PsychologyBSc Honours

UCAS code C8003 Years

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PsychologyBSc HonoursUCAS code C8003 Years

Our flagship Psychology BSc Honours degree isaccredited by the British Psychological Society,and is available with a professional placementyear, giving you a head start in yourprofessional career.

Psychology is the scientific study of people, the mind andbehaviour. 

This BPS-accredited degree covers a range of fascinatingtopics, including:

• developmental and social psychology• personality and abnormal psychology• evolution and genetics for psychologists

Your teaching is informed by our internationally recognisedresearch in areas such as:

• visual and cognitive neuroscience• clinical psychology• disorders of development

You'll have the chance to apply to take a year-longprofessional placement between Stages 2 and 3.

Placement opportunities may include working with clinicalpsychologists, forensic psychologists or psychologyresearchers. 

You'll also develop transferable skills - such as quantitativeand qualitative data analyses, computing, report writing andpresentation skills - which prepare you for a wide range ofcareers. 

Highlights of this degreeQuality and rankingPsychology at Newcastle is highly regarded:

• top 20 in the UK – The Times/Sunday Times GoodUniversity Guide 2020, The Guardian University Guide2020 and The Complete University Guide 2020

• top 150 – Psychology category – QS World UniversityRankings by Subject 2019

Professional accreditation*This degree is professionally accredited by the BritishPsychological Society (BPS).

This gives you the Graduate Basis for CharteredMembership (providing you achieve the minimum standardof a lower second-class Honours).

Having Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership meansyou can join the BPS and will be eligible to go on to further

training and, if successful, to practise as a professionalpsychologist.

For information on the benefits of studying an accreditedcourse, visit the BPS website.

*All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly bytheir professional body.

Psychology crosses subject boundariesPsychological explanations of varied behaviours range fromconsiderations of evolutionary biology, through aspects ofthe brain systems that actually mediate actions, to the socialand cognitive processes that underlie human behaviour andlanguage.

Psychology crosses traditional subject boundaries. It shareselements with the arts, sciences and social sciences, areasin which we offer strength and breadth at Newcastle. Thisallows us to enrich your study programme with teaching andresearch from fields as diverse as:

• business (consumer and organisational behaviour)• zoology (animal behaviour)• language sciences (language acquisition, acquired and

developmental speech disorders)• physiology (hormones, sleep addiction)• neuroscience (the structure and function of the brain)• biochemistry (neural transmitters)

Work placement (optional)Apply to spend nine to 12 months on anoptional professional placement or workplacement (subject to availability) between Stages 2 and 3.This extends your degree to four years.

Some placements will be advertised for you to apply for, forexample working with clinical psychologists, forensicpsychologists, or psychology researchers. Alternatively, wecan provide you with support to find your own placement,including help writing applications.

Undertaking a professional placement year will helpyou stand out in the graduate job market. It provides aninvaluable opportunity to: 

• apply your knowledge in a practical context• further develop your graduate skills• gain demonstrable work experience to showcase your

skills to future employers 

 Find out more about Work Placements.

Research opportunitiesAs well as your Stage 3 research project, there are alsoopportunities outside your course to gain additional researchexperience. This can provide an insight into whatpostgraduate study will be like as well as giving you thechance to gain valuable research and problem-solvingskills.

All our students can apply for a paid scholarship to workon a summer vacation research project through theUniversity's Vacation Scholarships scheme. The School ofPsychology participates in the scheme with different projectsavailable every year on a competitive basis.

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The School also runs a certified research apprenticeshipscheme, under which student volunteers work on ongoingprojects under supervision.

Practical experienceAt Newcastle, we teach you how to:

• formulate theories• conduct experiments• use statistical techniques to identify important findings• write up research reports

You will also play an active part as participants in staff andstudent psychology projects from your very first year. This isa useful experience that you can draw on when you are inyour third year and running projects of your own.

Facilities and supportAs a student at Newcastle, you will be based in the Schoolof Psychology in the University's Ridley Building.

FacilitiesYou will have access to a purpose-built research buildingwith modern, practical facilities for carrying out experimentsand extensive computing facilities.

SupportYou will have an academic member of staff as a personaltutor throughout your degree. They can help with academicand personal issues.

All first-year psychology students join a study group ofapproximately 10 students, led by an experienced andtrained final-year student who will also act as your mentorfor your first year.

Social activitiesThe student-led Psychology Society runs a lively programmeof events throughout the year to help you meet people fromall years of study. This includes visiting speakers, socialevents and weekends away to visit other studentpsychology societies.

Our attractive campus has lots of green spaces whereyou can relax.

Course Details

Modules for 2019 entry

Please noteThe module and/or programme information below isfor 2019 entry. Our teaching is informed by research andmodules change periodically to reflect developments inthe discipline, the requirements of external bodies andpartners, student feedback, or insufficient numbers ofstudents interested (in an optional module). To find outmore read our terms and conditions.Module/programme information for 2020 entry will bepublished here as soon as it is available (end of May2020).Our degrees are divided into Stages. Each Stage lasts foran academic year and you need to complete modulestotalling 120 credits by the end of each Stage. Furtherinformation, including the credit value of the module, isavailable in each of the module descriptions below.

Stage 1

Compulsory modulesPSY1001 Psychological Enquiry 1 - Psychological literacyand academic skillsPSY1002 Developmental and Social PsychologyPSY1003 Evolution and Genetics for PsychologistsPSY1004 Cognitive PsychologyPSY1005 Sensation and PerceptionPSY1006 Instinct, Learning and MotivationPSY1007 History of PsychologyPSY1008 Personality and Abnormal PsychologyPSY1010 Research Methods and Skills 1PSY1011 Research Methods and Skills 2

Stage 2

Compulsory modulesPSY2001 Developmental PsychologyPSY2003 Social PsychologyPSY2004 Individual DifferencesPSY2007 Biological Psychology: Sex, Drugs, Rhythmsand BluesPSY2008 Psychological Enquiry 2: Principles ofPsychologyPSY2009 Methods in Psychology 2APSY2010 Statistics for Experimental PsychologyPSY2011 Methods in Psychology 2B

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Stage 2

Optional modulesYou also take 40 credits of optional modules. At least 20credits must be taken from the following list.PSY2002 PerceptionPSY2006 Animal CognitionPSY2014 Cognitive NeurosciencePSY2016 Abnormal Psychology and PsychiatryPSY2017 Clinical PsychologyYou can choose 20 credits from another unit, subject toapproval. 

Work Placement (optional)

You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months on an optionalwork placement between Stages 2 and 3. You can applyto spend your placement year with any organisation andwill receive University support to do so. It will extend yourdegree by a year and is subject to availability. Find outmore on about Work Placements.

Professional Placement

PSY3000  Psychology Professional Placement Year

Careers Placement

NCL3000  Careers Service Placement Year

Stage 3

Compulsory modulesPSY3097 Empirical ProjectPSY3029 Psychological Enquiry 3 – PsychologicalLiteracy and Professional SkillsOptional modulesYou choose 80 credits of optional modules from thefollowing list: PSY3001 Evolution of BehaviourPSY3006 Consumer PsychologyPSY3008 Art, Mind and BrainPSY3009 Co-operationPSY3018 The Damaged Brain: Case Studies inNeuropsychologyPSY3026 Psychology of ReligionPSY3027 Disorders of Development: A PsychologicalPerspectivePSY3030 Foundations in Forensic PsychologyPSY3031 The Psychology of Teaching and LearningPSY3033 Eating and Weight DisordersPSY3039 Clinical Sport & Exercise PsychologyPSY3040  Psychobiology of Drug AddictionPSY3041 Sensation & Perception in AtypicalDevelopmentPSY3042 Sex Differences and the BrainPSY3043 Making Sense of Scents: Investigating OlfactoryPerception

Stage 3

PSY3044 Cultural and technical intelligence:developmental and comparative perspectivesPSY3045 The neurobiology of learning and memoryprocessesPSY3046 Psychology for Sport PerformanceYou may replace 20 credits of the above modules with 20credits of modules from Stage 2 or Stage 3 offered byanother unit, subject to approval.

Careers

Careers in Psychology“96% of graduates from the school of Psychologywere employed or in further study within 6 months ofgraduating. This puts Newcastle’s employment recordin the top 10% of Universities in the UK.”*

Psychology has an impact on all areas of life and this meansthat there are lots of different career paths. Use theinteractive tool on the British Psychological Society(BPS) website to learn more about different types ofpsychology and to decide what type of psychologist youwant to be.

Developing Employability skills

Our students are encouraged to undertake a placement yearto gain knowledge, experience and employability skills.Employers include:

• NHS Trust• Prison Service• Northumbria Police

Students also benefit from:

• Optional Career Development module at stages two andthree

• Graduate skills and career events embedded throughoutthe degree programme

• Development of entrepreneurship through embeddedEnterprise Challenges

Professional Pathways

Our professional pathways are designed to increase ourstudent’s employability so they can confidently pursue thecareer of their choice.  The pathways support this throughoffering guidance around module choices and placementchoices in order to optimise a student’s knowledge andpropel them on a particular vocational trajectory.    

When you graduate

• If you wish to become a practising psychologist, you willneed a combination of practical experience and furtherspecialist training after you graduate(seehttps://careers.bps.org.uk/).

• If you want to become a clinical or an educationalpsychologist you would also need to gain suitable

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experience and complete the appropriate three-yeardoctorate programme.

• Career paths in other areas of psychology usually requirea related one-year MSc programme, for example an MScin Forensic psychology which can be studied atNewcastle or an MSc in Sports and Exercise psychology

 Our Psychology programmes are valued by a wide range ofsectors. Many graduates go into professions including:

• Teaching• Marketing• Financial Services• Marketing

Companies that our recent graduates work forinclude:*

• NHS• Home Office• HM Revenue and Customs• Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre• PAUL for Brain Recovery

Find out further information about the career options forPsychology from Prospects: The UK's Official CareersWebsite.

Gaining an honours degree in psychology at Newcastlegives you the Graduate Basis for Registration with theBritish Psychological Society (BPS) providing youachieve lower second class honours or above. This meansyou can join the BPS and will be eligible to go on to furthertraining and, if successful, to practice as a professionalpsychologist.

For information on joining the BPS when you graduate, andfor joining the BPS student group for the time you are here,see http://www.bps.org.uk[HC3] [ALF4] 

*Destination of Leavers of Higher Education (DLHE)data 2015/16

 

 

What our graduates go on to do:employment and further studychoicesSee what our recent graduates went on to do and viewgraduate destinations statistics. These statistics are basedon what graduates were doing on a specific date,approximately six months after graduation. Take a look atthe most recent data available for our graduates.

The destination data is available in varying levels, beginningwith the University and moving through Faculty and Schooldown to individual course reports. This final level may giveyou some useful ideas about possible options after yourcourse or a course you are considering.

Careers and employability atNewcastleNewcastle University consistently has one of the bestrecords for graduate employment in the UK.

96% of our 2017 UK-domiciled UG/PG graduatesprogressed to employment or further study within sixmonths of graduating.

85.5% of our graduates are in graduate level employment orfurther study within six months of graduating.

We provide an extensive range of opportunities to allstudents through an initiative called ncl+. This enables youto develop personal, employability and enterprise skills andto give you the edge in the employment market after yougraduate.

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest andbest in the country, and we have strong links withemployers.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees (UK students)

2020 entry:£9,250For programmes where you can spend a year on a workplacement or studying abroad, you will receive asignificant fee reduction for that year.Some of our degrees involve additional costs which arenot covered by your tuition fees.Please note:The maximum fee that we are permitted to charge for UKstudents is set by the UK government.As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee toincrease in each subsequent academic year of yourcourse, subject to government regulations on feeincreases and in line with inflation.See more information on all aspects of studentfinance relating to Newcastle University.

Tuition Fees (EU students)

2020 entry:£9,250 You will pay the same tuition fees as UK studentsfor the duration of your course.For programmes where you can spend a year on a workplacement or studying abroad, you will receive asignificant fee reduction for that year.Some of our degrees involve additional costs which arenot covered by your tuition fees.Please note:

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Tuition Fees (EU students)

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee toincrease in each subsequent academic year of yourcourse, subject to government regulations on feeincreases and in line with inflation.See more information on all aspects of studentfinance relating to Newcastle University.

Tuition Fees (International students)

2020 entry*:£22,800*Please note:You will be charged tuition fees for each year of yourdegree programme (unless you are on a shorter exchangeprogramme).The tuition fee amount you will pay may increase slightlyyear on year as a result of inflation.If you spend a year on placement or studying abroad aspart of your degree you may pay a reduced fee for thatyear.See more information on all aspects of studentfinance relating to Newcastle University.

Scholarships and Financial Support (UKstudents)

You may be eligible for one of a range of NewcastleUniversity Scholarships in addition to government financialsupport.Newcastle University ScholarshipsGovernment financial support

Scholarships and Financial Support (EUstudents)

You may be eligible for one of a range of NewcastleUniversity Scholarships in addition to government financialsupport.Newcastle University ScholarshipsGovernment financial support

Scholarships and Financial Support(International students)

We offer a range of scholarships to eligible internationalstudents:Vice-Chancellor's International ScholarshipsVice-Chancellor’s Excellence ScholarshipsVice-Chancellor’s Global ScholarshipsWe also offer International Family Discounts which areavailable for all international students with a close familymember who has graduated from or is now studying atNewcastle University.

Scholarships and Financial Support(International students)

Newcastle University offers Sanctuary Scholarships foreligible undergraduate students (excludes MBBS andBDS students) from asylum-seeker and refugeebackgrounds. Some of our subject scholarships and sportsscholarships are also available for international students.

Apply

Applying to Newcastle Universitythrough UCASTo apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle you mustuse the online application system managed by theUniversities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

UCAS codes for Newcastle University

• institution name - NEWC• institution code - N21

UCAS buzzwordAsk your teacher or adviser from your school or college forthe UCAS buzzword. You need the buzzword when youregister on the Apply system. This makes it clear whichschool or college you are applying from.

All UK schools and colleges and a small number of EU andinternational establishments are registered with UCAS.

If you are applying independently, or are applying from aschool or college which is not registered to manageapplications, you will still use the Apply system. You will notneed a buzzword.

Making your applicationOn the UCAS website you can also find out more about:

• application deadlines and other important dates• offers and tracking your application

Application decisions and enquiriesFind out more about our admissions process and who tocontact if you need help with your application.