Overview
How do we understand relationships and interpret the behaviour of others? What drives people to act, respond, remember and recognise things in the way they do? Is it possible to predict with complete certainty how someone will behave? At Essex you can satisfy your curiosity about how our mind works and what drives human behaviour.
Psychologists undertake scientific study to try to explain and predict how people work. It is the study of our mind and body, our thoughts and behaviour, feelings and perceptions. We conduct experiments in order to investigate how people develop throughout childhood, the way in which they acquire language, and the behavioural changes that can occur as a result of brain injury, disease, or life experience.
On our course you experiment, explore and research why we think, feel and act the way we do. You cover core areas of psychology including:
- Sensation and perception
- Learning and memory
- Clinical psychology
- Personality and individual differences
- Social and health psychology
We provide one of the most immersive and exciting experience of studying the human mind in the UK. You learn from our researchers and can work together in the same space via our Research Experience Scheme (RES) which gives you the opportunity to work one-on-one with a psychologist as their research assistant.
- 91% of our psychology students are in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2020).
- You have unparalleled access to research equipment such as EEG, TMS and eye tracking.
- Our £2.4m Centre for Brain Science is our purpose-built centre for research and houses many of our labs.
Course structure
We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.
Teaching and learning disclaimer
Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.
The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently approved for 2022 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.
Why we’re great
- 91% of our psychology students are in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2020).
- You have unparalleled access to research equipment such as EEG, TMS and eye tracking.
- Our £2.4m Centre for Brain Science is our purpose-built centre for research and houses many of our labs.
Structure
Placement
On a placement year you gain relevant work experience within an external business or organisation, giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing you with key contacts within the industry. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Teaching
- A typical timetable includes around eight to fourteen one-hour lectures per week with associated classes or laboratories
- We combine small and large-group teaching with regular laboratory-based research exercises
Assessment
- Your assessment is based on written essays, practical lab reports, and examinations
