.

Psychologists use observation and experimental evidence to understand the relationship between our sensations and actions but also the intervening processes that underlie our behaviour. Social psychology studies interactions, group behaviour and culture. Cognitive neuroscience examines the mechanisms of the individual brain, right down to its cells and the connections between them. We are a research-intensive department which means you will be taught by researchers of international repute who are doing world-leading research as well as delivering lectures and supervising undergraduate projects. Some of our students go on to work in fields such as health (clinical psychology), education (educational psychology) and criminal justice (forensic psychology) but most use the unique combination of scientific and statistical skills, critical thinking and analysis of human behaviour in other sectors such as marketing, human resources, management and the civil service. A high proportion of our graduates go on to further study.