Final year (national level 6):
Core modules
- Empirical Project (40 credits)
Work with a supervisor to apply what you have learned in research methods modules to your own research project. Report your findings in an extensive research report, and present your project in the form of an academic poster at our poster conference.
- From Research to Reality (20 credits)
Evaluate some of the ‘big issues’ at the cutting edge of psychology such as free will, the nature of consciousness, the interface between psychology and politics, psychology and religion, the role and scope of anomalistic psychology, psychology and social policy, psychology and culture including the psychology of music or art, psychology and information technology including issues such as cybercrime, computational modelling and transhumanism, current issues in psychological research such as the replication crisis, value of psychology as a discipline, the future of psychology.
Optional modules (choose three):
Please note, the full list of optional modules may change from year to year.
- Occupational Psychology (20 credits)
Focus on the scope of occupational psychology and its application to work, employees and organisations. Cover topics aligned with the British Psychology Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology such as psychological assessment at work; learning, training, and development; leadership, engagement, and motivation; wellbeing and work.
- Development and Neurodiversity (20 credits)
Explore the development of our understanding of neurodiversity. Address the historical progression of how we have characterised neurodiverse populations, including autism spectrum conditions and Williams syndrome, from early diagnostic formulation to current day. Examine biological aspects of neurodiversity such as brain differences, as well as their relevance to cognition and behaviour. Study relevant topics in neurodiversity, including relationships, healthcare and education.
- Environmental Psychology (20 credits)
Gain specialist knowledge of Environmental Psychology, an applied sub-discipline of Psychology which bridges a range of core areas and related disciplines such as architecture, planning, and geography. Cover topics which include the role of the environment in social development and relationships, the relationships between environments, health and wellbeing, place attachment, place identity and the importance of home.
- Psychology of Addiction (20 credits)
Take an introductory look at the psychology of both substance and non-substance-related addictive behaviours. Examine a variety of addictive behaviours such as alcoholism, addiction to psychoactive drugs, gambling, and sex addiction, as well as theories relating to the development, persistence, control and treatment of addictive behaviours. Link these behaviours to various areas of psychology such as the biological effects of drug use, how cognition plays a role in addictive behaviours and the social implications of addiction.
- Dissertation in Psychology (20 credits)
Engage in a comprehensive review of the academic literature related to a specific negotiated topic in psychology, unrelated to your Stage 3 project/dissertation topic. Under supervision, critically evaluate the current understanding of the topic from multiple psychological perspectives and identify themes within the established literature. Consider possible future research directions that would extend the understanding of your chosen topic.
- Clinical Neuropsychology (20 credits)
Look at the nature of cognitive and emotional impairments following brain damage in adults. Cover topics including the causes of brain damage in adults, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, neuropsychological assessment procedures and rehabilitation following brain injury.
- Health Psychology and Behaviour Change (20 credits)
Examine how psychological concepts, principles and theories can be applied to understand and alleviate problems associated with health and health-related behaviours. Cover topics which include personality, health and illness, sociocultural aspects of health and illness, and stress and health. Focus on psychological interventions aimed at changing health-related behaviours.
- Psychology and Story (20 credits)
Consider how neuroscience and psychology are used in storytelling including myths and fairytales and their function in human culture where they are said to define who we are and shape our identities and our character. Map the hero’s journey, consider its features, and apply it to a range of epic stories such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. We will consider the importance of character and compare the hero, the antihero and the superhero - and explore the relationship between hero and self.
- The Psychology of Serious and Violent Offending (20 credits)
Apply psychology to understanding offenders and a number of common forms of serious and violent offending encountered in forensic settings. Draw on approaches from across the discipline of psychology, applying psychological theory and research to aspects of serious and violent offending, for example gang violence and crime, intimate partner violence and other forms of domestic violence, sexual violence, murder, terrorism, financial and corporate crime, cybercrime.
- Digital Humans: The Psychology of Online Behaviour (20 credits)
Study cyberpsychology, the psychology of how humans interact with technology and online environments. Look at the online world and its impact on human behaviour. Explore how humans have adapted to a world with increasing amounts of technology: becoming digital humans in the process. Study the rise of artificial technology, and its impact on human behaviours. Consider how we interact with virtual environments, explore virtual identity, online vs. offline behaviours, and how we approach privacy and self-disclosure in an increasingly digital world.
- Advanced Quantitative Methods (10 credits)
Further develop your research design and data analysis skills, building on the foundations provided at Years 1 and 2. Cover advanced quantitative research design and acquire a number of advanced data analysis techniques.
- Brain Plasticity (10 credits)
Explore the malleable and changeable quality of the human brain. Look at brain development running from childhood through to adulthood, and how age affects the plasticity of the brain. Examine evidence of the interconnectedness of the human brain from birth, looking at individuals with born sensory defects and synaesthesia as well as the ability of the brain to reorganise after damage.
- Applied Memory Research (20 credits)
Study real world issues and problems relating to memory such as recovered and false memories, post-traumatic stress disorder and memory, memory closure and expressive writing, childhood amnesia, pregnancy and memory, life stories and post-traumatic growth, mindfulness and memory, role of memory making in mental health after perinatal loss, simulation of future experiences and anxiety.
- Professional Placement (20 credits)
Acceptance onto this module is competitive and based on academic engagement and staff references. If your application to this module is successful, you will complete a 140-hour placement with a professional organisation, possibly, but not necessarily, related to psychology. Past placements have included conducting research and analysing data for NHS trusts and private clinical organisations or working as psychology teaching and research assistants.
- Art Psychology (20 credits)
Focus on two main areas: firstly, can psychology help us to understand and explain how and why people create art. Secondly, can psychology help us to understand why (some) humans like art, how art communicates meanings and what humans gain from experiencing art.
- Professional Practice (20 credits)
Understand key conceptual, ethical, legal, and regulatory issues in clinical psychology. Understand the regulatory framework in which clinical psychologists practice, the legal obligations they must comply with such as issues concerning consent, confidentiality, data protection, and safeguarding, and the ethical issues clinicians encounter when working with people with mental health problems such as protecting an individual’s liberty and protecting individuals from harm.
