Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour, investigating everything from the firing of neurons to the dynamics of social groups, from the development of children to the breakdown of mental health, from the mechanisms of attention to the formation of attitudes. It is a discipline that combines the rigour of natural science with the complexity of human experience, and it asks questions that are both intellectually fascinating and practically important for how we understand ourselves and organise our societies.

At Cardiff University, this three-year full-time programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society, which means that it meets the requirements for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership, the starting point for careers in professional psychology requiring BPS chartership. Cardiff has strong research expertise across clinical, cognitive, social, developmental, and neuroscientific approaches to psychology, and studying here means you will be working within a serious research environment from the first year. You will study the core areas of psychology, including cognitive psychology, biological psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, research methods, and statistics, before having the opportunity to explore more specialist topics in the later stages of the degree.

Research methods and statistics are not peripheral to psychology but central to it: the discipline is built on empirical inquiry, and the ability to design studies, collect and analyse data, and interpret results critically is something you will develop rigorously throughout the programme. The final year typically includes an independent research project, which gives you the experience of conducting original inquiry from question through to conclusion.

Graduates in psychology enter a very wide range of careers. Those who want to become professional psychologists, including clinical, educational, forensic, or occupational psychologists, typically pursue postgraduate training after the degree. Others go directly into roles in human resources, marketing research, social research, healthcare support, education, the charity sector, and general management, where the understanding of behaviour and the research skills psychology develops are valued.

Postgraduate conversion courses are also available for graduates who want to qualify as psychologists later in their career.