Cognition is the mental processes underlying our ability to process and perceive the world around us. Social psychology offers a way to understand ourselves and the social world around us. You will learn about classic paradigms and experimental approaches, covering key historical and conceptual topics within these fields of psychological research. You will be provided with a comprehensive overview of core theories and findings as well as explore how theories and findings extend beyond the laboratory setting into the real world. You will also see how personality, individual differences, and intelligence impact our mental processes and are expressed in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Your first theory module will introduce you to two key areas of study in psychology, developmental psychology and neuropsychology, plus the underpinning concept of individual differences. Developmental Psychology looks at change over time, using theories of learning (such as those from Piaget and Vygotsky) as a focus for discussion. Neuropsychology takes us into the realms of the brain and mind, where you will begin to understand the complex interplay between the brain and behaviour in real-world contexts. You will learn to use primary sources of knowledge - peer-reviewed journal articles presenting scientific theory and evidence - to enrich your thinking and talking about psychology and develop your critical evaluation skills.

Delve deeper into the fascinating world of cognitive psychology. You’ll uncover how the brain processes information, how we remember, learn, focus our attention and make sense of what we see and hear. Topics include everything from memory and categorisation to face recognition, auditory processing and how our senses work together. Explore landmark studies and cutting-edge research that reveal how our minds shape behaviour. Along the way, you’ll see how psychological insights are used in real-life scenarios like improving medical diagnoses or airport security.

This is your chance to engage with the science behind how we experience the world. You’ll sharpen your ability to analyse research, evaluate evidence, and make sense of complex ideas. It’s a key step in understanding human behaviour and in building your own research and critical thinking skills.

Throughout your degree you gain a unique skills set based on your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of sciences. In this module we develop your self-awareness of these skills and how to make the most of graduate-level employment opportunities.

We introduce you to the University’s employability resources, including job search techniques and search engine use. We develop your skills in writing CVs and cover letters, and we draw on the expertise of employers and alumni. Your ability to effectively use these resources will enhance your employability skills, your communication skills and help you to develop a short-term career plan.

Explore the rich and thought-provoking world of social psychology. You’ll dive into topics like social influence, leadership, prejudice, intergroup conflict, social cognition, attitudes, attribution, and identity uncovering how our thoughts, behaviours and relationships are shaped by the social world around us.

But this isn’t just about theory. You’ll also examine how social psychology is shaped by cultural and historical context, question the methods used in research, and think critically about how knowledge is produced and how it’s used. Through engaging lectures and interactive seminars, you’ll build a strong set of academic skills. Learn how to use technical language, connect complex ideas, analyse arguments and communicate your thoughts clearly and confidently. This module helps you see how social psychology is not just academic, it's deeply relevant to the world you live in.

This module introduces you to the fundamental neural principles underlying cognition and behaviour, with particular emphasis on perceptual, cognitive, and emotional

processes. You will gain basic knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, alongside a range of theories and

neuroscientific research methods. Develop your analytical and critical thinking skills by engaging in scientific literature and making comparisons across different theories and methods. By the end of the module, you will understand the methods used to study the nervous system and be able to describe the general relationships between brain structure and function. Topics covered will include how sensory information is processed in the brain, mechanisms of memory, emotion and reward-guided decision-making, as well as the current theories in attentional processes and consciousness.

Gain a solid foundation in developmental psychology, exploring it from a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives. Through lectures and seminars, you'll dive into key topics in developmental science from prenatal development through childhood and adolescence. You'll explore motor, perceptual, cognitive, communicative, social, emotional and cultural development. Along the way, you'll tackle fundamental questions: What makes infants such powerful learners? How do different capacities emerge and develop? And what happens when development takes an atypical path? You'll also engage with major theoretical debates that have shaped our understanding of these processes.

In this module we continue to develop your employability skills. We focus on your ability to communicate your scientific learning to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of your degree and empower you when it comes to job applications and interviews. This includes practice for assessment centres and associated tasks such as psychometric testing and skills testing, and 1-1 recruitment selection or panel-based interviews.

Undertaking an independent piece of research can be the pinnacle of your learning journey at university. You will formulate and deliver a piece of research which draws together knowledge and understanding that may transcend traditional scientific boundaries. Working with a project supervisor from your main pathway of study, you will design a project which reflects your main areas of research interest, undertake data collection, and critically evaluate key findings in the broader context of the scientific discipline. This will allow you to recognise your ability as a cross-disciplinary scientist, to address contemporary issues and/or cutting-edge research questions.

*This module is mandatory for those students undertaking a literature review in the single-weighted Psychology pathway. Otherwise, it is optional.

Discover what clinical psychology is, learn about key theoretical frameworks and treatment approaches, and develop an understanding of how research is related to practice.

You will describe and discuss prominent (neuro-)psychological disorders affecting different populations. This may include disorders such as schizophrenia, parkinsons, Alzheimer's, developmental disabilities, selected eating disorders and mood and anxiety disorders. You will discuss these disorders in terms of their assessment, cause, research background and interventions. You will be introduced to issues in professional training and practice and gain a realistic appreciation for the work of clinical psychologists. By the end of the module, you will be able to recognise and discuss several specific and overarching aspects of clinical psychological practice, as well as a range of prominent psychopathologies.

Explore the ‘ins and outs’ of cognitive science, integrating cutting-edge research with practical applications. Gain insight into experimental research from the cognitive revolution onwards, work which has produced ever more sophisticated models of human behaviour.

You will also investigate the world outside the cognitive science laboratory, building your understanding of a variety of behaviours and events, applying core insights from within. You may choose to explore occupational research, developmental and educational research, neurodiversity and clinical issues.

Building on earlier core perspectives, you will engage critically and constructively with social psychological research and theory. Explore a wide variety of applied topics currently being researched by social psychologists. You will develop your ability to evaluate and summarise the current state of knowledge (theory and evidence) on a given topic and apply this knowledge constructively to address real-world issues.

Delve into a contemporary psychological analysis of cyber behaviours and the digital footprint created by, and used in the service of, human activity. You will integrate and contrast traditional psychological concepts with online behaviours that inevitably show both commonalities and differences. You will learn about methodologies for cyber research and the theories and tools that cyber psychology has created. You will also explore “what does it mean to be a human in a ubiquitous digital environment?”.

Explore how psychology can help in forensic and investigative settings, including police investigations and dealing with suspects in court rooms. You will learn about offender profiling, lie detection, investigative interviewing and interrogation, while gaining an appreciation for what can be learned from studying the behaviour of criminals in a scientific framework, with the goal of understanding theories of crime and criminal behaviour.

You will learn how to apply psychological theories of behaviour to explain criminal case studies and experiences in criminal contexts, as well as the strengths and limitations of classifications of criminal behaviour. This module will equip you with the skills to discuss the merits of different approaches to offender treatment, interviewing, and detecting deception, plus the capacity to think critically about a range of controversial issues today.

Explore how advances in developmental psychology methods and measures have transformed our understanding of development. You will be presented with current methods in the field and asked to highlight areas in methodological or theoretical debate.

You’ll examine contemporary and historical techniques and developmental theory. By engaging with contemporary research, you will evaluate how these methods have opened new avenues for investigating the mechanisms underlying developmental change, whilst considering the parameters for use and their implications. You will have the opportunity to speculate on future advances and how they may change our understanding of the field. Topics will include prenatal and early infant perception, social development and cognition, social and moral reasoning, language and memory development.

Do you want to entertain and inspire children and the public in STEM? With an introduction to teaching as well as wider engagement opportunities, learn how to understand your audience and how to engage and enliven them. You will also learn how to balance this with educating them and presenting science in a way that’s appropriate to your audience. We include an introduction to pedagogy, how to inspire school pupils and how to use traditional and new media for science communication.

You will deliver an activity of your choosing to an audience. This could be a lesson at school, engaging with children at a large outreach event or delivering a public lecture. In addition, you will also reflect on your activity to discuss what you’ve learnt and what changes you would make. You can deliver this by either video, podcast or article.

You only know what's real because your brain tells you it is real. However, what if your brain is lying to you?

Examine striking instances of hallucination, delusions and disorders of consciousness in the neurotypical and pathological population. You will critically review a broad ranging and interdisciplinary set of findings from neurology, neuroscience (including brain-imaging and brain-stimulation), neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry and the scientific accounts proposed by these disciplines for these aberrant experiences.

You will examine a wide variety of case studies, approaches, and methods and their relation to over-arching theory. A recurring question will be, "Why are certain types of hallucinations or delusions occurring as opposed to any other random possible alternative experience?". This will facilitate a more ‘mechanistic’ approach to understanding, rather than simply saying ‘what’ parts of the brain are active.

How do we decide whether two groups differ in a psychological process or behaviour? Further your understanding of rigorous and transparent scientific practices and develop your thinking of real-world issues. Using modern techniques, learn more about how to collect, present and analyse data. You will be introduced to key concepts and practices of research design and data analysis through lectures. Practical laboratory classes will teach you how to design studies, handle data, perform statistical analyses and report your findings. The laboratory classes will be hands-on, giving you direct experience with all stages of a research project, including the use of specialised software. Topics covered will include experimental design, how to decide on your study participants, comparing groups for behaviours of psychological interest and hypothesis testing.

Cognition is the mental processes underlying our ability to process and perceive the world around us. Social psychology offers a way to understand ourselves and the social world around us. You will learn about classic paradigms and experimental approaches, covering key historical and conceptual topics within these fields of psychological research. You will be provided with a comprehensive overview of core theories and findings as well as explore how theories and findings extend beyond the laboratory setting into the real world. You will also see how personality, individual differences, and intelligence impact our mental processes and are expressed in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Your first theory module will introduce you to two key areas of study in psychology, developmental psychology and neuropsychology, plus the underpinning concept of individual differences. Developmental Psychology looks at change over time, using theories of learning (such as those from Piaget and Vygotsky) as a focus for discussion. Neuropsychology takes us into the realms of the brain and mind, where you will begin to understand the complex interplay between the brain and behaviour in real-world contexts. You will learn to use primary sources of knowledge - peer-reviewed journal articles presenting scientific theory and evidence - to enrich your thinking and talking about psychology and develop your critical evaluation skills.

How do we determine what is a true finding in psychological science? How do we know which theories are well supported by evidence? This module introduces you to rigorous and transparent scientific practices. You will develop systematic ways of thinking about and approaching real-world issues. Using modern techniques, you will learn how to collect, present and analyse data. We will introduce key concepts and practices of research design and data analysis through lectures. Practical laboratory classes will teach you how to design studies, handle data, perform statistical analyses and report your findings. The laboratory classes will be hands-on, giving you direct experience of all stages of a research project, including the use of specialised software. Topics covered will include questionnaire design, collecting and working with observational data, and looking at relationships between variables using correlation and regression analysis.

Delve deeper into the fascinating world of cognitive psychology. You’ll uncover how the brain processes information, how we remember, learn, focus our attention and make sense of what we see and hear. Topics include everything from memory and categorisation to face recognition, auditory processing and how our senses work together. Explore landmark studies and cutting-edge research that reveal how our minds shape behaviour. Along the way, you’ll see how psychological insights are used in real-life scenarios like improving medical diagnoses or airport security.

This is your chance to engage with the science behind how we experience the world. You’ll sharpen your ability to analyse research, evaluate evidence, and make sense of complex ideas. It’s a key step in understanding human behaviour and in building your own research and critical thinking skills.

How do we design experiments to ensure they answer the specific research question(s) we propose? How would data that is derived from such experiments be analysed? Uncover advanced concepts that are important to consider when designing experimental studies. We will introduce you to advanced statistical techniques and key concepts that can be used to analyse data from experimental research studies. In the labs you will gain hands-on experience in developing experiments, preparing data for analysis, and analysing complex datasets. Topics will include designing complex experimental studies, important ethical considerations when conducting research, how to prepare “messy” data for analysis and how to conduct Analysis of Variance (ANOVAs).

Throughout your degree you gain a unique skills set based on your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of sciences. In this module we develop your self-awareness of these skills and how to make the most of graduate-level employment opportunities.

We introduce you to the University’s employability resources including job search techniques and search engine use. We develop your skills in writing CVs and cover letters, and we draw on the expertise of employers and alumni. Your ability to effectively use these resources will enhance your employability skills, your communication skills and help you to develop a short-term career plan.

How do you explore human behaviour and experience it without conducting experiments? In this module, you’ll learn how to design, carry out, and analyse non-experimental studies that offer valuable insights into people’s thoughts, feelings and actions, particularly through language and observation.

You’ll develop core skills in qualitative methods such as interviews and thematic analysis and discover how to combine these with quantitative approaches in mixed methods research. You’ll also explore how to analyse complex numerical data from observational studies using advanced statistical techniques, including regression.

Lectures will introduce you to the key concepts, while lab sessions give you the chance to apply them designing your own studies, collecting real data, and learning how to analyse it effectively using software tools. By the end of this module, you’ll be confident in using non-experimental methods and be equipped with the tools to handle and interpret the kinds of real-world data that psychologists and social scientists use every day.

Explore the rich and thought-provoking world of social psychology. You’ll dive into topics like social influence, leadership, prejudice, intergroup conflict, social cognition, attitudes, attribution, and identity uncovering how our thoughts, behaviours and relationships are shaped by the social world around us.

But this isn’t just about theory. You’ll also examine how social psychology is shaped by cultural and historical context, question the methods used in research, and think critically about how knowledge is produced and how it’s used. Through engaging lectures and interactive seminars, you’ll build a strong set of academic skills. Learn how to use technical language, connect complex ideas, analyse arguments and communicate your thoughts clearly and confidently. This module helps you see how social psychology is not just academic, it's deeply relevant to the world you live in.

This module introduces you to the fundamental neural principles underlying cognition and behaviour, with particular emphasis on perceptual, cognitive, and emotional

processes. You will gain basic knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, alongside a range of theories and

neuroscientific research methods. Develop your analytical and critical thinking skills by engaging in scientific literature and making comparisons across different theories and methods. By the end of the module, you will understand the methods used to study the nervous system and be able to describe the general relationships between brain structure and function. Topics covered will include how sensory information is processed in the brain, mechanisms of memory, emotion and reward-guided decision-making, as well as the current theories in attentional processes and consciousness.

Gain a solid foundation in developmental psychology, exploring it from a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives. Through lectures and seminars, you'll dive into key topics in developmental science from prenatal development through childhood and adolescence. You'll explore motor, perceptual, cognitive, communicative, social, emotional and cultural development. Along the way, you'll tackle fundamental questions: What makes infants such powerful learners? How do different capacities emerge and develop? And what happens when development takes an atypical path? You'll also engage with major theoretical debates that have shaped our understanding of these processes.

In this module, we continue to develop your employability skills. We focus on your ability to communicate your scientific learning to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of your degree and empower you when it comes to job applications and interviews. This includes practice for assessment centres and associated tasks such as psychometric testing and skills testing, and 1-1 recruitment selection or panel-based interviews.

For your project, you’ll carry out an independent piece of psychological research, guided by a dedicated supervisor. Together, you’ll decide on a research question that reflects your interests, so no two projects are the same. You can use a variety of methods, depending on the topic you choose. This is your chance to bring together everything you’ve learned throughout your degree and make your own contribution to psychological research.

*This module is mandatory for those students undertaking the BPS-accredited (double-weighted) Psychology pathway. Otherwise, it is optional.