Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the most complex machine imaginable: the human mind. Study the science behind human behaviour, and tailor your studies to suit your interests on this flexible degree.

You’ll explore how actions, interactions, thoughts and feelings trigger our behaviours. Then you can put your learning into practice with an optional work placement, discovering how theory applies to real-life situations. This means you develop a wide breadth of expertise and skills. You’ll graduate with a deep understanding of how psychology impacts our everyday life and a set of valuable transferable skills.

You'll learn:

• How we understand, think and learn about the world around us.

• How memory is formed and what impacts on the way we remember.

• How everyone uses verbal and non-verbal forms of communication.

• How biological and social factors influence behaviour.

• How cognition, emotion and socialisation develop across our lifespan.

Psychology is both an experimental and observational science. This means you will observe and measure human behaviour, tackle literature searches, then develop, test, and evaluate theories. This culminates in designing and conducting your own supervised research project in your final year, which is one of the cornerstones of your degree.

This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and its core areas follow the curriculum set out by the BPS. This is essential if you want to become a Chartered Psychologist and means successful graduates can apply for further professional training.

Psychology degrees here at Abertay are flexible. You can switch to another 'Psychology with' pathway if you develop an interest in a particular topic later.

No other Scottish university is offering these flexible undergraduate degree pathways in psychology. We believe this gives you a distinct edge when it comes to applying for postgraduate study or employment.

This course is in the UK Top 10 for Course Satisfaction in the 2023 Guardian University Guide.

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The programme is a mixture of lectures, practical laboratory classes, seminars/tutorials and independent study. The practical laboratory classes offer the chance to learn relevant scientific techniques first hand, and an opportunity to engage in research by designing experiments and collecting and analysing data. You are assessed using a variety of assessment types. These include examinations and class tests, laboratory reports, essays, presentations (both oral and posters), research projects and writing scientific articles and case studies. Assessment is through a range of methods including exams, tests, practical laboratory reports and student presentations.