Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour, asking why people think, feel and act as they do, and using empirical methods to test hypotheses about the processes that underlie human experience. It is a discipline of remarkable scope, encompassing the neuroscience of perception and memory, the social psychology of group behaviour and prejudice, the developmental psychology of how children learn and grow, the clinical understanding of mental health conditions and their treatment, and the cognitive psychology of decision-making, language and problem-solving.

At Birmingham City University, this part-time programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society, which means that it provides the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership that is required for those who wish to go on to become chartered psychologists. BPS accreditation is the professional standard that employers and postgraduate programmes in applied psychology look for, and it makes this degree a foundation for the full range of professional psychology careers. You will develop the scientific knowledge and research methods that the discipline demands, building competence in quantitative and qualitative research design and analysis, as well as an understanding of the major theoretical frameworks that psychologists use to explain behaviour and mental life.

A sandwich year provides extended professional experience, and a work placement gives you further hands-on exposure to professional settings relevant to psychology.

The part-time format makes the programme accessible to students who have other commitments alongside their studies.

Graduates from BPS-accredited psychology programmes can progress to postgraduate training in clinical psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, occupational psychology, health psychology and counselling psychology, as well as to careers in research, human resources, marketing, data analysis, the civil service and education. The combination of scientific rigour, analytical skill and understanding of human behaviour that psychology develops is valued across a wide range of sectors.