Psychology

Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.

This course is moving into one of our new buildings at City campus. Teaching will mainly be delivered at our Collegiate campus until December 2024 while we get our new facilities ready. From January 2025 you will study in brand new facilities at City campus.

Course Summary

• Dive into psychology and discover what makes us human.

• Develop your research skills and learn about life-changing initiatives.

• Specialise in forensic or developmental psychology, or clinical, counselling and psychotherapy.

• Test theories and boundaries with state-of-the-art equipment and research facilities.

• Collaborate with leading researchers, placement organisations and fellow students.

Are you fascinated by human behaviour and the mind? On our BSc Psychology course you’ll examine what drives behaviour – from brain physiology to epigenetic interactions, acquiring and developing cognitive skills, social influences and individual differences in personality and motivation. You’ll graduate ready to change lives.

This psychology degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and gives eligibility for the graduate basis for chartered membership (GBC) with the BPS.

How You Learn

Key Themes

Everything we do here focuses on the science of thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, how the brain works, the processes of the mind, and how these develop over time.

We’ll support you to gain foundational knowledge, skills and independence, before you develop your own ideas and professional practice. You’ll acquire crucial key skills – from competence in research design to methods of enquiry, hypothesis testing and quantitative and qualitative analysis. You’ll also learn how to apply knowledge in local, national and global settings.

In your final year, you can study contemporary themes such as trauma, neurodiversity, emotions and personality from a variety of perspectives on the BSc Psychology (general) route. Alternatively, there’s the flexibility to specialise in one of three routes – BSc Psychology (forensic), BSc Psychology (clinical, counselling and psychotherapy), or BSc Psychology (developmental).

Applied Learning

Work Placements

You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.

Alternatively, you can undertake a shorter, semester-long work placement in your second year.

Organisations currently offering placements include St Anne's Mental Health Service, The Hesley Group autism care provider, Sheffield Children's Hospital (NHS), the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Drug and alcohol service (RDASH), Sheffield MENCAP, the City Hearts human trafficking support service and Cavendish Cancer Care.

You also have the opportunity to take a placement abroad, currently in Germany and South Africa.

Study Abroad

You can study abroad for one semester in your second year at one of our partner universities. Examples of our current partner institutions include Georgia Southern University in the US, Trent University and Carleton University in Canada, Queensland University of Technology, LaTrobe University and Deakin University in Australia, University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, Tallinn University in Estonia, the University of Warsaw in Poland, and Aahus University in Denmark.

Networking Opportunities

Sessions are delivered by visiting guests such as educational psychologists, police officers, prison officers, forensic psychologists, health psychologists, and speech and language therapists.

You can also gain professional connections at careers and employability events, and take part in our award winning psychology student society.

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Academic Development And Personal Tuition
Cognitive Processes And Psychobiology
Developmental And Social Psychology
Psychological Research And Design
Psychological Well-Being And Individual Differences
Psychology Practicals And Statistics
Research Participation

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Applications Of Psychology
Processes In Psychology
Research Methods Training

Elective modules

Animal Psychology
Applied Child Psychology
Applying Psychology
Critical Psychology
Disorders Of Language And Reading
Holistic Perception
Holistic Wellbeing
Human Sexual Behaviour
Introduction To Counselling And Psychotherapy
Psychology In Everyday Life
Psychology Of Art, Communication And Well-Being
Psychology Of Sport And Performance
Witnesses And Victims: Forensic Psychology In Practice
Work Placement (Psychology)

Year 3

Optional modules

Placement Year

Final year

Compulsory modules

Psychology Research Project And Personal Tuition

Elective modules

Addictive Behaviours
Atypical Child Development
Clinical Psychology
Counselling And Psychotherapy (Theoretical Perspectives)
Death, Dying And Bereavement
Eating Behaviours
Evolutionary Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Health Psychology
Healthy And Clinical Ageing
Language And Speech
Language Learning
Neuropsychology
Organisations Work And Psychology
Parapsychology: Sceptics And Believers
Perspectives On Gender
Sleep And Circadian Rhythms
Social And Affective Neuroscience (San)
The Psychology Of Education
The Psychology Of Peace And Conflict
The Psychology Of Racism
The Psychology Of Sexuality And Gender
Weapons Of Influence

Coursework | Exams | Practical

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• British Psychological Society