Psychosocial Studies

Psychosocial studies occupies the meeting point between psychology and sociology, taking seriously both the inner life of individuals and the social structures that shape that life. Where psychology focuses on mental processes, behaviour and the workings of the individual mind, sociology examines the institutions, norms and power relations that organise social life. Psychosocial studies brings these two lenses together, asking how the personal and the social are always already entangled, how trauma and identity are shaped by culture and history, and how psychoanalytic ideas can illuminate social phenomena that purely structural accounts might miss.

At Anglia Ruskin University, delivered through University Centre West Anglia, you will study for three years full-time. Drawing on psychology, psychoanalysis and sociology, you will develop a rounded understanding of human behaviour, relationships and social dynamics. You will gain the analytical tools to apply theory to a wide range of questions, from the social dimensions of mental health to the psychology of inequality, prejudice and group dynamics.

The programme develops your ability to think across disciplinary boundaries, which is both intellectually stimulating and practically useful in many professional contexts.

Graduates with a background in psychosocial studies are equipped for work in a wide range of human services and caring professions, including mental health support, social work, counselling, community development and education. The dual grounding in individual psychology and social context is particularly valuable in roles that require you to understand how people's circumstances and inner lives interact. Many graduates go on to further professional training in counselling, psychotherapy, social work or clinical psychology, or pursue postgraduate academic study in psychosocial studies, sociology or applied psychology.

The subject's cross-disciplinary character means that graduates bring an unusual breadth of analytical perspective to roles across health, education and social care.