UCAS code: C8BC BSc/PWCN
Duration: 3 years full time

The degree is accredited as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership of the British Psychological Society and giving the Graduate Basis for Registration which is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

The principles guiding the syllabus are to provide a wide initial coverage and steadily increasing depth of study in the various topics, taking into account the importance and topicality of any specific material. Your first year of study will exactly mirror those taking the BSc Psychology degree, then in the following years you will be further immersed in the Cognitive Neuroscience field by taking additional modules on this topic, leading to a two semester dissertation in your final year.

An integral part of the course is the teaching of research methodology, and students acquire competence in the use of statistical methods to analyse data from experiments in the laboratory and in the field.

Undergraduate programme

First Year

Approaches to Psychology, applied psychology, cognitive psychology, abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, biological bases of behaviour, statistics and laboratory work, seminars on current topics in psychology, research skills and discussion groups.

Second Year

You will take modules in: Social Behaviour and Development; Biological Psychology; Abnormal Psychology and Individual Differences; Cognitive Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience: Statistics and Laboratory work.

Third Year

Both core and option modules are taken. The four core modules are: Brain and Cognition; Methods and Applications in the Neurosciences; Skills and Perspectives in Cognitive Neuroscience; and Social Behaviour and Development. In addition two options are chosen from topics which typically include: Visual Cognition; Behavioural Neuroscience; Cognitive and Clinical Neuropsychology; Psychology of Love and Attraction; Cooperation, Conflict and Social Dilemmas; Human Factors; Individual Differences; and Clinical Psychology.

You will undertake a two-semester empirical dissertation in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Topics covered will fall broadly within the research expertise of staff in the cognitive neuroscience section of the School and will cover topics in areas such as visual and audiovisual perception; eye movement control during reading; visual processing in word recognition; psycholinguistics; and the cortical representation of cognitive processing.

Skills Gained

You will develop skills in oral and written communication, information retrieval and the evaluation of research.

Training in Information Technology will include the use of spreadsheets and databases, and the assessment of complex statistical information using computer software. Practical and project work will develop research skills, enabling students to design and undertake experiments and other empirical investigations.

Careers/Further Study

Our graduates enter a wide variety of careers, including a variety of posts in health care, social work, personnel work, management training and teaching.

The Graduate Basis for Registration of the British Psychological Society qualifies you to take professional training in clinical, educational, occupational and counselling psychology. Students will get the Graduate Basis for Registration of the BPS provided they obtain an honours degree with a minimum of a lower second class honours.

Within the School of Psychology we offer postgraduate training with the campus-based DClinPsych in Clinical Psychology and MSc in Forensic Psychology, and the distance-learning MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology, MSc in Forensic & Legal Psychology, MSc in Occupational Psychology and MSc in the Psychology of Work. Alternatively students may wish to take up postgraduate research within the School of Psychology leading to a MSc in Psychological Research Methods or a PhD supervised by any member of staff.

Admissions Tutor Dr Claire Hutchinson. Tel: +44 (0)116 229 7197. Email: psyc-admissions@le.ac.uk

Next step: request an Information and Application Pack