Course description

Psychology at Derby

Our Psychology course has research at its heart. It is intellectually challenging and is designed to help you become an effective, skilled and forward-thinking psychologist. You'll be taught by expert staff who are conducting influential studies into areas of psychology such as:

• mental health and wellbeing
• compassion and mindfulness
• autism
• maths anxiety
• nature connectedness
• paranormal beliefs
• pain, anxiety and addiction

And you’ll have guest lectures by world-class researchers. You’ll also conduct your own research and be able to contribute to cutting-edge psychological research projects at the University. You can also take a placement year to help you translate theory into practice and enhance your employability.

Specialist facilities

Our psychology facilities are used for both teaching and research. They include computing labs with specialist software for designing experiments and research. You'll use a range of psychological recording equipment such as the latest eye-tracker equipment for analysing eye movement and our Babylab for ethical research with babies and young children.

Accredited course

British Psychological Society accreditation means we're delivering a high standard of psychology education. It shows we've met BPS standards for course content and design, and student development. It also means you can apply for BPS student membership. This provides:

• Access to networking opportunities
• The BPS student online community
• Discounts on books
• Events and e-learning
• Academic journals
• The chance to transfer to graduate membership free of charge after completing your degree

And you will have the opportunity to progress to accredited postgraduate qualifications and training to gain chartered membership of the BPS.

How you will learn

You'll learn from lecturers and tutors who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and are carrying out research designed to offer fresh perspectives on issues that are significant at every stage of life, from birth to old age, including:

• Maternal health and the development of new-borns, to help improve health care during childhood
• Mental health and wellbeing such as maths-induced anxiety, eating disorders, addiction and irrational thinking
• Compassion and mindfulness, tackling self-esteem issues and fostering sensitive support for others
• The psychological aspects of pain
• Emotional processing
• The positive benefits of engaging with the natural environment

Your lecturers bring their latest thinking to your studies. And, in some cases, you’ll have opportunities to get involved in research projects yourself.

Teaching and learning

You’ll have interactive teaching sessions, including lectures, small group seminars, practical workshops and innovative use of the web to ensure you learn in the most effective way. Quality inspectors have commended us for being “at the forefront of technology-enhanced learning”.

We ensure you have the right level of support to succeed. We are responsive, approachable and available to meet your learning needs.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed mainly through assignments, via essays, posters, presentations, and reports. You may also have to take some exams. These can include essay questions, multiple choice and short answer questions.