Psychosocial Studies (Taught)

Our Graduate Certificate in Psychosocial Studies introduces you to substantial strands of psychosocial theory: theory that proposes different ways of understanding the interrelationship between the development of subjectivity and identity, and historical and contemporary social and political formations. The focus is on psychoanalysis and social theory.

Why choose this course?

• This course prepares you to identify and analyse a range of psychosocial phenomena, such as violence, war, trauma, terrorism, intimacies, communities, care, human rights, agency, resistance, and personal and social transformations.

• It will advance your study skills and provide you with the intellectual and academic foundations for further postgraduate courses in psychosocial studies.

What you will learn

This course focuses on psychoanalysis and social theory. In psychoanalysis, we will introduce you to Freudian, Kleinian, Winnicottian and Lacanian approaches. You will learn about psychoanalytic theories and traditions as we work thematically to cover key concepts and read psychoanalytic authors in a critical and historical context, continually exploring the ideological and social implications of psychoanalytic theory, as well as addressing the clinical context.

In social theory, we introduce you to critical approaches in sociology, including feminist and postcolonial perspectives. We will explore how sociology and social theory can enable us to think about and understand inequality and difference as central aspects of the organisation of social, political and psychic life.

How you will learn

This course is available to study part-time with classes in the evening, so you can balance your studies with work or other commitments.

Classes include formal lectures, which offer you the starting point for your own deeper exploration of the subject, and seminars in which you will have the chance to explore specific aspects of your subject and discuss and exchange ideas with fellow students.

Highlights

• Our psychosocial studies team is genuinely interdisciplinary, with academics coming from backgrounds in anthropology, cultural and postcolonial studies, education studies, gender and sexuality studies, literary studies, critical psychology, psychoanalytic studies and sociology.

• Birkbeck's innovative, creative and interdisciplinary courses will help you become a competent, critical and responsible student of the social world and the psychological and social forces that shape individuals.

• We have a keen interest in the development of new and innovative psychosocial methods, as well as forging new theoretical trajectories across a range of critical fields of enquiry.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this Graduate Certificate in Psychosocial Studies, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

• the ability to communicate complex ideas and opinions in both speech and writing

• critical, analytical and research skills

• the ability to work collaboratively with peers

• skills in self-reflection

• skills in identifying ethical considerations.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

One 3000-word essay per core module.