Psychology

UCAS code: C800

Here's what University of Portsmouth says about its Psychology course.

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview On this BSc (Hons) Psychology degree, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), you’ll study the mind and behaviour, examine how people think, act and feel.

• Access specialist psychology equipment and facilities including an observation suite, toddler and infant laboratory, psychophysiology laboratory, and digital analysis and video editing suite

• Use our motion capture studios, which feature the latest Vicon optical system, to explore the mechanics and perception of human movement

• Have the chance to study abroad or take part in a year-long work placement, boosting your employability prospects after the course

• Create your own bespoke final year by choosing the subjects and specialisms that most interest you from a fully optional module list

• Be inspired by regular one-on-one tutorials with experienced psychology practitioners involved in research, including the Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology and the Dog Cognition Centre

• Become eligible to apply for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (with a 2:2 or higher)

Accredited by: This degree confers eligibility for Graduate Membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Graduate Basis for Registration.

Careers and opportunities When you graduate, you’ll be ready to continue your training to become a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol).

On the course, you'll be able to customise your final year to your own preferred field of study and choose modules that lay the groundwork for a professional specialism.

After completing your BSc (Hons) Psychology, the next step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist would be a Masters in your chosen specialism, such as MSc Forensic Psychology, MSc Health Psychology or MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology.

What can you do with a psychology degree? As a Chartered Psychologist, areas you could specialise in include:

• clinical psychology

• sports psychology

• counselling psychology

• educational psychology

• forensic psychology

• occupational psychology

The transferable skills you'll learn are also in demand in other fields, such as:

• teaching (with additional training)

• social welfare

• police work

• research

• marketing

Graduate roles and destinations Roles our previous graduates have gone on to work in, include:

• assistant psychologist

• lecturer in policing

• domestic abuse worker

• wellbeing lead

• occupational therapy support officer

• head of learning and professional development

• HR director

• National Crime Agency (NCA) officer

They've gone on to work in the following organisations:

• Mind

• Care UK

• Department of Health and Social Care

• Ministry of Defence

• The Home Office

• Office for National Statistics

• Metropolitan Police

• EMEA at Michael Kors

Placement year You'll be able to increase your chances of landing your ideal job after your degree by taking an optional work placement year between your second and third years. A placement year gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a real workplace, boosting your employability and making you stand out to employers.

You can work for a company or organisation here in the UK or overseas, or you could go independent by setting up and running your own business with other students.

Previous students have completed placements in the following organisations:

• Great Ormond Street Hospital

• Mind

• Solent NHS Trust

• GlaxoSmithKline

• Microsoft

• IBM

Year 1

Core modules in this year include:

• Animal Behaviour (20 credits)
• Applying Psychological Research Skills (40 credits)
• Perspectives in Psychology (20 credits)
• Professional Skills for Psychology (40 credits)

There are no optional modules in this year.

Year 2

Core modules in this year include:

• Biological & Cognitive Psychology (20 credits)
• Individual Differences & Psychometrics (20 credits)
• Professional Development and Employability (20 credits)
• Psychological Research Methods (20 credits)
• Quantitative Data Analysis (20 credits)
• Social & Developmental Psychology (20 credits)

There are no optional modules in this year.

Placement year (optional)

Boost your employability by taking an industry-based work placement year with a relevant organisation or immerse yourself in another culture by studying for a year at one of our partner universities worldwide.

This is an amazing opportunity to either put everything you’ve learned so far into action in a real workplace or expand your horizons and set yourself up for your future career by studying abroad and becoming a student ambassador for our university.

Depending on what you choose, we’ll help you find and secure an exciting placement opportunity within an appropriate company or organisation, or you’ll expand your global perspective and develop additional skills to boost your future career during a study abroad year.

This is a Connected Degree

We're the only university that gives you the flexibility to choose when to take a work placement. Take it after your 2nd year, before returning to finish your studies. Or after your final year, connecting you into the workplace.

If you're not sure if or when to take your placement, don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to settle into your studies and explore your options before making your choice.

Year 3

Optional modules in this year include:

• Applications of Sport and Exercise Psychology (20 credits)
• Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology (20 credits)
• Cultural Psychology (20 credits)
• Educational Psychology (20 credits)
• Environmental Psychology (20 credits)
• Exploring Data for Psychology (20 credits)
• Introduction to Teaching (20 credits)
• Issues in Clinical and Health Psychology (20 credits)
• Language and Communication (20 credits)
• Motor Learning and Development (20 credits)
• Neuroscience (20 credits)
• Occupational and Organisational Psychology (20 credits)
• Perspectives On Legal Psychology and Forensic Psychology (20 credits)
• Psychology Research Project (20 credits)
• Psychology Research Project (Extended) (40 credits)
• Psychology Work Placement (20 credits)
• Social Construction of Disability (20 credits)

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

You’ll be assessed through written examinations, practical reports and essays, poster presentations, oral presentations, self-led research project. You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.