Undergraduate study 2014 prospectus

Course information

This degree course covers all aspects of Psychology, providing a route into a career as a psychologist or in numerous other fields. The course emphasises cognitive and biological perspectives as applied to topics such as health.

All of Loughborough’s Psychology degree courses fulfil the requirements for Graduate Membership and Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, and all of them cover all of the core aspects of the discipline.

If you would prefer to study people with an emphasis on their social contexts, and through their interactions with each other, you may consider our BSc (Hons) Social Psychology within the Department of Social Science.

Accreditation

The School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences offers two psychology degree courses accredited by the British Psychological Society; a three-year full-time course and a full-time four-year course with a placement year.

In providing these accredited courses, we also progressively offer choices to students in the topics that make up their final degree.

The location of our courses within a well-established multidisciplinary School adds value, depth and breadth to our students’ learning experience.

Your Learning Experience

The modular organisation of the degrees creates some opportunities to participate in subjects elsewhere in the School and University. This allows you to tailor aspects of your degree to your developing interests and aspirations.

The relationship between theory and practice is a concern that runs through our teaching, and many of our staff have close links with psychologists working in applied settings.

You are encouraged from the outset to explore the origins and nature of psychology, and to engage with critical and analytic work that informs and develops its application. To achieve this, the course is entirely orientated toward the study of human beings.

Professional Placements

Students taking the four-year course in Psychology spend their third year on placement in an approved occupation relevant to their degree. Satisfactory completion of the placement leads to the award of the Diploma in Professional Studies.

Although it is the student’s responsibility to arrange the placement, considerable support is available.

Students have had placements in the UK and abroad, with schools, NHS Trusts, prisons, the Home Office, the Health and Safety Executive, and various consultancies and companies.

Transfer between the three and four year courses is normally possible.

Selection

Applicants are judged on an individual basis. UCAS forms are used to assess academic ability and in special circumstances interviews are held.

Everyone who is offered a place is invited to attend an Open Day where they can meet staff and current undergraduates.

We welcome UCAS applications from mature applicants, who have returned to study via a variety of routes.

Applications from any part of the world are welcome from students offering a range of international qualifications. All applicants need to meet the University’s English language requirements.

Assessment

Assessment of academic work is by examinations, and/or by coursework. This may include essay writing, report writing, presentations, and assessment by short answer or multiple choice questions. The mix of assessment methods varies from 100% coursework to 75% coursework / 25% examination; 50% coursework / 50% examination; to 100% examination.

Career Prospects

Course structure

Year 1

• Basic Experimental Psychology
• Introductory Neuroscience
• Social and Cultural Psychologies
• Basic Developmental Psychology
• Psychology Practicals
• Professions in Psychology
• Psychology: Shaping the Discipline

Practical and statistical work are integral to some of these modules.

Year 2

• Human Memory and Cognition
• Brain and Behaviour
• Experimental Design and Analysis
• Organisational Behaviour
• Developmental and Social Psychology
• Qualitative Data Analysis for Psychology
• Individual Differences
• Psychology Practicals

Year 3 or 4

Students undertake a substantial research project, with expert supervision and guidance. Topics are negotiated between students and staff. Final year module choices typically reflect lecturer’s research interests, and currently include:

• Clinical Psychology 1
• Clinical Psychology 2
• Perspectives on Health and Well Being
• Psychology of Eating Behaviour
• Advanced Experimental and Qualitative Research in Psychology
• Lifestyle and Disease
• Psychology, Performance and Human Resources
• Psychology and Health
• Exercise Psychology
• Forensic Psychology (alternate years)
• Psychology of Workplace Health
• Parenting and Socialisation

Other optional choices are also possible, from both within and outside the School. These may include language modules, sport psychology modules, and psychologyrelated modules from the Department of Social Sciences.

Please note that optional modules are subject to availability and timetable permitting.

UCAS codes and entry requirements

The entry requirements for each course should be read alongside the University’s general entrance requirements, which give further details on acceptable subjects, alternative qualifications and minimum English language requirements.

SQA AHScottish Qualifications Authority Advanced Highers IBInternational Baccalaureate Diploma DPSDiploma in Professional Studies DISDiploma in Industrial Studies DIntSDiploma in International Studies