Program Overview

Psychology BSc (Hons)

Overview

The Psychology BSc (Hons) course at the University of Sunderland offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to examining the brain and human behavior. Students will study a wide range of phenomena and develop transferable skills that can be used in any context.

Why Us?

• Accreditation by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which means when you graduate with a 2:2 or above, you have Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership to the BPS, an essential step for any career in psychology.
• Our Psychology courses are 1st in the north-east for teaching quality (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024).
• Psychology was awarded an Athena Swan Bronze Award in 2021, in recognition of its commitment to supporting and transforming gender equality.
• We integrate equality and diversity throughout the course using diverse assessment methods, with a focus on assessment for learning with modules including Male Psychology and Development and Neurodiversity.

Course Structure

Teaching methods include a mixture of large and small lectures, seminars and workshops, one-to-one and group tutorials. Students will have personal development sessions with academic staff to help with their studies and developing their employability skills.

As well as assessments that count towards their degree, there are also on-going assessments for feedback and consolidating their learning. Assessment methods include essays, scientific reports, presentations, multimedia web pages, expert witness reports, writing formulations, case studies, exams, portfolios, online quizzes, academic posters, patchwork text, an exhibition, an academic poster conference, post occupancy evaluation, and designing behavior change interventions.

This course shares a common first year with BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology, BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling, and BSc (Hons) Clinical Psychology, which allows students to change routes at the end of the first year should one of these specialisms appeal to them.

Modules

Year 1 (national level 4):

• Mind and Social World: Developmental, Social and Cognitive Psychology (30 credits)
• Brain and Behaviour: Biological Psychology, Individual Differences, and Quantitative Methods (30 credits)
• The Building Blocks of Psychological Research (15 credits)
• Counselling Foundations (15 credits)
• Forensic and Criminal Psychology (15 credits)
• Clinical Psychology and Allied Professions (15 credits)

Year 2 (national level 5):

• Interactions and Influences: Social Psychology, Individual Differences, and Qualitative Methods (30 credits)
• Human Development and Cognition: Developmental, Cognitive and Quantitative Psychology (30 credits)
• Mental Health and Psychopathology (15 credits)
• Biological and Evolutionary Foundations of Human Behaviour (15 credits)
• Contemporary Topics in Psychology (15 credits)
• The Psychology of Sensitive Subjects (15 credits)

Final year (national level 6):

• Communicating Psychological Science (30 credits)
• Empirical Project (30 credits)
• Cross Cultural Psychology (15 credits)
• Applying Evolutionary Theory: Explaining Human Nature and Contemporary Issues (15 credits)

Optional modules (choose two for a total of 30 credits):

• Health Psychology (15 credits)
• Psychology Placement (15 credits)
• Sexual and Romantic Relationship Dynamics (15 credits)
• Advanced Research Methods and Statistics (15 credits)
• Digital Humans (15 credits)
• Perspectives on Addiction (15 credits)
• Psychology of Belief (15 credits)
• Classic Studies in Psychology (15 credits)
• Environmental Psychology (15 credits)
• Applied Environmental Psychology (15 credits)
• Independent Literature Review (15 credits)
• Research Experience (15 credits)
• Development in Unique Populations (15 credits)
• Neonatal Psychology Across the Lifespan (15 credits)
• Male Psychology (15 credits)
• The Psychology of Gaming (15 credits)
• Exploring Psychological Issues in Women's Reproductive Health (15 credits)
• Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (15 credits)
• Human Animal Interaction and Wellbeing (15 credits)
• Applying Psychology to Work and Organisations (15 credits)
• Positive Psychology (15 credits)
• Creative Methods for Exploring Issues in Psychology (15 credits)
• Applying Research in Reality (15 credits)
• Biopsychological Measurement Skills (15 credits)

Facilities

• Helen McArdle House is based on our City Campus and has benefitted from a multi-million pound investment in modern facilities in recent years.
• Many of our healthcare courses are taught here, including Nursing, Paramedic Science, and Healthcare Sciences.
• The building is made up of a variety of teaching and learning spaces, including mock hospital wards, OSCE suites, the Patient Diagnostic Suite, Mental Health and Wellbeing Suite, and seminar and IT classrooms.
• A lot of academic staff offices are based here, with an open-door policy in place.

Entry Requirements

Our typical offer is:

• Irish Leaving Certificate: 112 UCAS points – Students must have H1-H7 or O1-O4 in Maths & English.
• QQI/FETAC 5: Pass profile overall. For entry, we also require H1-H7 or O1-O4 in Maths and English from Irish Leaving Certificate.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland.

Fees and Finance

The annual, full-time fee for this course is:

• £9,535 if you are from the UK/Europe
• £16,500 if you are an international student

Career Ready

Graduates from this course can move into a broad range of careers spanning management, personnel, social work, public services, counselling, and advertising, or alternatively, pursue postgraduate qualifications in specific fields of psychological practice such as clinical or forensic psychology.

Career Options

As well as direct psychology careers, graduates can also move into adjacent positions where their transferable skills are valued. Many graduates work in fields such as management, personnel, social work, public services, counselling, marketing, advertising, teaching, policy officers, and advertising.

Careers in psychology can include clinical, forensic, and educational psychology, mental health practitioners, further education teachers, and occupational therapists and psychologists.

Many graduates also pursue postgraduate qualifications in specific fields of psychological practice such as clinical or forensic psychologist.