Psychology

Are you fascinated by what makes people tick, the human mind and debating psychological ideas?

On this psychology degree, we’ll guide you through a vast range of contexts and lifespans – from the biological basis of behaviour to questioning contemporary issues.

This degree programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society, and is designed to give you the knowledge and expertise that allows you to kickstart a successful career. What’s more, our psychology courses are ranked 1st in the North West and 11th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2023 Results). We're also 1st in the UK for students satisfied with course, teaching and feedback for psychology (Guardian University Guide 2023 Results).

Course Overview
Half of your degree course will be practical, focusing on research techniques, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods, data handling and analysis skills, laboratory reports and communication skills. You’ll learn from industry-expert tutors through lectures and seminars. You’ll be encouraged to engage in career-enhancing voluntary work, giving you hands-on experience.

You will be eligible to apply for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). The skills, knowledge and understanding you gain from the course will help you access a range of rewarding professions within psychology. You will be in the ideal position for a career in clinical, forensic or educational psychology, health education and promotion, counselling, social work, teaching, organisational behaviour, human resources, and prison or probation work.

On this course you will:

• Study psychology at the University of Cumbria, exploring and applying psychological literature to current issues, contexts and experiences.

• Be taught and given high-quality support and guidance by our lecturing team, who are active in research and practices.

• Learn valuable transferrable skills in research, which are highly sought after by employers.

• Have the opportunity to choose topics and areas that you want to learn more about to tailor your learning experience.

• Be able to shape your psychology degree experience to your interests and career goals, allowing us to help you to reach your ideal future career.

  What you will learn
  On this degree, you will study five key themes within psychology:

• The contextualised bio-psychosocial nature of human development and experience

• Ethical decision making and professional values

• Gathering and analysing evidence using robust, population relevant and ethical research techniques

• The pivotal role of academic, professional and graduate skills

• Experiential problem-based learning

Year one

• Psychology in Action
  Introduction to a range of theories and models from developmental, cognitive and biological psychology and their application to human contexts.
• Introduction to Psychological Research Methods
  Introduction to the nature of psychological enquiry and research skills. Exploring quantitative and qualitative research methods, philosophical underpinnings and practical applications.
• Introduction to Data Analysis
  Introduction to the processes involved in the analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Perspectives in Psychology
  Introduction to a range of perspectives and key debates in psychology that aid in the understanding of individual and social phenomena.
• Professional and Academic Skills
  Introduction to working with others in a professional setting, employability, and professional practice that includes listening skills and providing constructive feedback.
• Introduction to Psychopathology
  This module will provide a basis for diagnostic classification systems (e.g. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)), and give an overview of the various different forms of psychopathology. It will outline theoretical frameworks which form the basis for assessment and intervention.

Year two

• Research Methods and Statistics
  Introduction to statistical techniques dealing with more than one independent variable at two or more levels, including within, between, and mixed participant designs.
• Development, Brain and Cognition
  Explore the potential impact a range of factors have on human development and behaviour.
• Research Methods in Applied Psychology Settings
  Introduction to a range of research designs used in psychology and applied psychology settings.
• Work Experience
  The module will give you an opportunity to link your academic study with work experience. This will allow you to enhance your employability and develop your reflective writing skills through writing a report reflecting on your work experience.
• Negotiated Learning
  This module permits you to independently undertake an agreed piece of work that is relevant to your own interests and/or career plans.
• Social and Community Psychology
  Study theories of social psychology with the goal of understanding the experiences and behaviours of people within their community.

Year three

• Critical Psychology
  You will engage in a critical debate about the ideological basis of psychological knowledge, methods, and applications.
• Individual Differences: Abilities, Personalities and measuring differences
  Introduction to the nature of individual differences in human behaviour across a wide spectrum of human development. With a specific focus on ability, personality and the use of Psychological testing to assess difference.
• Dissertation
  You will pursue an investigation on a topic of your own interest.
• Psychological Literacy and Careers
  The module will give you an opportunity to apply your psychological knowledge and skills to applied psychology settings. It will invite you to engage in an in-depth exploration of a career within, or allied to, psychology.
• Counselling and Coaching Psychology
  This module includes the development of basic counselling and coaching skills to complement their developing employability skills and psychological literacy.

Assessments will support the development of skills, offer feedback and mark areas for improvement.

Assessment styles include:

• Written assignments
• Unseen in-class tests
• Presentations and reports
• Innovative and employability-focused tasks such as case study analysis, problem-based activities and reflective logs

In your first year, several modules involve a portfolio assessment model which enables you to develop and evidence a range of skills critical to success in years 2 and 3.

In each module, you have the opportunity to engage in summative and formative assessments. Summative assessment refers to work submitted for module and programme credit and is used to assess whether you have achieved the relevant learning outcomes in a module. Summative assessment is captured in the overall mark awarded for each module. Formative assessments occur in each of the modules to scaffold future summative assessments.