Discover the science of mind, brain, and behaviour.
Year of entry: 2021/22
Show year of entry: 2020
C800
Y50
3 years full-time (plus optional placement year)
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Book nowGuardian University Guide 2021
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020
National Student Survey 2020
Psychology is the scientific study of mind, brain and behaviour. It is strongly interconnected to other disciplines such as biology, physics, medicine, neuroscience, politics, sociology and economics.
Psychologists use observation and experimental evidence to understand the relationship between our sensations and actions but also the intervening processes that underlie our behaviour. Social psychology studies interactions, group behaviour and culture. Cognitive neuroscience examines the mechanisms of the individual brain, right down to its cells and the connections between them.
Here at the University of York, we teach psychology as a rigorous experimental biological science.
We are committed to the application of this knowledge to the benefit of all sectors of society. Most organisations are interested in explaining, understanding, predicting or changing human behaviour.
We are a research-intensive department which means you will be taught by researchers of international repute who are doing world-leading research as well as delivering lectures and supervising undergraduate projects.
Some of our students go on to work in fields such as health (clinical psychology), education (educational psychology) and criminal justice (forensic psychology) but most use the unique combination of scientific and statistical skills, critical thinking and analysis of human behaviour in other sectors such as marketing, human resources, management and the civil service. A high proportion of our graduates go on to further study.
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society, assuring the quality and relevance of our teaching.
I had never imagined that a university could look so green, and even village-like, while also housing some of the greatest minds known to Psychology.Rossi, 3rd Year student, BSc (Hons) PsychologyRead Rossi's blog to learn more about studying psychology at the University of York
We're among the top departments in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020: Psychology
You'll study in a purpose-built psychology building which makes for an integrated department and rich student experience
Our BSc in Psychology teaches you:
In your first two years you'll build upon your learning of five main areas of psychology.
In your third year, you'll choose four advanced modules from an extensive list in order to specialise and steer your degree in the direction that's of most interest to you. You'll undertake both an original research project and a substantial literature survey - each under the supervision of a faculty member of your choice.
Our courses are designed to be flexible, so you can transfer between BSc and MSci at any time up until the middle of Year 2.
There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:
In the first two years you will study five main areas of psychology.
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
In Year 2 you will build on the knowledge you have already gained in Year 1.
In your Year 3 you choose four advanced modules from a wide range of options. We currently offer a list of nearly 30, and these change from year to year, reflecting the very latest developments in psychology, neuroscience and society.
Literature Survey (10 credits)
You'll undertake a literature survey to investigate an area of your choice. Recent examples include:
Research Project (30 credits)
The single most important component of your degree will be your final year research project. Working under the supervision of a member of staff, you'll conduct and write up an original piece of research. You'll have access to all the sophisticated research facilities of the Department. Recent projects have investigated a wide range of topics, for example:
Each year, several of our best undergraduate projects are published in mainstream scientific journals.
Choose four option modules. Topics change from year to year but recent modules include:
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
The fees and funding figures below are for 2021/22 entry. If you take a year abroad or year in industry you'll pay a reduced rate of fees for that year
| UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|
| £9,250 | £22,650 |
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2021/22 throughout the year.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
“Students from all backgrounds achieve consistently outstanding outcomes”
The TEF Panel, Office for Students, June 2018
Our Gold Teaching Excellence Framework award demonstrates our commitment to the delivery of consistently outstanding teaching and learning for our students.
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19)
We hope to deliver this course as advertised for 2021/22 entry, but it’s unclear when we’ll be able to return to a normal timetable. For an idea of how this course might be affected, see our changes for 2020/21 entry.
During your first two years, you'll be taught mainly through lectures, seminars, practicals and group work under the direction of members of academic staff. As the course progresses there are ever greater opportunities for independence and, in your third year, the emphasis is on choice, specialization and independent study, all supported by supervisors, who will guide you and prepare you for the challenges of the wider world beyond university.
Our state-of-the-art lecture theatre is equipped with multiple screens for presentations, audio amplification and lecture recording facilities. Interactive lectures, using wifi 'clickers' that let you instantaneously respond to questions and have your say, are a standard feature of our teaching. Lecture slides are typically available before each lecture.
The modules you study in your first and second years include seminars where you will focus on an appropriate task in a small group, led by a member of the Department. Once you are in your third and final year, seminars are the predominant method of teaching. Seminars are a great setting to get more actively involved in learning. You'll be expected to contribute by joining in discussion, asking and answering questions and making presentations.
Our Research Methods in Psychology module will give you a great deal of experience of carrying out psychological experiments and we have a dedicated computer laboratory. At the core of this process is the collection and analysis of quantitative data about human behaviour - a vital set of skills for many employers. All aspects of research are covered, from designing and carrying out experiments to analysing, critically evaluating and interpreting results. This experience will equip you with valuable skills that you will apply in your literature survey and empirical project in your third year.
In your third year you will be asked to undertake a project and literature survey. Projects involve carrying out experiments and are personally supervised by a member of academic staff. Findings form a project report, which is a key component of your degree assessment. Our students rate this part of the course particularly highly - indeed, projects are sometimes published in peer-reviewed journals. You can also expect to be closely supervised by a member of staff for your literature survey. Here you will choose a psychological topic and critically evaluate it using the most recent empirical evidence. Again, this portion of the course is highly rated by our students and forms a particularly valuable aspect of our degree programme, demonstrating to future employers your capacity to complete a significant piece of analysis and writing.
You will have access to all our teaching materials via our VLE, in which everything from lecture slides and recordings of lectures themselves through to practical demonstrations and external supporting materials are stored. The VLE also features forums where you and your fellow students can ask questions and discuss ideas.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 8-10 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 1-2 hours per week |
| Practicals | 4-5 hours per term |
These figures are based on an average student in an average week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practise completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during term time. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Our Department is purpose-built with superb teaching facilities mainly under one roof. We are also proud of our York Neuroimaging Centre (YNiC). Equipped with two MRI scanners and an MEG scanner it allows us to look inside the brain and investigate its activity as we see, hear, feel, think and act.
As well as YNiC, we have other first-class research facilities available to you for your final year research projects including our multimodal Action Perception Laboratory, as well as facilities for testing children and measuring eye movements and other aspects of perceptual and cognitive function. New additions to our research facilities include an EEG lab, TMS Lab and Sleep Lab and several Virtual Reality labs.
The Department of Psychology is located on Campus West.
Most lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical work, staff offices and laboratories are in our purpose-built psychology building.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Year 1 marks do not contribute to your final degree class. However, you must pass the modules in Year 1 to progress to Year 2 and supervisors may refer to marks gained in Year 1 when writing references. Exams are usually multiple choice format. Assessed coursework, in the form of essays, practicals and related tasks, provides valuable feedback towards optimal performance in Year 2 and beyond.
Year 2 contributes 40 per cent to your final degree class, through exams (mainly multiple choice) held in the spring and summer terms, and assessed coursework in the form of essays and practical reports.
Year 3 contributes 60 per cent to your final degree class. Advanced modules are assessed through written examinations in the spring and summer terms. You will also undertake a 4,000 word Literature Survey, reviewing the available theories and relevant evidence in a research area of your choice as well as carry out and write up an original research project.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exams | 64% | 49% | 67% |
| Coursework | 36% | 51% | 33% |
The figures above are based on data from 2016/17.
I feel I'm right at the cutting edge of some psychology research, especially with our third year projects. Mine is on sleep and memory suppression in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. Basically, I want to see if you can use sleep to suppress traumatic memories. It's going to be so exciting.Lolly, 3rd Year student, BSc (Hons) Psychology
Our students are highly successful in securing competitive professional psychologist jobs. Many positions require at least one year's experience working in the field, before starting professional training. Much of this work (eg mental health support worker, teaching assistant), is counted in national statistics as 'non-graduate', and national statistics on graduate employment are collected just six months after graduation. Thus some of our best graduates will go on to become highly successful professional psychologists, while their career path may not be captured in the graduate employment statistics.
Our Departmental Employability Coordinator runs a specialised programme of events and training sessions to ensure you are well prepared for work and to support you in developing the skills and experience you need to get the job you want after graduation. We support you to find placements, volunteering roles and paid work alongside your academic work. We encourage you to reflect on your academic and extra curricular activities through regular discussion of your Personal Employability Plan with your personal supervisor.
We invite external speakers to give you a personal insight into a range of careers, support you to research your career options and provide interactive sessions to help you to prepare high quality CVs, job applications and to perform well in interviews. The Department's Employability Coordinator works closely with the University Careers Service, which also offers our students an additional range of career and recruitment events, skills sessions and one-to-one advice.
Fast track to clinical training
The University of York has a unique agreement with the University of Hull, which gives York students an additional route into clinical psychology. Every year, a group of our Psychology graduates are admitted to Hull’s clinical doctorate programme straight out of their first degree. If you are interested in clinical psychology, this fast-track opportunity is really worth bearing in mind.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| A levels | AAA including at least one science We include Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Further Maths as science subjects. For other possible science subjects please contact the admissions tutor. |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | Obtain Access to HE Diploma (Science) with 39 credits at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit or higher. Other Access to HE Diplomas are considered but must include science/psychology modules. Please contact us for further information. |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDD. A science subject is essential. Please contact the department for more information. |
| Cambridge Pre-U | D3, D3, D3 including at least one science subject. |
| European Baccalaureate | 85% overall average. At least one science subject must be taken in final year. |
| International Baccalaureate | 36 points including one Higher Level science subject, which may include Psychology. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You should also have GCSE Maths at grade 5 (B).
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
| Criteria | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to three A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Next Step York, Realising Opportunities, YESS. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offers | If you have experience of local authority care or live in an area with low progression to university, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about contextual offers. |
| EPQ | If you achieve an A or higher at EPQ, you will be eligible for a reduced offer, one grade below our typical offer. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
| GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
| Duolingo | 110 overall, with a minimum of 100 in each component |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current IELTS scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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