Course specification and structure
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UDPSYCGY - BSc Psychology

Course Specification


Validation status Validated
Highest award Bachelor of Science Level Honours
Possible interim awards Bachelor of Science, Diploma of Higher Education, Certificate of Higher Education, Bachelor of Science
Total credits for course 360
Awarding institution London Metropolitan University
Teaching institutions London Metropolitan University
School School of Social Sciences and Professions
Subject Area Psychology
Attendance options
Option Minimum duration Maximum duration
Full-time 3 YEARS 6 YEARS
Part-time 4 YEARS 6 YEARS
Course leader  

About the course and its strategy towards teaching and learning and towards blended learning/e-learning

The BSc Psychology course provides a specialist programme which enables students to acquire and develop knowledge in each of the core areas of the discipline, along with a wide range of academic and transferable skills.

The teaching and learning strategies employed across the programme are designed to:
• stimulate students’ interest in all aspects of the discipline
• provide an appropriate intellectual challenge whilst enabling students to gain the relevant knowledge and skills across the discipline
• allow students to acquire and demonstrate and understanding of the empirical bases of the discipline
• promote students’ self-management of the learning process with a view to future training and continuing professional development
• engage students actively in the learning and teaching processes
• encourage students to think of themselves as active and productive partners in a collaborative venture of learning
• equip students with the ability to apply ethical principles from the discipline across a range of contexts, including conducting ethical research, ethical conduct in the workplace and social responsibility

Factors influencing the choice of teaching and learning strategy include the need to:

• enhance students’ communications and IT skills relevant to Psychology;
• develop students’ research skills and their ethical awareness;
• develop students’ problem-solving skills;
• respond to variation in students’ learning styles and preferences
and
• to support learning for students in both full-time and part-time mode.

Module teams will ensure that there are opportunities for students to:
• be actively involved in their own learning;
• develop and test psychology-related hypotheses;
• work to deadlines and balance conflicting pressures;
• use appropriate resources and technology available;
• review, evaluate and reflect on their work
and
• to work with others and develop team-working skills.

As well as access to the university-wide learning facilities, BSc (Hons) Psychology students will also have access to their own dedicated research laboratories and specialised project support equipment (such as psychometric tests, psychophysiological measuring equipment, programmes for designing psychological experiments). Throughout the course, students will work collaboratively with academic staff to design and develop aspects of the curriculum, and through constant dialogue will be actively involved in all decision-making and problem-solving processes.

Course aims

This course aims to provide a specialist programme in Psychology that meets the requirements of the British Psychological Society (BPS) for Graduate Membership and the Graduate Basis for Chartership (a prerequisite for progression to Chartered Psychologist status). In order to achieve this, the programme is designed to ensure that students develop a thorough understanding of the core areas in Psychology (biological, cognitive, developmental, social, individual differences and research methods), are aware of the conceptual and historical context for current theory and knowledge within each of these areas and have an opportunity to choose from a range of different areas of advanced study of psychological theory and application. The teaching, learning and assessment strategy is designed to enable students to develop and demonstrate competency in a wide range of academic and transferable skills within the context of the discipline which will also be invaluable in future employment or training.

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible practitioners/professionals in their discipline.

Course learning outcomes

The following learning outcomes incorporate and depend on systematic understanding of the key aspects of the knowledge base of psychology, including a coherent and detailed knowledge of some specialist areas in depth.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within psychology;

2. devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of psychology;

3. describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in psychology; recognising the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge;

4. manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to psychology);

5. apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects;

6. critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem;

7. communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences;

8. exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts;

9. undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature.

Principle QAA benchmark statements

QAA Statement for Psychology (2016)
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-Psychology-16.pdf

Assessment strategy

A range of formative and summative assessment methods will be used in the course, with the choice of assessment instrument chosen to test the specified learning outcomes. Overall the strategy is to promote students’ written, oral and research skills within the context of their understanding of Psychological theory. At Level 4 assessments seek to encourage students to assimilate and describe theory. At Level 5 assessments require students to critically evaluate the knowledge and theories they have encountered. Students at this level are also required to produce research reports including data analysis and interpretation. At Level 6 assessments test students’ critical knowledge of applied areas of psychology and their ability to be independent researchers.

The course team aims to provide feedback on written (non-exam based) work within a two week period from the submission date.

Assessment is the responsibility of the academic staff delivering the module. Assessment is part of the learning process and confirms the outcomes of the learning process. As such, the assessment process is used to provide an insight into learning and to trigger corrective action. It also provides feedback on curriculum design and delivery and, via the ongoing iterative process of module monitoring, makes a significant contribution to the continued development and improvement of the courses.

A variety of assessment methods will be used (see syllabi) including unseen written examinations, individual and group assignments. Laboratory and computer based investigations, poster and oral presentations and a Level 6 project.

Organised work experience, work based learning, sandwich year or year abroad

The programme includes a 15-credit core employment module [PC5050 or MN5W51] taken at Level 5. The aim of PC5050 is to provide students with the opportunity to develop their understanding of the relevance of psychological theory and empirical research to employment issues. Through engagement with a work-based project undertaken as part of a work-based experience, this module aims to provide students with the opportunity to explore the application of their knowledge of the psychological material encountered within the curriculum to a question of relevance to their work experience host, and also to develop their skills in time and project management. This module further aims to develop students’ employability skills through the provision of taught sessions of various aspects of employability (e.g., effective self-presentation) and through an assessment pattern designed to develop students’ abilities in effective oral presentation, written communication, and reflective learning. MN5W51 Creating a Successful Social Enterprise 1 allows students to engage in developing social enterprise with guidance from members of the Accelerator Unit.

Course specific regulations

Level 4 and 5 modules are all core modules for BSc (Hons) Psychology. Part time students have a recommended pathway:

Level 4
PC4009 Introduction to Research in psychology Part time Year 1
PC4051 Study Skills for Psychology Part time Year 1
PC4053 Child Development and Behaviour Part time Year 2
PC4054 Cognition and Behaviour Part time Year 2
PC4052 Personality Part time Year 1
PC4056 Biological Bases of Behaviour Part time Year 2
PC4055 Social Influences on Thinking and Behaviour Part time Year 2

Level 5
PC5001 Research Design and Data Analysis in Psychology
Part time Year 1
PC5050 Psychology and Employment Part time Year 1
PC5056 Individual Differences Part time Year 2
PC5055 Development Across the Lifespan Part time Year 2
PC5052 Psychobiology Part time Year 2
PC5054 Cognition Part time Year 2
PC5067 Social and Cultural Understanding of Us and Others Part time Year 1

The BSc (Hons) Psychology is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership of the Society, and the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC). The latter is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist and is a requirement for entry to BPS accredited postgraduate training courses.

It is important to note that BPS requires a minimum standard of a Lower Second Class (2/2) honours degree in order to be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. Student membership of the BPS is open to everyone studying on an accredited undergraduate course or an accredited postgraduate conversion course.

Students can take a combination of 15 credits at level 6 including the core module PC6P01 Psychology project. Students must ensure a balanced programme of studies across the two semesters (e.g. 60 credits each semester from the various 15 credit modules and the one core 30 credit module PC6P01 Psychology Project).

Students must comply with the British Psychological Society's ethical standards in any course-related activity or assessment. These are covered in the following key documents:

https://www.bps.org.uk/sites/bps.org.uk/files/Policy%20-%20Files/BPS%20Code%20of%20Ethics%20and%20Conduct%20%28Updated%20July%202018%29.pdf

https://www.bps.org.uk/sites/www.bps.org.uk/files/Policy/Policy%20-%20Files/Ethics%20Guidelines%20for%20Internet-mediated%20Research%20%282017%29.pdf

Failure to comply with appropriate ethical standards, including failure to follow the university’s or School of Social Sciences – Psychology procedures for gaining ethical approval will result in an allegation of academic misconduct.

Modules required for interim awards

The following modules are core (compulsory) to gain a BSc (Hons) Psychology:


PC4009 Introduction to Research in Psychology
PC4051 Study Skills for Psychology
PC4053 Child Development and Behaviour
PC4052 Personality
PC4054 Cognition and Behaviour
PC4056 Biological Bases of Behaviour
PC4055 Social Influences on Thinking and Behaviour

PC5001 Research Design and Data Analysis in Psychology
PC5056 Individual Differences
PC5055 Development Across the Lifespan
PC5067 Social and Cultural Understanding of Us and Others
PC5054 Cognition
PC5052 Psychobiology

PC6P01 Psychology Project

Arrangements for promoting reflective learning and personal development

Progress with the development of graduate skills will be articulated to students as they progress through the programme through feedback from tutors and peers enabling them to reflect on their achievement based on the evidence available. At each level identified modules (PC4009, PC5001, PC5050 and PC6P01) will contain activities and opportunities for students to reflect on their learning process and personal development. Other modules will also provide opportunities for this process: e.g. PC4005 provides students with study skills and reflective practice at the start of the course. Other activities outside of the academic aspect of university life will also contribute to aspects of the development of graduate skills. Students will be encouraged to develop their personal portfolio, to critically review their learning experiences, to set their future personal and academic goals and to evaluate their progress towards these goals.
PDP will be embedded within each module with students given time to reflect on their learning. In PC4005 students will reflect upon and develop their use of oral and written communication skills, skills in identifying, analysing and evaluating information, and interpersonal skills. Students will begin to draw up a profile of personal and professional skills, attributes and achievements. At Level 5 students have a 15 credit module (PC5050) which provides them with key employability skills and work based experience and learning opportunities. In the final year project (PC6P01), supervisors will initially assist supervisees with the clarification of the terms of the project and ethical considerations, establishing a timetable for the research and subsequent meetings, directed background reading, as well as report format and writing and statistical analysis.

Other external links providing expertise and experience

The course has been designed to meet the British Psychological Society accreditation benchmarks (Graduate Basis for Chartership).
https://www.bps.org.uk/sites/bps.org.uk/files/Accreditation/Undergraduate%20Accreditation%20Handbook%20(2017).pdf

Career, employability and opportunities for continuing professional development

There are a variety of career opportunities for graduates who want to train to become Chartered Psychologists (e.g., Clinical, Forensic, Occupational), but the wide range of subject-specific and transferable skills acquired on this course mean that Psychology graduates are sought after in industries as diverse as the media, human resources, teaching, social services, and the charity sector.

Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) accreditations & exemptions

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society and is the first step towards becoming a professional psychologist.

Career opportunities

On completion of the course you’ll have the opportunity to apply for postgraduate training to achieve chartered psychologist status and pursue a career in psychology, whether it’s clinical, counselling, forensic, educational, health or occupational psychology.

You’ll also develop important transferable skills such as report writing, teamwork, time management, and IT and numeracy skills, which are valued by employers in a wide range of industries. Our graduates have gone on to work in industries as diverse as health care, forensic services, media, human resources, teaching, social services and the charity sector.

Entry requirements

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

  • a minimum of grades BCC in three A levels or minimum grades BC in at least two A levels in academic or business subjects (or a minimum of 104 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma/Diploma; or Advanced Diploma; or Progression Diploma; or Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits)
  • English Language and Mathematics GCSE at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent)

Applicants with relevant professional qualifications or extensive professional experience will also be considered on a case by case basis.

Entry from appropriate foundation and access courses will also be considered.

If you don’t have traditional qualifications or can’t meet the entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, you may still be able to gain entry by completing the our Psychology (including foundation year) BSc (Hons) degree.

Official use and codes

Approved to run from 2013/14 Specification version 1 Specification status Validated
Original validation date 01 Sep 2013 Last validation date 01 Sep 2013  
Sources of funding HE FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND
JACS codes C800 (Psychology): 100%
Route code PSYCGY

Course Structure

Stage 1 Level 04 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
PC4009 Introduction to Research in Psychology Core 30 NORTH SPR+SUM TUE AM
          NORTH AUT+SPR TUE PM
PC4051 Study Skills for Psychology Core 15 NORTH SPR TUE PM
          NORTH AUT TUE AM
PC4052 Personality Core 15 NORTH AUT THU PM
          NORTH SUM THU PM
PC4053 Child Development and Behaviour Core 15 NORTH AUT FRI AM
          NORTH SUM FRI AM
PC4054 Cognition and Behaviour Core 15 NORTH SPR FRI AM
PC4055 Social Influences on Thinking and Behaviour Core 15 NORTH SPR THU PM
PC4056 Biological Bases of Behaviour Core 15 NORTH SUM TUE PM
          NORTH SPR TUE AM

Stage 1 Level 04 January start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
PC4009 Introduction to Research in Psychology Core 30 NORTH SPR+SUM TUE AM
PC4051 Study Skills for Psychology Core 15 NORTH SPR TUE PM
PC4052 Personality Core 15 NORTH SUM THU PM
PC4053 Child Development and Behaviour Core 15 NORTH SUM FRI AM
PC4054 Cognition and Behaviour Core 15 NORTH SPR FRI AM
PC4055 Social Influences on Thinking and Behaviour Core 15 NORTH SPR THU PM
PC4056 Biological Bases of Behaviour Core 15 NORTH SUM TUE PM
          NORTH SPR TUE AM

Stage 2 Level 05 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
PC5001 Research Design and Data Analysis in Psychology Core 30 NORTH AUT+SPR THU PM
          NORTH AUT+SPR THU AM
PC5050 Psychology and Employment Core 15 NORTH AUT+SPR MON PM
PC5052 Psychobiology Core 15 NORTH SPR MON PM
PC5054 Cognition Core 15 NORTH SPR FRI PM
PC5055 Development Across the Lifespan Core 15 NORTH AUT FRI PM
PC5056 Individual Differences Core 15 NORTH SPR MON AM
PC5067 Social and Cultural Understanding of Us and Others Core 15 NORTH AUT MON AM

Stage 3 Level 06 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
PC6P01 Psychology Project Core 30 NORTH AUT+SPR WED PM
PC6009 Special Topics in Personality and Social Psycho... Option 15 NORTH SPR TUE AM
PC6050 Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology Option 15 NORTH AUT FRI PM
PC6051 Forensic Psychology Option 15 NORTH SPR MON PM
PC6054 Counseling Psychology Option 15 NORTH AUT WED AM
PC6056 Work Psychology Option 15 NORTH AUT THU AM
PC6060 Cognition and Emotion Option 15 NORTH AUT MON PM
PC6063 Drug and alcohol counselling Option 15 NORTH SPR THU AM
PC6068 Coding for Psychology Option 15 NORTH AUT TUE AM
PC6069 Clinical Neuroscience Option 15 NORTH SPR TUE PM
PC6070 Health Psychology Option 15 NORTH SPR MON AM
PC6071 Clinical Psychology Option 15 NORTH AUT MON AM
PC6072 Sex and Sexuality Option 15 NORTH SPR THU PM
PC6073 Cyberpsychology Option 15 NORTH AUT TUE PM
PC6075 Specific Learning Differences Option 15 NORTH SPR WED AM