UDAPSYDL - BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology (Top-up)

BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology provides a specialist psychology course enabling students to develop and apply their knowledge and skills in different areas of psychological practice and research. It is designed for students who have already completed 240 credits from one or more courses that included comprehensive and critical coverage of the theoretical and empirical basis of the core subject areas in psychology (cognitive, biological, developmental, and social psychology; personality and individual differences; and psychological research methods) and who wish to complete an additional 120 credits at level 6 to be eligible for the award of BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology. The course is designed to allow students to develop their understanding of how psychological knowledge and skills can be productively applied in different contexts to address a range of personal, social and/or global issues. This includes contexts and issues in clinical, counselling, forensic, and educational psychology. The course also enables students to develop their research skills and to initiate, design, conduct and present an empirical research project to address a research question in applied psychology.

The teaching and learning strategy employed across the course is designed to:

• stimulate students’ interest in different aspects of psychology and how psychological knowledge can be productively applied in different areas of life.
• provide an appropriate intellectual challenge while enabling development of advanced knowledge and transferable graduate skills.
• promote students’ self-management of the learning process with a view to future training, employment, and continuing professional development.
• encourage students to think of themselves as active and productive partners in a collaborative venture of learning.
• equip students with the ability to participate in ethical and inclusive practice across a range of contexts, including conducting ethical research in line with the principles of open science, ethical and inclusive conduct in the workplace, and social responsibility.
• provide opportunities for students to examine issues that resonate with their lived experiences from a psychological perspective.
• develop students’ confidence and ability to challenge established psychological knowledge and practices.
• equip students from diverse backgrounds with the skills and opportunities to transform their lives and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
• prepare students for postgraduate training and graduate employment.

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

• enhance students’ communication, information technology, and digital literacy skills.
• develop students’ analytical, research, and problem-solving skills.
• respond to variation in students’ learning styles and preferences.
• support learning for students from diverse backgrounds with differing expectations and needs.
• promote ethical, inclusive, non-discriminatory, and socially responsible behaviour in all aspects of the discipline.

Module teams will ensure that there are opportunities for students to:

• be actively involved in and take responsibility for their own learning.
• develop and test psychological research questions and hypotheses.
• work to deadlines and balance conflicting pressures.
• use online resources and information technology.
• review, evaluate and reflect on their learning and experiences.
• work cooperatively and productively with their tutors and peers.
• understand and apply ethical and inclusive principles and practices.

The course is delivered online and is designed to allow students to learn at their own pace and at times that are convenient for them using the learning materials provided. Students will have access to a range of online resources including an electronic reading list for each module; the library catalogue and electronic databases (e.g., APA PsycINFO; APA PsychTESTS; APA PsychNET); and specialised statistical software (e.g., SPSS). Throughout the course, students work collaboratively with tutors and the course team to help ensure that the curriculum meets their individual needs, and career aims and that students are actively involved in decision-making processes of relevance to the course and the student experience. Each student will have their own Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) and Psychology Academic Mentors who they can contact throughout the duration of the course for support and advice on issues related to personal health and wellbeing, academic issues, time management, study methods, and career planning / postgraduate training opportunities.

BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology is designed to enable students to develop and extend their knowledge of the core subject areas in psychology (cognitive, biological, developmental, and social psychology; personality and individual differences; and psychological research methods) and their understanding of how psychological knowledge and skills can be productively applied in different contexts to address a range of issues. It allows students to develop a critical understanding of the empirical basis of psychological knowledge and equips them with the knowledge and skills to apply ethical and inclusive principles and practices in different domains, including conducting ethical and inclusive research in line with the principles of open science, and ethical and inclusive conduct in the workplace. The teaching, learning and assessment strategy is designed to enable students to develop and demonstrate competence in all aspects of the curriculum and to develop and apply a range of psychology-specific and transferable graduate skills across different contexts, thus providing students with a firm foundation for progression to postgraduate training and graduate employment. All learning materials are provided online, allowing students to study at their own pace and at times that are convenient for them. On completion of the course, students will be able to demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition, and creativity, and have the knowledge and skills required to become ethical, inclusive, and socially responsible professionals capable of excelling in a range of professional employment contexts.

Completion of the course allows students achieving at least second-class honours to progress to further post-graduate courses in the School of Social Sciences and Professions and the wider University. This includes our MSc Psychology of Mental Health; MSc Addiction and Mental Health; MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health; and MSc Criminology and Psychopathology. Graduates achieving at least second-class honours are also eligible to progress to our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited MSc Psychology (Conversion) which provides the eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC), which is a pre-requisite for further accredited training towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate critical understanding of psychology as an academic discipline.
2. demonstrate ability to ethically apply psychological knowledge and skills in different contexts to address a range of personal, social and/or global issues.
3. initiate and sustain arguments and solve problems using appropriate methods and techniques.
4. manage their own learning and engage in self-reflective practice to identify areas for development.
5. make evidence-based judgements and decisions in different areas of applied psychology.
6. communicate information to specialist and non-specialist audiences in different modalities in line with the principles of open science.
7. UL0. Demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible practitioners/professionals in their discipline.

QAA Statement for Psychology (2019):

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-psychology.pdf?sfvrsn=6935c881_13

Learning is assessed using a range of formative and summative methods. Assessments are designed to be sufficiently challenging and engaging, inclusive, and anticipatory. The assessments require students to critically evaluate core psychological theories and their evidential basis and to question and challenge existing psychological knowledge and practices; demonstrate application of the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout the programme (e.g., in the context of conducting psychological research and/or designing and evaluating psychological interventions); and demonstrate their ethical and non-discriminatory application of psychological knowledge and skills in different career-related contexts. This includes designing evidence-based psychological interventions, producing case formulations for clients with complex needs, designing mental health promotion campaigns for different audiences, initiating and conducting empirical research, and writing research reports in accordance with professional publication standards and the principles of open science. Students are provided with constructive written and oral feedback for all formative and summative assessments from module leaders, lecturers, Personal Academic Tutors, and Psychology Academic Mentors.

The BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology is designed to enable students with prior learning in psychology to develop their understanding of how psychological knowledge and skills can be productively applied in different areas of life to address a host of personal, social, and global issues. It provides a critical insight into what working within the psychology professions entails and what is required to excel in different roles within those professions. As such, the modules have a strong employability focus and are informed by the occupations and career pathways that many psychology graduates aspire to (e.g., clinical psychology; forensic psychology; educational psychology). All modules include sessions on careers in the psychology professions and provide opportunities for students to discuss their plans with tutors, peers, and psychologists with experience working in different branches of psychology and related professions. Students are also encouraged and supported to enter voluntary or paid positions within organisations and charities to gain relevant work experience, and to attend various online employment-focused events for support and advice on successful progression to postgraduate training and graduate employment.

An equal number of credits must be attempted across the two semesters.
Students must comply with British Psychological Society (BPS) ethical standards in any course-related activity or assessment. These are covered in the following documents:
https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/code-ethics-and-conduct
https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/ethics-guidelines-internet-mediated-research
Failure to comply with appropriate ethical standards, including failure to follow the procedures for gaining ethical approval for research projects, will result in an allegation of academic misconduct.

For the award of BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology, 120 credits must be completed, including the 15 credit PC6P98DL Applied Psychology Project Part 1 module and 15 credit PC6P99DL Applied Psychology Project Part 2 module. Students exiting with 90 credits are eligible for the interim award of BSc Applied Psychology.

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy is designed to enable students from diverse backgrounds to develop and demonstrate competence in a range of psychology-specific and transferable skills. It aims to stimulate students’ interest in the discipline and its application in different contexts to address a range of personal, social and/or global issues; provide an appropriate intellectual challenge; promote self-management of the learning process using a range of online resources; encourage students to think of themselves as partners in a collaborative venture of learning; and equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their potential.

Student are provided with opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in self-reflection throughout the course. Each module is designed to encourage and support students to reflect upon the extent to which their approach to learning and personal development is sufficient to allow them to achieve their aims, and to identify further learning needs as they progress through the course. Students are also encouraged to reflect on their own and other people’s professional behaviour and to appreciate the implications of inclusive behaviour and practices for other people as well as for psychology as a discipline. This emphasis on self-reflection and both personal and professional development is embedded within each module to help prepare students to progress to and excel in postgraduate training and employment in psychology related professions.

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There are a range of opportunities for graduates to progress to postgraduate training and graduate employment. The knowledge and skills that students develop throughout the course leave them well-positioned to progress to and excel in occupations and industries as diverse as mental health services, advertising and media, human resources, teaching, social services, the police and prison services, social work, and the charity sector.

The course also provides a firm foundation for progression to the various employment-focused postgraduate programmes in the School of Social Sciences and Professions. This includes MSc Psychology of Mental Health; MSc Addiction and Mental Health; MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health; and MSc Criminology and Psychopathology, all of which provide accessible and clearly signposted pathways into graduate employment or Doctoral programmes. The course also provides a clear and accessible pathway on to the MSc Psychology (Conversion) and eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) from the British Psychological Society (BPS), which is a pre-requisite for further accredited training towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

This course prepares you for a wide range of careers where applied psychological knowledge is valued. You’ll graduate with the skills and confidence to work in sectors such as mental health, education, research, and criminal justice.

Continuing your studies with us
These courses would be ideal for postgraduate progression:
• MSc Psychology (Conversion)
• MSc Psychology of Mental Health
• MSc Addiction and Mental Health
• MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• MSc Criminology and Psychopathology

If you've already studied your undergraduate degree with us, as a graduate of London Met, you'll be entitled to a 20% discount on any further study with us.

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

Successfully completed 240 credits, including at least Level 5, from courses or modules that provide comprehensive coverage of the core psychology sub-disciplines:

• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Biological psychology
• Social psychology
• Personality and individual differences
• Psychological research methods

Applicants from a range of educational and professional backgrounds will be considered. If you’re unsure whether your previous study meets these requirements, we encourage you to get in touch for guidance.