MPsych (Hons) Advanced Psychology

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The programme provides advanced training and experience that puts graduates at a competitive advantage in academic or professional psychological practice. Insight and instruction of core psychological research competencies provide a foundation for the exploration of the knowledge and skills specific to particular career-pathways. Selection amongst the wide-range of elective modules provides experiential-learning of advanced topics relevant to clinical practice, techniques in behavior change, and human neuroscience. These options allow you to shape the psychologist that you want to become, with the skills and experience requisite for doctoral training, or immediate professional or commercial practice.

Understanding where your degree subject could take you is an important first step in career planning. Due to the transferrable nature of the skills you gain from your studies, you may discover that there is a much wider range of opportunities open to you within this profession that you may first appreciate. Find out more about where your degree could take you.

• Our hands-on approach to learning embeds practical activities throughout the programme, so you can put new knowledge into practice and build the skills for future careers.
  
• Wide range of elective modules allows you to shape the psychologist you want to become, allowing a deep-dive on techniques in clinical practice, neuroscience and behaviour change.
  
• Taught lectures are concentrated on three specific days of the week (although some sessions may fall outside this pattern), allowing full or part-time study to be combined with research, work experience, or external commitments.
  
• Advanced instruction on all aspects of the research cycle: from the formulation of the research question, experiment design, data analysis, through to the written and oral communication of your findings and applications for further research funding.
  
• Work with world-leading researchers and practitioners in the exploration of a research topic of your own choosing.
  
• Our extensive range of specialist facilities and laboratories, including neuroimaging, observation, virtual reality, and the Plymouth Babylab, allow you to make an original contribution to your chosen area of specialism.

• Year 1

• Your first-year modules provide a foundation of knowledge and skills across the breadth of psychology. Immersive modules integrate theory and practical workshops to provide a deeper exploration and of the psychology of learning and relationships. You will learn about the current debates in psychology, and how our knowledge connects and informs other disciplines.
  

  Core modules

  • Learning (PSYC411)

    This module explores how we gather information, with an emphasis on the scientific method. The module will introduce students to different perspectives on learning, including how to learn effectively, the biological and cognitive basis of learning, and social learning.

  • Psychological Science (PSYC412)

    This module will provide an introduction into a broad range of fundamental topics in psychology. Across eight independent topics, from across the entire breadth of psychology, students will learn key theories. Students will also learn how those theories have been applied to real-world situations and will be asked to explore these theories in practice in Labplus activities.

  • Debates in Psychology (PSYC413)

    This module covers both current and historical debates in topics drawn from across the breadth of psychology, involving discussion of theoretical issues and application and practice. The module will involve independent study sessions exploring some of the empirical differences seen in the literature and practice, and tutorial sessions will support extended writing development.

  • Relationships (PSYC414)

    This immersive module focuses on the Psychology of Social Relationships across the lifespan. This topic is introduced and analysed from different disciplines in Psychology, including Developmental, Social, Biological, Clinical and Individual Differences perspectives. Lectures introduce methodologies, key findings and concepts for understanding Social Relationships. Lectures will be supported by workshops and tutorials.

  • Topics in Psychology (PSYC415)

    This module will provide an in-depth exploration of four topics from core areas of psychology. Each of the topics will run for four weeks with interspersed group-based linked Labplus activities. These will allow students to get involved in a continued project, within the scope of a particular topic, which might involve data collection and subsequent statistical analysis of that data.

  • Connecting Psychology (PSYC416)

    This module will link psychology to other disciplines by exploring how the study of human and animal behaviour is investigated in collaboration with scientists and practitioners in a variety of other fields. A series of topics will be interspersed with independent study activities that allow students to get involved in a continued project, involving data collection and analysis.

• Year 2

• With a focus on developing research and practical skills. You will get additional hands-on experience in designing and testing your own experiments and get to grips with key concepts in cognitive, developmental, social, and clinical psychology.

  Core modules

  • Career and Placement Planning (CPIE202)

  • Cognition and Biological Psychology (PSYC513)

    This module covers four core areas of psychology each with 2 sub-topics: Perception & Attention; Learning & Memory; Cognition & Language; Neuroscience & Comparative Psychology. The biology of cognition will be covered within each of the four core areas, integrating them. Each core area will be covered in 12 hours of lectures. The first hour will cover CHIP issues and the last hour integration within/between topics.

  • Individual Differences, Social and Developmental Psychology (PSYC514)

    This module covers three core areas of psychology - individual differences, social cognition, and human development. Each core area will be covered in 16 hours of lectures. The first hour will cover CHIP issues and the last hour will focus on integration within/between topics.

  • Health and Wellbeing (PSYC515)

    The module explores the multiple factors that determine health-related behaviours, introducing professional areas of health, clinical and forensic psychology.

  • Applied Psychology (PSYC516)

    This module explores the contribution of psychology to success in education and work. It considers different approaches to educational assessment, risk communication, and behaviour change.

  • Research Skills in Practice 1 (PSYC519)

    In this module students develop an understanding of the processes involved in undertaking and communicating research of increasing complexity. Students work in supervised groups to develop research questions on the association of factors and test them using empirical methods. Results are communicated via both oral presentation and written report. Methods workshops are also provided.

  • Research Skills in Practice 2 (PSYC520)

    In this module students develop an understanding of the processes involved in undertaking and communicating research of increasing complexity. Students work in supervised groups to develop research questions on group differences and test them using empirical methods. Results are communicated via both oral presentation and written report means. Methods workshops are also provided.

• Optional placement year

• If you choose, you can take an optional work placement after your second year, applying your knowledge of psychology in a variety of real-world contexts offered through our established partners.

  Core modules

  • Placement: Psychology (CPIE501)

    During this 36 week placement, students will begin to apply their psychological knowledge in the workplace and develop the range of skills required to work within the specific placement setting. This zero-credit module is also home to timetabled careers talks and information for Stage 3 students who are away on placement.

• Year 3

• You can explore the areas of psychology that interest and benefit you the most, with complete freedom of choice across a wide range of current psychology topics, allowing you to shape the psychologist you want to become. You will also work on a research question of your own choosing in a supervised research project.
  

  Core modules

  • Careers Planning (PSYC600)

    This zero-credit module is home to careers talks.

  • Current Topics in Psychology 1 (PSYC601)

    This course allows students to develop an in depth and critical appreciation of two areas of psychological research (two topics drawn from the current research programmes of the School's staff).

  • Current Topics in Psychology 2 (PSYC602)

    This course allows students to develop an in depth and critical appreciation of two areas of psychological research (two topics drawn from the current research programmes of the School's staff).

  • Current Topics in Psychology 3 (PSYC603)

    This course allows students to develop an in depth and critical appreciation of two areas of psychological research (two topics drawn from the current research programmes of the School's staff).

  • Current Topics in Psychology 4 (PSYC604)

    This course allows students to develop an in depth and critical appreciation of two areas of psychological research (two topics drawn from the current research programmes of the School's staff).

  • Research Project (PSYC605)

    Students, supported by academic supervisors and specialist workshops, are required to conduct a complete piece of research, from establishing a research area, formulating a research question, conducting a literature search, designing and conducting a study that meets appropriate ethical standards, analysing the data and communicating the research verbally and in writing.

• Final year

• In your final year, having completed three years to at least a second-class degree standard, you will progress to the study of masters level topics in psychology. These advanced studies build upon the specialist knowledge gained in the previous year, providing a greater depth of experience designed to prepare you for a future career in professional psychology or research.
  
  
  Core modules provide the training on the core concepts and skills used in research and practice. This includes advanced instruction in data fluency, experiment design and the communication of research, and the role of qualitative and interpretative techniques in the application of psychology to everyday problems. A wide range of specialist techniques are offered as options, allowing you to build a suite of specific techniques required for your future career in research or practice clinical psychology, neuroscience, or behaviour change techniques.
  

  Core modules

  • Personal and Professional Development (PSYC750)

    This module will enhance students awareness of the transferable skills they possess, focus thinking about future employment, spur reflection on recent learning, and promote the effective use of feedback to enhance academic performance.

  • Asking Psychological Questions: Epistemology and Strategy for Formulating Psychological research (PSYC751)

    This module explores what it means to ask psychological questions, what good research questions look like, the philosophical foundations of scientific enquiry, and how good research questions shape how we produce new knowledge. Practical exercises guide students to identify, critique and refine their own research questions.

  • Advanced Research Design for Psychology (PSYC752)

    This module challenges students to engage with advanced concepts in psychological research design, and to critically evaluate current practices in quantitative research. Practical exercises guide students to operationalise their own research questions within a quantitative framework.

  • Data Fluency: Processing, Visualising and Analysing Data for Reproducible Research (PSYC753)

    Become fluent with numerical and textual data. Learn practical skills to summarise, visualise, and communicate insights from quantitative data; become familiar with software for working with large datasets; and best practices for reproducibility and transparency in psychological science.

  • Advanced Psychology Research Project (PSYC781)

    This module requires students to undertake an original project in an area associated with their specialist area of interest. It comprises an independent piece of research work conducted by the student and written up as a research report.

  Optional modules

  • Advanced Techniques for Psychological Research (PSYC754)

    Advanced coverage of foundational techniques and introductions to specialist techniques for collecting and analyzing psychological data.

  • Advanced Interpretative Methods (PSYC755)

    Advanced treatment of interpretative and discursive techniques in psychology, extending students knowledge beyond basic thematic analyses and introducing interpretative phenomenological analysis, narrative analysis, discourse analysis and conversation analysis.

  • Communicating Psychological Research (PSYC756)

    This module teaches students to communicate their research, both in writing and orally by introducing the skills required to write journal articles, present conference papers and posters, review journal articles and write grant applications.

  • Issues in Cognitive and Brain Science (PSYC771)

    This module focuses on how cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience approaches and techniques can be combined to provide convergent evidence for understanding the mind.

  • Supporting Behaviour Change (PSYC774)

    What makes a psychologically based intervention effective? This module covers a range of contemporary interventions for clinical psychological and behavioural problems, focusing on a critical analysis of the psychological mechanisms underlying interventions and explores how laboratory research can be translated into new interventions.

  • Foundations of Clinical Psychology (PSYC791)

    This module provides foundational knowledge in the theory and practice of clinical psychology, and the social, cultural and legal context in which mental health professions operate.

  • Understanding Clinical Interventions: Principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Systemic Family Therapy (PSYC792)

    This module introduces students to fundamental principles and techniques of the cognitive behavioural approach, and contemporary developments which address individual psychological difficulties within a biopsychosocial framework. Students will be introduced to the importance of understanding individual difficulties within the systemic context of relationship dynamics, family, communities, and wider society, including the impact of social inequalities on mental health outcomes. Core clinical skills, are introduced, including listening, building a therapeutic alliance, communication, group-work, techniques for working with families, collaborative working, and monitoring change.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

MPsych Hons Advanced Psychology Programme Specification updated for 2020 21 4661

UCAS tariff

120 - 128