So you're thinking of studying psychology?
You are going to invest three or more years of your life at a university, to say nothing of the considerable expense and in all probability debt in undertaking your degree, so it is important to do your homework. Important questions you should answer include:
- What is the subject content covered on the degree and why should I study psychology?
- Does it give me professional recognition?
- Should I go for single or joint honours degrees?
- What qualifications do I need to study psychology?
- What support can I get with the costs involved in studying for a degree?
- How long has the degree course been established at that university?
- How does that course, the school or Department it is run in and the university rank in terms of learning
and teaching assessments and student surveys?
- Where is the university and what will life be like for me in my accommodation and my potential social
life?
- Is there a possibility of a placement built into the degree and if so what would that entail?
- What is the subject content covered on the degree and why should I study psychology?
- Does it give me professional recognition?
- Should I go for single or joint honours degrees?
- What qualifications do I need to study psychology?
- What support can I get with the costs involved in studying for a degree?
- How long has the degree course been established at that university?
- How does that course, the school or Department it is run in and the university rank in terms of learning
and teaching assessments and student surveys?
- Where is the university and what will life be like for me in my accommodation and my potential social
life?
- Is there a possibility of a placement built into the degree and if so what would that entail?
Getting ready for student life
The ratings and rankings of universities and psychology programmes as well as students' preferences or where to study and to check out all you need to know in getting ready for university life check out the Times Good University Guide 2019
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/good-university-guide-in-full-tp6dzs7wn
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/good-university-guide-in-full-tp6dzs7wn
Here are some pointers to help you with some of these key questions
What is the subject content covered on the degree and why should I study psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. Psychologists adopt rigorous research methods to explore behaviour including experiments, observations, case studies, interviews etc. There are few undergraduate programmes that require students to develop such a broad range of skills in research methods and in applying the results of studies to rigorous analysis using computer statistical packages, such as Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Students gather the data from their studies and quantify their results and then analyse these results using SPSS. This is called the quantitative approach. They also develop a range of research skills to explore data in a qualitative way. Typically students will experience lectures and carry out practical learning exercises on research methods and SPSS most weeks in their first two years of study. This will require students to write regular reports on studies they have carried out and analysed. In their final year students undertake an in-depth study or report called a thesis or dissertation.
The exact content of psychology degree courses varies from university to university, but all courses accredited by the BPS or the PSI will include:
To be recognized and approved by the BPS at least 60% of a degree’s content must cover these topics. This means that you will also have the opportunity to study other areas of psychology or non-psychology. For example, students in their first year can select modules from other degree programmes as minor options. In their second and final year they study all psychology. As well as the core modules required to qualify for GBC students are likely to be offered modules related to the specialisms of the lecturing staff in the department. It is in this area that psychology degrees, whilst they go by the same name, will differ considerably in content. It is important, therefore, that you do your homework here and run through the degree programme modules and get some sense of what these other modules might entail.
A psychology degree is also useful preparation for many other careers as well as psychology, especially ones that involve working with people and that require you to adopt a logical and analytical or scientific approach to your work. A psychology degree offers both vocational routes i.e. you can become a psychologist. In addition you will also offer a range of transferable skills that puts you in a strong position to offer skills relevant to a range of professions, from business to marketing and from health professions to education.
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. Psychologists adopt rigorous research methods to explore behaviour including experiments, observations, case studies, interviews etc. There are few undergraduate programmes that require students to develop such a broad range of skills in research methods and in applying the results of studies to rigorous analysis using computer statistical packages, such as Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Students gather the data from their studies and quantify their results and then analyse these results using SPSS. This is called the quantitative approach. They also develop a range of research skills to explore data in a qualitative way. Typically students will experience lectures and carry out practical learning exercises on research methods and SPSS most weeks in their first two years of study. This will require students to write regular reports on studies they have carried out and analysed. In their final year students undertake an in-depth study or report called a thesis or dissertation.
The exact content of psychology degree courses varies from university to university, but all courses accredited by the BPS or the PSI will include:
- Biological psychology (e.g. how the brain works, how it can be affected by drugs, the effects of hormones, and how we treat mental disorders)
- Cognitive psychology (e.g. how we perceive our world; how our memory functions; how our thought processes work and how we use language)
- Developmental psychology (e.g. how humans develop physically, cognitively and socially from birth to old age)
- Social psychology (e.g. how human behaviour and experience are affected by the presence of others or the perceived presence of others)
- Personality and individual differences (e.g. how personality and intelligence shape our behaviour and the extent to which such attributes are the result of learnt experience and/or genetic factors)
- The history of psychology (e.g. how psychological explanations have changed over time)
- Research methods (e.g. experimental design, data collection, analysis and interpretation)
To be recognized and approved by the BPS at least 60% of a degree’s content must cover these topics. This means that you will also have the opportunity to study other areas of psychology or non-psychology. For example, students in their first year can select modules from other degree programmes as minor options. In their second and final year they study all psychology. As well as the core modules required to qualify for GBC students are likely to be offered modules related to the specialisms of the lecturing staff in the department. It is in this area that psychology degrees, whilst they go by the same name, will differ considerably in content. It is important, therefore, that you do your homework here and run through the degree programme modules and get some sense of what these other modules might entail.
A psychology degree is also useful preparation for many other careers as well as psychology, especially ones that involve working with people and that require you to adopt a logical and analytical or scientific approach to your work. A psychology degree offers both vocational routes i.e. you can become a psychologist. In addition you will also offer a range of transferable skills that puts you in a strong position to offer skills relevant to a range of professions, from business to marketing and from health professions to education.
What is meant by 'professional recognition' and can I study a single or joint honours in psychology?
You can study psychology at degree level in the UK either as single subject or combined with another subject – called a joint honours. However it is very important that you choose a psychology that gives you professional recognition. This is called Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC). It used to be called Graduate Basis for Recognition or GBR and some university guides may still refer to it this way. This professional recognition means that once you have graduated with your degree you are entitled to pursue further, postgraduate studies in psychology and to later practice as a professional psychologist.
Students can apply for GBC with the British Psychology Society (BPS) in the UK or the Psychology Society for Ireland (PSI) in the Republic. These are the bodies that authorise one’s professional standing as psychologist. That is, they keep a register of professional psychologists. They issue standards of behaviour professionals are expected to abide by. The BPS and PSI are split into divisions or groupings of psychologists e.g. Health psychologists; Educational psychologists; Clinical psychologists; Occupational psychologists; Research and teaching psychologists etc. and it is through these professional groups that expertise is shared and developed through meetings, workshops and conferences. You will also need to be eligible to become a member if you wish to pursue studies after your degree, called postgraduate studies in psychology.
There are psychology degrees that do not offer GBC and there are new psychology degrees being developed, and you may intentionally or not apply to one of these degree courses assuming that it offers GBC and it may include a description that it intends to apply for GBC approval. But it is important to remember that a psychology department can only put their course forward for approval after it has run. So, a small but important point is that a new psychology degree cannot guarantee that its graduates will have GBC. This will depend on that course having been rigorously examined by the BPS, or PSI in Ireland, and then granted approval. This is certainly not intended to put you off applying for a newly developed psychology degree rather to be aware that GBC is not guaranteed. The Department would hope its psychology degree would gain GBC status it very likely would but this is not a certainty. Established psychology degree programmes have to be periodically reviewed to make sure they meet the educational standards necessary for GBC too.
If you choose or complete a degree that does not give you GBC you can still complete another postgraduate course that would give you GBC but this would entail at least another year of study and associated expense.
Joint Honours degrees mean you undertake studies in psychology and another subject. For example, Manchester University offers a joint honours in psychology and speech therapy. It is important that you still check to ensure that the degree carries with it GBC, and it may be that your degree offers you professional standing in your second subject too. The example offered at Manchester gives students GBC and recognition with the speech therapy profession.
What qualifications do I need to study psychology?
Psychology is a very popular subject at university. The number of students wishing to study psychology has risen dramatically over the last few years and this has resulted in fairly high A Level or Scottish Higher grades or Leaving Cert [in Ireland] qualification being required for entry.
A or AS Level psychology is not normally required for entry to a psychology degree course, but you may find that taking GCSE, AS or A Level psychology or psychology on an Access course gives you a head start when you start your psychology degree.
However, the research to date indicates that students who studied psychology at A level found that first year of their studies more manageable and tended to perform better but it gave them no advantage in the rest of their degree. A lot depends of course on the quality of that earlier teaching. Some psychologists credit the teaching they experienced before they went to university as their inspiration to do a psychology degree.
If you are considering a Scottish university then it is worth checking out what exemptions they offer for those who have a good A level in psychology. For example, at the time of writing, students applying to Stirling and its four year psychology degree programme could go straight into the second year if they had a good grade in A level or a Scottish higher in psychology.
As with all degrees, entry requirements vary from institution to institution but applicants will normally need to demonstrate good numeracy, literacy, and the ability to handle scientific concepts. Most universities do not stipulate that they require a particular science and non-science A level combination.
The prospectus of the university and its online equivalent will state what entry requirements a student needs. However, remember that at almost all universities it is not the psychology department but the part of the university called Admissions that processes university undergraduate applications and you should call the Admissions office if in any doubt to clarify the A level combinations that are considered suitable.
Students can apply for GBC with the British Psychology Society (BPS) in the UK or the Psychology Society for Ireland (PSI) in the Republic. These are the bodies that authorise one’s professional standing as psychologist. That is, they keep a register of professional psychologists. They issue standards of behaviour professionals are expected to abide by. The BPS and PSI are split into divisions or groupings of psychologists e.g. Health psychologists; Educational psychologists; Clinical psychologists; Occupational psychologists; Research and teaching psychologists etc. and it is through these professional groups that expertise is shared and developed through meetings, workshops and conferences. You will also need to be eligible to become a member if you wish to pursue studies after your degree, called postgraduate studies in psychology.
There are psychology degrees that do not offer GBC and there are new psychology degrees being developed, and you may intentionally or not apply to one of these degree courses assuming that it offers GBC and it may include a description that it intends to apply for GBC approval. But it is important to remember that a psychology department can only put their course forward for approval after it has run. So, a small but important point is that a new psychology degree cannot guarantee that its graduates will have GBC. This will depend on that course having been rigorously examined by the BPS, or PSI in Ireland, and then granted approval. This is certainly not intended to put you off applying for a newly developed psychology degree rather to be aware that GBC is not guaranteed. The Department would hope its psychology degree would gain GBC status it very likely would but this is not a certainty. Established psychology degree programmes have to be periodically reviewed to make sure they meet the educational standards necessary for GBC too.
If you choose or complete a degree that does not give you GBC you can still complete another postgraduate course that would give you GBC but this would entail at least another year of study and associated expense.
Joint Honours degrees mean you undertake studies in psychology and another subject. For example, Manchester University offers a joint honours in psychology and speech therapy. It is important that you still check to ensure that the degree carries with it GBC, and it may be that your degree offers you professional standing in your second subject too. The example offered at Manchester gives students GBC and recognition with the speech therapy profession.
What qualifications do I need to study psychology?
Psychology is a very popular subject at university. The number of students wishing to study psychology has risen dramatically over the last few years and this has resulted in fairly high A Level or Scottish Higher grades or Leaving Cert [in Ireland] qualification being required for entry.
A or AS Level psychology is not normally required for entry to a psychology degree course, but you may find that taking GCSE, AS or A Level psychology or psychology on an Access course gives you a head start when you start your psychology degree.
However, the research to date indicates that students who studied psychology at A level found that first year of their studies more manageable and tended to perform better but it gave them no advantage in the rest of their degree. A lot depends of course on the quality of that earlier teaching. Some psychologists credit the teaching they experienced before they went to university as their inspiration to do a psychology degree.
If you are considering a Scottish university then it is worth checking out what exemptions they offer for those who have a good A level in psychology. For example, at the time of writing, students applying to Stirling and its four year psychology degree programme could go straight into the second year if they had a good grade in A level or a Scottish higher in psychology.
As with all degrees, entry requirements vary from institution to institution but applicants will normally need to demonstrate good numeracy, literacy, and the ability to handle scientific concepts. Most universities do not stipulate that they require a particular science and non-science A level combination.
The prospectus of the university and its online equivalent will state what entry requirements a student needs. However, remember that at almost all universities it is not the psychology department but the part of the university called Admissions that processes university undergraduate applications and you should call the Admissions office if in any doubt to clarify the A level combinations that are considered suitable.
What support can I get to help me with the costs involved in studying for a degree?
Details on tuition fee and student loans can be found at:https://www.ucas.com/finance/undergraduate-tuition-fees-and-student-loans
