Psychology BSc Welcome Pack
Welcome to Psychology 2023.
Psychology All pathways
Including: BSc Psychology, BSc Psychology (Counselling), BSc Psychology (Developmental and Educational), Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons), Psychology and Criminology BA (Hons), BSc Psychology (with Intergraded Foundation Year)
Our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited course gives you all that you need to cover the main areas of psychology, as well as expanding your knowledge into areas that you are passionate for, whether that is counselling, development and educational, or other areas you are passionate about.
You will learn about wellbeing, the workings of the brain, and what influences our behaviour. If you are studying BSc Psychology, you will have the opportunity to explore diverse areas of such as parapsychology, occupational psychology, and forensic psychology. If you are studying BSc Psychology (Counselling) you will also explore specialist areas like counselling theory and practice, positive psychology and wellbeing, taught by trained counsellors and psychotherapists. If you are studying BSc Psychology (Developmental and Educational) you will explore areas such as lifespan development, the psychology of learning and teaching, and positive psychology.
The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) route offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance. The IFY course may be for you if you don’t have the right combination of subjects or do not meet the expected entry requirements for direct entry into year 1 of a three year BSc Psychology course. This four-year course will enable you to successfully follow the psychology degree pathway of your choice (Psychology Single Honours, Counselling Psychology or Development and Educational Psychology) while gaining essential study skills. During your Integrated Foundation Year, you will develop the required skills and knowledge to successfully complete the rest of your degree.
You will be joining a diverse and engaged community of students, and taught by a specialist and research-active team who are passionate about how psychology plays a part in our everyday lives.
Welcome and Induction
See below for our welcome and induction sessions for BSc Psychology, BSc Psychology (Counselling), BSc Psychology (Developmental and Educational), Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons), Psychology and Criminology BA (Hons), BSc Psychology (with Intergraded Foundation Year).
Your Programme Leader
Dr Charlotte Dann
Course leader for BSc Psychology (Single Honours)
Charlotte.Dann@Northampton.ac.uk
Dr Karishma Jivraj
Course leader for BSc Psychology (Counselling)
Karishma.Jivraj@Northampton.ac.uk
Dr Rachel Maunder
Course leader for BSc Psychology (Developmental and Educational)
Rachel.Maunder@Northampton.ac.uk
Dr Alasdair Gordon-Finlayson
Course leader for BSc Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons)
alasdair.gordon-finlayson@northampton.ac.uk
Dr Evgenia Volkovyskaya
Course leader for BSc Psychology (Foundation)
Evgenia.Volkovyskaya@Northampton.ac.uk
Other key team members in Psychology:
- Dr David Saunders – Head of Subject
- Dr Laura Taylor – Deputy Subject Leader
- Dr Kimberley Hill – Deputy Subject Leader
These are just some of the staff you will meet. Psychology is a large subject group, and you will be taught by psychologists specialising in a range of different areas during your degree course. You will be able to meet the team during your welcome week and thereafter.
Welcome videos
Your programme leader has prepared a short welcome video, so you can see who they are and hear some key introductory information about your course.
- Psychology [YouTube]
- Psychology (Counselling) [YouTube]
- Psychology (Developmental and Educational) [YouTube]
- Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons) [YouTube]
- Psychology and Criminology BA (Hons) [YouTube]
Supporting you before you arrive
There are a range of online resources for new students on the university website so you can familiarise yourself with how things work and what you need to do and when.
Personal Academic Tutoring
You will be allocated a personal tutor (PAT) when you join us. They are there to help you on your university journey, and can provide support, advice and guidance on academic or personal matters. You will meet your PAT in the first few weeks of term and will have the opportunity to meet with them regularly during the academic year. Remember that you can get in touch with them if you need anything or have questions about any aspect of your university experience. They can help with study tips, using feedback from assessed work, career planning, understanding the university policies and procedures, and can also be a useful signpost for many of the specialist services we have available on campus.
Resources
In our Psychology department, we have specialist equipment that you’ll see and be able to use for research, so there isn’t anything that you’ll need to bring yourself.
However, if you’d like to make a head start on preparation for your first year of study, here is a list of recommended textbooks for your modules (please note: there is some access to these books in the University library/online):
All pathways:
- Dancey, C. P., & Reidy, J. (2017). Statistics without maths for psychology. London: Pearson.
- Holt, N., Bremmer, A. J., Sutherland, E., Vliek, M., Passer, M. W., Smith, R. E. (2019) Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour. London: McGraw Hill Education.
- Davey, G. C. (2023). Applied Psychology. BPS Blackwell.
In addition to the above, we recommend the following if you are studying BSc Psychology (Counselling):
- McLeod, J. (2013). An introduction to counselling (5th ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
If you want to check out more recent discoveries in Psychological research, head to the American Psychological Association (APA) website, and for some career-related advice, see the British Psychological Society.
Enhancing skills, building networks and engaging in the wider University community
We want you to enjoy your time with us and get the most out of your university experience. There are opportunities for you to get involved in a range of activities that will help you to gain new skills, build valuable applied experience, get to know new people, and integrate yourself into the wider university community. Below are a few examples.
Work-based learning
Across the Psychology course, there are several opportunities to gain work-based experience in settings that relate to your studies. These are a core part of the course, and help you to apply the learning you are obtaining at university to practical settings relevant to psychology.
For full time students, your first work-based experience takes place in semester 1 and involves spending a short period of time in a setting of your choice (our University Student Futures Team and your tutors can support you with this). Further details on this will be provided, but we recommend you start thinking about this ahead of time so you can have the plans in place early. You may have links with an organization, a workplace, or a local charity that could accommodate you as a volunteer, or you could start keeping a lookout for suitable opportunities that you could get involved in.
In the IFY you will be introduced to the Foundations in Psychology. The purpose of this module is to develop an academic and professional foundation in the field of Psychological Studies to help you investigate, understand, communicate and engage effectively in your chosen psychological pathway.
Student representation
Every year we invite students to put themselves forward to be a course representative. We value student involvement, and want to hear your feedback, ideas and suggestions about your course. Course representatives are responsible for collating and feeding back course matters from fellow students to course, module, and programme leaders in a termly meeting known as Student Voice Meetings. They are given training and support throughout their tenure by the Student Union. Have a think if you would like to consider becoming a course representative. It’s entirely optional, but a great way to gain experience!
Student ambassadors/Outreach
There are advertised opportunities available to take on roles such as outreach activities with local schools, supporting university events, and engaging children with STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) subjects. Some of these are ideal for students on the Psychology (Developmental and Educational) programme because of their relevance to education and children and young people.
Social activities
Within Psychology, there are numerous social events taking place during the year that you can get involved in. One example is ‘Psychology in the Pub’, where staff, students and members of the public debate psychological topics in a local pub! We also have a Psychology Society who organise a range of different activities for students to participate in, and some ‘pop up’ events such as a festive quiz, treasure hunt and talent show!