Psychology and Linguistics

Psychology and linguistics is the study of the human mind and language expression. There are many overlapping questions such as ‘what is the relationship between language and the mind?’. By studying these disciplines, we can learn how the social world and the human mind shapes language (and vice versa). This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) which is essential if you want to take on a career in professional psychology in the UK.

Learn about the main themes of psychology and linguistics

• Brain and behaviour: how the biological functioning of our brain underlies our minds and behaviour

• Cognitive psychology: how we think, including perception, memory, attention and decision making

• Developmental psychology: how we develop throughout our lives and how growing up and ageing affect our experiences and behaviour

• Language and mind: how the language we speak shapes our experiences and understanding of the world

• Language acquisition: how children learn language, how we learn second languages and how language learning can be impaired

• Social psychology: how our thoughts, emotions and behaviours are influenced by others

• Individual differences: how our brains and our environments work together to create a wide diversity of people and languages

What to expect
This degree starts with a broad overview of the main themes where you will explore theories, evaluate scientific research, and learn to construct formal arguments. Alongside this you will develop practical skills to support research in psychology such as experimental design, data analysis and report writing. In Linguistics you’ll analyse the structures, sounds and variations in language and how patterns in language connect with larger patterns in society. You will also learn about research methods and how linguistics can be applied to areas such as forensic science, computer science, and literacy.

Year 2 is about advancing your knowledge of the main study themes, covering the criteria required to become a BPS accredited psychologist. You will expand your knowledge of research methods and statistics which help us to explore how we investigate and study psychological questions. You will gain fluency in your oral and written language skills through specialised modules. In Linguistics you’ll build on the study of the sounds and structures of the world’s languages.

Your final year provides more freedom with a range of psychology and linguistics topics for you to choose from. You will also complete your own independent research project.

Personal Development
In addition to subject knowledge, you will develop valuable transferable skills that make you desirable to future employers. Through both independent and collaborative research opportunities, you will gain a variety of communication tools and learn how to design studies, analyse data, and present your findings through different means.

3 things our Psychology students want you to know:

• The Psychology Employability Programme (PEP) is one of the best things about studying here. It really shows you how your studies link to the workplace and what your future might look like. It gives you a sense of feeling prepared for your next step. There’s also the Belong, Engage and Employ (BEE) programme which boosts other skills, knowledge and employability

• The University is home to the internationally-leading Infant and Child Development Lab, The Levy Lab, Virtual Reality Suite, Eye Tracking Labs, and EEG Labs so you can gain hands-on research experience in state-of-the-art facilities. Studying psychology and linguistics here gives you a continuous understanding of how your learning can be a driver for positive change in real-world environments

• We’re well supported by a group of lecturers who are world-leading researchers in their fields. Working within this close knit-community really boosts your learning