Psychology - 2012 entry
BSc (Hons)
- single
BA (Hons)
/
BSc (Hons)
- combined (see 'Combine with...' tab for available combinations)
Typical A-level offer: ABB or equivalent
Accredited by the British Psychological Society
Overview
Watch the video to find out more about studying Psychology at Oxford Brookes
A video about the Department of Psychology at Oxford Brookes
Oxford Brookes psychologists have been involved in the MINI E research project, investigating public attitudes towards electric vehicles
Tracking a child's eye movements
State-of-the-art laboratory facilities include equipment to measure brain activity
This course is run by the Department of Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour. It offers educational challenge and excitement, and the chance to become familiar with important methods, theories and discoveries. Most people have a keen interest in normal and abnormal behaviour - this course provides an opportunity to extend this interest and to underpin it with a solid academic foundation. Psychology students gain critical thinking skills that have been developed within a context of rigorous empirical psychology and are highly valued in the workplace.
With around 300 undergraduates and 100 postgraduates, we deliberately keep our department fairly small, fostering a friendly, stimulating atmosphere of shared knowledge. We teach you not just about psychology, but how to be a psychologist. You will become part of a young, enthusiastic department, taught by staff who are recognised experts in their field, covering many varied aspects of behaviour. There is a supportive relationship between undergraduate and postgraduate students, resulting in complementary learning at all levels.
You may study Psychology as part of a combined honours or as a single honours degree.
Why Brookes?
- Accredited by the British Psychological Society.
- Flexible learning - study Psychology on its own or combine it with another subject, from a wide range of options.
- 75% of research activity in Psychology was judged to be international or excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour (Research Assessment Exercise 2008).
- Purpose-built department with state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories.
- High research profile, and all teaching staff are active researchers.
- Truly international environment – students and staff from over 40 countries around the world.
- Regular external speakers.
- Dedicated support staff with multitude of interests.
Studying Psychology at Oxford Brookes is not just about lectures and reading. You will learn how to collect and analyse data using statistics and computer packages, and will have use of our excellent laboratory facilities, including the eye tracker, EEG (to measure brain activity) and observation lab.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Our undergraduate modules employ a range of teaching and learning formats for delivery and assessment including lectures, seminars, discussion sessions, some group tutorial sessions, and independent work with tutorial supervision. Progressive practical classes in statistical analyses and empirical methods, using a variety of approaches and tools, including e-learning, culminate for most students in the honours project module where an independent, empirical enquiry is undertaken and written up.
You will be taught by staff who are actively engaged in research projects spanning the spectrum from social to biological aspects of behaviour, which means that your learning will be informed by the very latest academic thinking. The department has a stimulating and friendly atmosphere, and there is a lively student psychology society which organises regular events including speakers, films and social events.
We make a concerted effort to ensure that you acquire useful abilities that will help you in your career. These include interviewing and other interpersonal skills, working in groups, measurement and evaluation of behaviour, use of statistics, computers and word-processing systems in psychology, and use of psychological knowledge to solve problems and design experiments. These skills are taught entirely within the course and do not require special prior experience.
Some modules are assessed wholly by examination, some wholly by coursework and some by a combination of the two.
Learning outcomes
The aims for those students completing the single honours and combined honours course are:
- to produce a scientific understanding of mind, brain, behaviour and experience, and of the complex interactions between these
- to present multiple perspectives in a way that fosters critical evaluation
- to develop an understanding of real-life applications of theory to the full range of experience and behaviour
- to develop an understanding of the role of empirical evidence in the creation and constraint of theory and also of how theory guides the collection and interpretation of empirical data
- to develop knowledge leading to an ability to appreciate and evaluate critically theory, research findings, and applications
- to foster the acquisition and knowledge of a range of research skills and methods for investigating experience and behaviour.
In addition those students completing a psychology research project have the additional aim:
- to gain the ability to conduct research independently.
In detail
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Faye Murray
I was particularly interested in the research aspect of Psychology, discovering more about a particular aspect of the human mind, having studied Psychology at school.
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The department houses the Institute for Research in Child Development (IRCD) and hosts the Oxford Centre for Connectionist Modelling (OCCM), a joint venture with the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. Research interests of the staff are focused around cognition and neuropsychology, developmental child psychology, and health and well-being. During semesters there is a programme of weekly departmental seminars on a range of topics given by staff and visiting researchers.
Four basic modules are available in Year 1. These introduce you to current theories, methods and findings in experimental psychology, the study of social and personal influences on individual and small-group behaviour, children's social and emotional development, and basic psychological investigative procedures and data interpretation.
Other modules taken in Year 2 give further grounding in data collection and analysis, and in empirical techniques. Optional modules allow you to study many different aspects of psychology such as social, developmental, abnormal and biological psychology, personality and individual differences or cross-cultural perspectives.
In Year 3 you will have the opportunity to undertake your own research project. You may also take honours modules that will provide a systematic overview of the historical and conceptual development of contemporary psychology, or that reflect the cutting-edge research knowledge of our varied staff members.
As courses are reviewed regularly the module list you choose from may vary from that shown here. You can read a detailed list of the modules here.
Year 1
- Foundations of Experimental Psychology
- Foundations of Social Psychology
- Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics for Psychology
- Foundations of Developmental Psychology
Years 2 and 3
- Social Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology (Honours)
- Cognitive Psychology
- Personality and Individual Differences
- Biological Foundations of Behaviour
- Advanced Statistics and Experimental Methods for Psychology
- Questionnaires and Qualitative Methods for Psychology
- Topics in Cognition (Honours)
- Topics in Developmental Psychology (Honours)
- Topics in Social Psychology (Honours)
- Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Psychology (Honours)
- Explanatory Concepts (Honours)
- Empirical Project (Honours) (double module)
- Multidisciplinary Project
- Independent Study
Our 'Topics in...' modules include a number of staff-led research topics within each module which students can choose for further study.
Psychology students may also choose to study up to four of the following acceptable modules:
- Psychology of Language (Honours)
- Sports Psychology (Honours)
- Man and Environment
- Anthropology of Ritual
- Crime and Society
- Freedom, Justice and the Community
- Globalisation and Democracy
- Gender and Society
- Race, Ethnicity and Exclusion
- Education, Work and Employment
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviour (theory)
- Bodywork and Touch
- Developing Employee Relations
- Poverty and Welfare
- Ageing, Old Age and the Elderly in Historical Perspective (double)
- Children in Sickness and Health, 1750-1950 (Honours)
- The Social World of Childhood
- Philosophy of Science
- Philosophy of Language
- Philosophy of Mind (Honours)
- The Philosophy of Religion
- Group Dynamics
Study abroad
Oxford Brookes students are actively encouraged to study for part of their degree at other universities in the EU. Previous students have studied in France, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Spain and Holland. Psychology students have also taken advantage of opportunities to study in America and Australia.
With over 100 partner institutions across the world, Brookes can offer you a unique overseas study experience.
More information about exchanges, European work placements and other study abroad programmes, is available here.
Departmental research highlights
The research ethos of our department means that the latest academic thinking informs and inspires our teaching and your learning. Our teaching staff are all recognised experts in their field. Some research studies which have recently received external grants include:
- interviewing former terrorists about their involvement in past violence and the current peace in Northern Ireland
- the development of norms for a test to measure the speed of handwriting
- profiling writing in children with specific language difficulties
- an assessment of the impact of cochlear implants on deaf children’s literacy
- a study of health visitor evaluations of mother-child interaction
- an investigation into past-tense formation in adults
- a study of visual representations in object substitution masking
- car users' attitudes to electric cars
- visual memory errors in Parkinson’s disease patients with visual hallucinations
- the development of categorisation skills in infants
- children's use of social consensus as a cue to reliability when learning new information
- judgements of vehicle approach in a road-crossing situation, among primary school children.
Free language courses for students - the Open Module
Free language courses are available to all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying any course on our Headington (including Marston Road), Harcourt Hill or Wheatley Campuses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Key facts
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Kirsty Walter
I came to Brookes because they offered the course I wanted to a good level and it has a focus on developmental psychology, the area I wanted to specialise in.
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Professional accreditation
If you have vocational ambitions in psychology you can follow courses of study in both single and combined honours courses which are accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), provided you achieve the minimum standard of a lower second-class honours. This is the first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist.
Course length
Full-time: 3 years
Part-time: up to 6 years
Teaching location
Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane
Start date
September 2012
UCAS code
C800 BSc/PX
Combine with...
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This course can be combined with one of the following subjects:
Anthropology
CL86 Mod/PSAN
NC28 Mod/PSDP
Communication, Media and Culture
PC98 Mod/PSHQ
Education Studies
XC38 Mod/PSWD
English
QC38 Mod/PSEA
English Language and Communication
QC98 Mod/PSLD
French Studies
RCC8 / Mod/PSFC
Geography
CL87 Mod/PSGG
Human Biosciences
BCD8 Mod/PSIQ
International Relations
LCF8 Mod/PSRL
Music
CW83 Mod/PSMS
Philosophy
CV85 Mod/PSPQ
Politics
CL82 Mod/PSPO
Sociology
CL83 Mod/PSSO
Sport, Coaching and Physical Education
CC86 / PSSU
Fees / funding
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Tuition fees
UK/EU students
Full-time: £9,000
Part-time: £750 per module. You can take up to five modules per academic year.
International students
Full-time: £11,000
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
+44 (0)1865 483088
finance-fees@brookes.ac.uk
Funding and scholarships
For general sources of financial support, see:
Apply / Entry reqs
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Typical offers
A-level: ABB or equivalent
IB Diploma: 33 points
Advanced Diploma: grade B, including A-level at grade A in either Psychology, Maths or Science
Other typical offers include:
- AB at A-level and BB at AS-level
- vocational A-levels at equivalent grades.
For combined honours, normally the offer will lie between the offers quoted for each subject.
Other academic qualifications that fulfil the entry requirements include:
- a recognised foundation or access course
- European Baccalaureate.
Further EU qualifications are also accepted; for more details please contact the senior tutor for this course.
Specific entry requirements
GCSE: Mathematics or Statistics at grade B or equivalent
- Applicants with a GCSE Mathematics grade C will also be considered if they have or are predicted to achieve a grade A or B in A-level Psychology.
- If you are over 21 years old and you do not have these qualifications, you should contact the senior tutor to discuss your application.
Please also see the university's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, we will need proof of your English language ability - IELTS (6.5 or above), TOEFL (paper-based test 575; internet-based test 90).
Please also see the university's standard English language requirements.
English language requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Border Agency's minimum language requirements as well as the university's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Full-time students should apply for this course through UCAS.
Part-time students should apply directly to the university.
Conditions of acceptance
When you accept our offer you agree to the conditions of acceptance. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Oxford Brookes operates the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). All undergraduate single modules are equivalent to 7.5 ECTS credits and double modules to 15 ECTS credits. More about ECTS credits.
Student experience
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Anna Flach
I would definitely advise anyone to go to Oxford Brookes, both for the university and for the opportunity to live and study in such an amazing city, which as well as being historic and beautiful, is also vibrant and lively.
See full profile »Why Oxford is a great place to study Psychology
As a student in Oxford you'll be at the heart of the UK's most successful economic region and in a centre for leading industries which will provide you with a host of work placement and other learning opportunities.
One of the world's great academic cities, Oxford is a key centre of debate, with conferences, seminars and forums taking place across education, science, the arts and many other subjects. It is a vibrant city with plenty of attractions for its large student population, from theatres and cinemas to museums, art galleries and music venues. A bustling and stunning cosmopolitan city, Oxford has excellent shopping, restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs.
Situated in the heart of rural England and home to around 150,000 people, Oxford offers students a clean and safe environment less than an hour from London and international airports.
Specialist facilities
Based on the Headington Campus just a mile from Oxford's historic centre, the Department of Psychology is purpose-built and includes:
- state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, with eye tracker and high‐density EEG and ERP facilities to measure brain activity
- a computer suite
- teaching rooms and a video-recording studio with observation room
- a dedicated psychological test library.
Psychology students have access to a wealth of online resources, journals and articles, available through our departmental portal. We have our own PC departmental network, including services developed in‐house and linked directly to the university computing services.
With over half a million books, DVDs and CDs, a vast range of databases, e‐journals and reference materials, Oxford Brookes Library provides all the resources you need for your study of psychology. We have a dedicated psychology librarian who is on hand to answer your enquiries, teach you information skills and guide you around the electronic resources on offer. The library offers regular training sessions on accessing and making the best use of key resources in your specific subject area.
Once you reach the stage of writing your dissertation, you will also have access to the world famous Bodleian Library.
Support for students studying Psychology
As a Psychology undergraduate, the support you receive at Oxford Brookes is unparalleled. As well as our teaching staff, the psychology team includes knowledgeable laboratory technicians and demonstrators. They are there to help students resolve academic problems (such as helping with the statistical analyses of experiments). One of our demonstrators recently won the UK Technician Demonstrator Award from the Higher Education Academy Psychology Network for his innovative support to students.
When you arrive at Oxford Brookes you will be assigned an academic adviser who will provide you with academic support and supervision throughout your degree. They will also keep you up to date with events such as visiting speakers and career events.
In addition, our dedicated student support co-ordinators are on hand from the day you start to the day you leave. They are here to help with anything from academic advice, such as helping you choose your modules, through to any personal issues you may experience. Our unique, free Upgrade study service is available to anyone who needs advice on study skills, from planning and writing essays to highlighting areas for improvement.
General support services
Supporting your learning
From academic advisers and support co-ordinators to specialist subject librarians and other learning support staff, we want to ensure that you get the best out of your studies.
Personal support services
We want your time at Brookes to be as enjoyable and successful as possible. That's why we provide all the facilities you need to be relaxed, happy and healthy throughout your studies.
Accommodation
At Brookes we understand that when you live away from home it's important to be somewhere that you feel comfortable and safe.
After graduation
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Jaime Tinker
The Psychology course was perfect at introducing all aspects of the subject, but is also very research focused. As a result of designing and running different experiments I ultimately want to continue on to postgraduate study before building a career in research.
See full profile »Professional accreditation
If you have vocational ambitions in psychology you can follow courses of study in both single and combined honours courses which are accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), provided you achieve the minimum standard of a lower second-class honours. This is the first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist.
Career prospects
Many of our students take up careers in educational, occupational or clinical psychology, or in academic research. We encourage flexibility, and emphasise the general relevance and practical value of the discipline. This equips you for a variety of careers in such areas as personnel work, market research, health care and teaching. Careers talks take place in the department and help is given to find opportunities for workplace experience in several domains.
The British Psychological Society has details of the many and varied careers that a degree in psychology can open up for you. There you will also find details on the route to becoming a chartered psychologist.
As a psychology student at Oxford Brookes you will gain expertise in your field, and also develop a set of skills to help you stand out from the crowd, including the ability to:
- be an independent worker and researcher
- use critical analysis and creative thinking
- keep in step with the latest developments
- use problem-solving and numeracy skills
- become confident in presentation and public speaking
- contribute to teamwork
- develop networking opportunities
- refine your writing abilities.
