Psychology (Joint Honours)

Three years full-time or four to six years flexible part-time.

Our students learn new ways of understanding how and why people think and act as they do. They are also equipped with transferable, critical and analytical skills to enhance their employability. The course offers considerable flexibility and choice. 

Some modules are mandatory whilst others are selected from a range of options. The major, joint and minor pathways allow different numbers of optional modules. In stage one important core ideas, evidence and methods are introduced. This basic knowledge is built upon in stages two and three to foster a cutting-edge understanding of topics.

Stage one

In stage one, two core modules permit an excellent grounding in psychology. One module introduces the major approaches to understanding human behaviour: social, cognitive, biological and developmental and personality psychology. The other module enables students to acquire skills in the design and execution of a range of psychological research methods, the analysis and interpretation of data and report writing. In addition to the core modules, students can take other stage one Psychology modules exploring the many ways that psychology is applied to real-world problems and developing students' research, thinking and communication skills.

Stage two

In stage two, Psychology major students seeking Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC) undertake four modules covering, social, developmental, biological, cognitive and personality psychology, plus the key debates within psychology and psychological research methods. Minor and joint pathway students can also choose to study Positive Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology and Educational Psychology.

Stage three

In stage three, students specialise in areas of interest and as potential career preparation. Students select from the wide range of advanced Psychology modules on offer. There are modules on each of the applied psychological professions such as forensic psychology and clinical psychology. There are also modules reflecting the research expertise of our staff; for example Transpersonal Psychology and Positive Psychology. Psychology majors typically undertake an empirical dissertation with one-to-one guidance from a Psychology lecturer. The dissertation allows students to immerse themselves in a topic of their choosing, subject to staff approval, and to put into practise the research skills they have acquired through the course.

• Excellent and innovative teaching
• Friendly and supportive staff
• An exciting range of modules
• The Division of Psychology at The University of Northampton was rated 15th out of all psychology departments in the UK for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2008.

• Educational Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Motivation and Emotion
• Social and Developmental Psychology
• Transpersonal Psychology

Course outline

Psychology can be taken as a major, joint or minor subject in the Joint Honours degree programme. The course is embedded within a highly flexible modular system, enabling students to choose modules from a very wide range of options.

Subject aims

Psychology is concerned with understanding people's actions and mental experiences. The aim of the course is to explore the nature of human behaviour and experience and the various ways in which they can be studied. It focuses upon the major issues and methods of enquiry in present-day psychology and considers the applications of psychology to problems of modern life in such fields as work, education, physical and mental health and crime.

Course content

Stage one modules

Stage one comprises four 20 credit modules and introduces the major theoretical approaches to understanding human behaviour. Introduction to Psychology and Becoming a Psychologist are the core compulsory modules for Joint Honours Psychology students.

Introduction to Psychology

Introduces the key areas of psychology (such as social, biological, cognitive and developmental psychology) and provides a firm grounding for the Psychology modules at stages two and three.

Becoming a Psychologist

Actively involves you in a range of practical problem solving exercises, all of which will develop your knowledge of many ways in which psychologists carry out their research. The module is conducted in small workshop groups and is assessed by coursework only.

Psychology in Practice

Provides an overview of the various roles of professional psychologists in areas such as health, sport, work, forensics, education, counselling and psychotherapy.

Investigating Psychology

Exposes you to original psychological articles and major current debates to support your understanding of lecture courses and develop your ability to think and communicate effectively about psychology.

Stage two modules

Stage two provides a wide range of ten credit and 20 credit modules enabling you to study a number of core areas in detail, with sufficient flexibility to select according to your interests and career plans. Your final choice of modules will be partly determined by the specific award you choose.

To become eligible for GBR, you would complete the following six ten credit modules and the 20 credit Research Methods and Data Analysis.

Social Psychology

Looks at the psychological processes influencing behaviour within groups and relationships.

Developmental Psychology

Increases students' appreciation of the interactions among the social, biological and psychological processes shaping human life-span development.

Personality and Individual Differences

Provides a thorough grounding in the psychology of why each of us in certain respects is like all other people, like some other people and like no other person.

Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology

Considers key debates within psychology that continue to have a major impact today.

Biological Psychology

Looks at the many insights into human psychology that come from understanding fundamental processes taking place in our brains and bodies.

Cognitive Psychology

Examines the mechanisms by which individuals think, perceive, remember, use language and attend to the world.

Research Methods and Data Analysis

A 20 credit, coursework-only module that builds upon the skills developed in stage one, looking at intermediate level statistics, more complex research designs and alternative methods of investigation to the experiment.

The Psychology of Wellbeing

Focuses on the exciting developments within the field of positive psychology which aims to help us all to live happier, more fulfilling lives.

The Human Animal

Explores the idea that our understanding of human thinking and behaviour can be complemented if we understand them in terms of biology, evolution and ecology.

Stage three modules

All students select a number of advanced modules from a wide range of options. Major students also complete a Psychology dissertation. To obtain GBR, the dissertation must incorporate empirical research.

The Psychology of Health

Allows you to advance your understanding of human behaviour through an exploration of two related aspects of applied psychology. It examines the application of psychological principles to issues of physical health and psychological well-being through student engagement with the two sub-fields of health psychology and counselling psychology.

Forensic Psychology

Explores the ways in which psychological models and theories can be applied to the understanding of offending behaviours, for example in criminal investigation, court and prison settings.

Understanding the Social World

Introduces recent developments within psychology and to new areas of the discipline (particularly discursive and critical psychology), which challenge and deconstruct concepts and processes taken for granted within mainstream psychology.

The Psychology of Mental Health

Focuses on the work of clinical psychologists. The module looks at the contrasting psychological and medical approaches to the understanding and treatment of so-called 'mental health problems'. It also offers an opportunity to explore the real world application of psychological theories already encountered at earlier levels.

The Developing Adult

Draws on diverse areas of psychology such as social, clinical and health, in order to offer you a range of perspectives for understanding aspects of adult development. Emphasis is placed on the ecology of personal relationships, the lifespan approach to attachment, the meaning of life satisfaction in the later years and myths and stereotypes of ageing.

The Developing Child

Studies a range of contemporary issues concerning typical and atypical development in childhood and adolescence. The module focuses on, social, emotional and behavioural development within the school environment, critical perspectives in developmental psychology and developmental psychopathology.

Motivation and Emotion

Looks at findings and explanations regarding motivational and emotional phenomena with an emphasis on biological and ethological approaches. The topic is applicable to a wide variety of different areas, including pleasure, pain, achievement, eating, drug use, sexual behaviour and particularly positive psychology.

Occupational Psychology

Is designed to help you to acquire knowledge of the psychological research and theory underpinning the work of organisational psychologists and to develop a critical appreciation of the relationships between basic and applied research and between theory and practice.

Transpersonal Psychology

Enables students to explore and evaluate what Maslow described as the "farther reaches of human nature", including peak and spiritual experiences. It also seeks to understand some of the psychological processes within the sphere of the religious experience.

Parapsychology and Anomalous Experiences

Enables you to understand and evaluate aspects of experience that seem to challenge conventional scientific ideas and fosters a balanced sceptical perspective when attempting to account for anomalous claims.

Consciousness

Aims to increase your understanding of the mysterious and perplexing problems of explaining how we can experience the world and apparently choose our actions with free-will. You will explore the fields of visual perception, philosophy and evolutionary theory for insights into these problems.

A variety of assessment strategies are used at each level to ascertain your level of competence in a range of academic and transferable skills. These strategies include essays, practical reports, multiple-choice tests, oral presentations, time-constrained essays, seen and unseen examinations, critical reviews and group project work.

Dedicated laboratories and PC suites for Psychology students.

Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical / laboratory workshops, computer assisted learning, independent and group work. Discussion and student participation is encouraged. Practical work will represent an important component of your psychology course in each of the three years of study.

Psychology can be usefully combined with a wide range of subjects offered at the University. These include Criminology, Health Studies, Sociology, Human Biological Studies, Philosophy, Human Geography, Social Welfare, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Education and Sport Studies. In particular, many of our students combine Psychology and Criminology, which is an excellent combination if you interested in forensic psychology. Psychology and Health Studies is another popular combination particularly useful for people interested in health and clinical psychology. 

Psychology is applied to many professional contexts. After further qualification, you can obtain 'chartered' status as a counselling, clinical, educational, occupational, health or forensic psychologist. Also, academic psychologists conduct research and teach in higher education. Northampton graduates have followed each of these careers. It is widely acknowledged by employers that Psychology degrees provide an excellent grounding for a diverse range of non-psychological careers. Our graduates are employed in education, the health service, the police force, human resources management, marketing, the civil service, broadcasting, social work and many other professions.