Psychology (Child Development)

How do our brains work? Is our behaviour influenced by our genes, our environment or both? Psychology gives you a fascinating insight into the factors that influence how people think, feel and behave.

This course is, to our knowledge, the first in the UK, that teaches the core curriculum from an holistic perspective so students fully appreciate how different areas of psychology (biological, cognitive, individual differences, developmental, social and conceptual and historical issues) integrate to facilitate greater understanding of human behaviour by exploring themes such as feelings, behaviour with others, thinking and communication and learning and memory.

Course Aims
Provide students with a grounding in the empirical study of behaviour and of psychological processes and to acquaint them with the major facts, theories and debates in contemporary Psychology;
Provide an up-to-date curriculum that is delivered to a high quality and is informed by scholarship and research;
Provide students with the knowledge, skills and techniques to identify and investigate psychological issues and problems empirically and ethically;
Support and meet the needs of students from varied educational and personal backgrounds so that they have the best opportunity to meet the demands of degree-level education;
Ensure students develop the core skills of critical thinking, communication, and employability, which provide a sound basis for progression into work and/or further study.
Provide programmes of study that lead to Graduate Membership and eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered membership with the BPS.
Provide a particular focus on child development, through specialisms in the final year of study

Year 1:
Psychological research methods 1,
Introducing psychological approaches,
Introducing real world psychology,
Psychological research methods 2,
Exploring real world psychology,
Exploring psychological approaches,
Year 2:
Psychological research methods 3,
The psychology of learning and memory,
The psychology of feelings,
Psychological research methods 4,
The psychology of behaviour with others,
The psychology of thinking and communication,
Year 3:
Psychology professional practice and project,
Development of brain and behaviour in infancy,
Plus three options:
Psychology of mental health and distress,
Health psychology,
Psychology of inter- and intra- group processes,
Psychology of addictive behaviours,
Applied psychometrics,
Neuropsychology,
Counselling psychology and psychotherapy,
Psychopharmacology,
Thinking: Past, present and future,
Lifespan development,
Psychology in the workplace,
Psychology of the Performing Arts,
Sex gender relationships.