Developmental Psychology BSc (Hons)

Typically class contact time will be structured around:

• 8 hours of Lectures
• 2-4 hours of Seminars

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 30 hours of personal self-study per week.  Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes principal lecturers, senior academics, HCPC registered professional practitioners with clinical experience, and psychology technicians.

Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.  Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and 93 per cent of teaching staff in the Psychology Department have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments.  Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. 

The specific assessment strategies used in Psychology are designed to develop skills and knowledge in Psychology and provide evidence of your progress and achievement throughout the course.  They also play an important role in helping to develop your employability skills and so prepare you for a range of careers.  For example, your literacy skills are developed and assessed through assignments such as essays, literature reviews and critical reviews of journal papers; numeracy and problem solving skills are developed and assessed through the analysis of data sets; assessments using poster and power point presentations, enhance your communication skills and the use of group  assessments helps you develop team working and leadership skills.  You will also have an opportunity to demonstrate independence in a sustained piece of work through the completion of the Psychology Research Project.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1
Essay x 1
1 hour MCQ Exam x 2
1 hour Short Answer Exam x 1
Research Methods Portfolios x 2
Research Report x 1
Case Study x 1
Group Video Presentation x 1
Individual Reflection x 1
Group Poster Presentation x 1 

Year 2
Research report x3
Exam x3
Essay x1
Presentation x1
Research proposal x1
Literature review x1

Year 3
Research Report x 1
Reflective Log x 1
Case Study x 2
Exam x 1
Presentation x 1
Literature Review x 2
Podcast x 1
Essay x 2
Wiki x 1
Individual reflection x1
Psychology Research Project x 1

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Employability

This course will provide you with the foundations to pursue further professional training towards becoming a Chartered Educational or Clinical Psychologist. Other possible Psychology-related postgraduate professional training programmes might include those leading to psychology careers in counselling, health, academia, sport and forensics. The acquisition of psychological theory and knowledge alongside the communications skills gained would place graduates at a distinct advantage in a variety of professions, particularly in health-related disciplines.

A degree in Psychology is highly favoured by employers, giving you an excellent advantage in the job market. During your studies with us you will learn new skills, develop existing expertise, study a wide range of approaches and methodologies and leave with a broader range of knowledge, skills and abilities. An important part of this learning process is the ability to reflect upon your own experiences; an aspect of practice engaged in by all professional psychologists. We will help you to develop these skills through the Academic Tutoring system; you will be provided with an Understanding Skills & Professionalism booklet, which you will use both as a record of your learning and a tool for self-reflection.