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Duration of programme: 4 years (where students join the programme in year 1)
Award on successful completion: Bachelor of Science with Honours
Accreditation: British Psychological Society – eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership
Location of delivery: Abertay University, Bell Street, Dundee
Composition of the programme: 120 SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework) credits in each academic year, delivered largely in modules of 20 credits each, with 3 modules taken in term 1, and 3 in term 2 each year. First and second year of the programme includes a choice of microcredential modules worth a total of 20 credits per year. All students complete a 40-credit individual research project in the final year. The programmes are:
• Psychology
• Psychology with Development and Education
• Psychology with Forensic and Investigative Psychology
• Psychology with Forensic Scene Investigation
Students will be given the option to register with a pathway at the beginning of their degree programme, or to register for the BSc (Hons) Psychology (with no pathway). They will be given another opportunity to register for a pathway at the start of Year 2 when they make the first option module choices that will affect pathway availability, and again the start of Year 3 providing they have taken the required Year 2 pathway module. Finally, if a student initially chooses a pathway but subsequently changes their mind, they can choose to graduate with a BSc (Hons) Psychology as they will have completed all the core psychology modules.
Contact hours and workload: Each academic year typically requires 1200 hours of student effort; on average across the 4 years of this programme, 20-25% of that time is in seminars, practicals and accessing online content (lectures, activities, etc.); the remainder is independent study.
Assessment methods: Assessment is by a range of methods including reports, case studies, essays, exams, vivas and student presentations.
Academic staff: This programme is delivered by staff in the Division of Psychology and Forensic Sciences in the School of Applied Sciences. Staff profiles can be viewed at https://www.abertay.ac.uk/staff-search
Core modules in the programme*:
Other modules that may be offered, but are subject to change over time:
Core modules in the programme*:
Other modules that may be offered, but are subject to change over time:
Core modules in the programme*:
Other modules that may be offered, but are subject to change over time:
Core modules in the programme*:
Other modules that may be offered, but are subject to change over time:
Developments in the discipline: The discipline of psychology is continually evolving, with most new developments coming in experimental and statistical methods. The use of neural imaging techniques is the most significant advancement in understanding the links between brain and behaviour of recent times, along with advances in open science practices. However, the core subject disciplines are unlikely to change (*core modules are correct at the time of writing but are subject to annual review and may change because of this). This keeps the curriculum relevant and maintains a real-world connection as new policy, practice, employability, and professional approaches come to the forefront. New developments are readily incorporated into the core curriculum without having to fundamentally change the programme structure.