Programme Overview
Psychology is the scientific study of the most complex machine imaginable: the human mind. This fascinating Psychology degree, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), gives you a deep insight into the actions, interactions, thoughts and feelings that trigger our behaviour.
Our academic experts will give you a real-world understanding of how psychology impacts everyday life, so you'll learn:
How we understand, think and learn about the world around us.
How everyone uses verbal and non-verbal forms of communication.
How biological and social factors influence behaviour.
How mental abilities change as we age.
Psychology is both an experimental and observational science. This means you will observe and measure human behaviour, tackle literature research, and develop, test, and evaluate theories. This culminates in conducting your own supervised research project in your final year, which is one of the cornerstones of your degree.
Develop a wide breadth of expertise
Our leading academic experts aim to help you develop a wide breadth of expertise. This means you’ll use many different types of techniques that demonstrate the links between brain and behaviour as part of the psychology core curriculum.
Psychology pathways
You can switch to another Psychology pathway if you develop an interest in a particular topic later on. See 'How the course works' below for full details.
This course scored an impressive 95% for Overall Student Satisfaction in the 2020 National Student Survey (NSS).
Please note: Students on this course may have to undertake a PVG check if they choose a specific placement (optional) as part of the course
How the Course Works
Learning and Assessment
Psychology degrees at Abertay are flexible. You can study different pathways and switch to a new pathway if your interests change over time.
You apply for one of these specific degree pathways at the start:
BSc (Hons) Psychology
BSc (Hons) Psychology with Development and Education
BSc (Hons) Psychology with Forensic and Investigative Psychology
BSc (Hons) Psychology with Forensic Scene Investigation
But if you’re unsure which to choose, don’t worry, apply for the course that most appeals to you.
This is because you have an opportunity to switch to a different pathway at the start of Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 (conditions apply*). Our academic team will always be available to help if you do decide to switch pathways.
Your degree title will be reflected in the pathway you choose e.g: BSc (Hons) Psychology with Development and Education or BSc (Hons) Psychology with Forensic Scene Investigation.
No other Scottish university is offering these flexible undergraduate degree pathways in psychology. We believe this gives our graduates a distinct edge when it comes to applying for postgraduate study or employment.
*Dependant on the relevant modules being taken. Please check your Student Handbook for full details.
Teaching and Assessment
You'll learn through a combination of lectures, practical laboratory classes, seminars, tutorials, and independent study.
The practical laboratory classes are where you’ll learn relevant scientific techniques first-hand and engage in research by designing experiments then collecting and analysing the data.
You will be assessed using a variety of methods. These include examinations and class tests, practical laboratory reports, essays, oral and poster presentations, research projects, writing scientific articles and case studies.
All students must complete their Honours project on an area of psychological research related to their chosen pathway.
Accreditation
This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and its core areas follow the curriculum set out by the BPS. This accreditation is essential for students who want to become a Chartered Psychologist and means that successful graduates are eligible to apply for further professional psychology training.


My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.