An international, cosmopolitan, and friendly department
School of Psychology
89% of our graduates are in employment or further study after six months
About us
Plymouth is in the top 20 of all UK universities in psychology, neuroscience and psychiatry with 83 per cent of our research output rated world-leading or internationally excellent by REF2014, placing us above Bristol, UCL, Manchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, and many others. Our research impact was equal to that of Exeter, and we were the top rated modern university overall.
The School holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to improving gender equality.
The University of Plymouth holds a Silver Award in the TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework), and was commended for its course design and assessment practices; its institution-wide focus on student employability, work-based learning and entrepreneurship; and the sustained and substantial institutional investment programme to enhance learning resources, both physical and digital.
We take our students' experience at Plymouth very seriously. See what it is like studying here through the School of Psychology web pages, compare us with other Universities in the region, and find out about some of our recent graduates or about our international exchange year and optional work-placement year.
School of Psychology Twitter
We've redesigned the way we teach psychology
We have listened to our students' feedback and created a new curriculum, where the focus is on active learning instead of attending lectures.
We are building a brand new learning resource for our students, the Psychology Experiential Learning Lab or PsychEL, where you will get first hand experience of psychology. In PsychEL, and in tutorials, you'll work with other students, collaborating to apply your knowledge to solve problems.
You can read more about our new first year modules here.
Find out more by watching the short video, or get more detail from our web pages.
Seven lecturing posts available - apply by 23 September
The School’s REF profile places it in the top third of psychology departments in the UK, with 83% of its research activity rated as internationally excellent or better
Six Lecturerships and one Associate Professorship available in any area of psychology
Find out how to applyprojects
Come to an open day
Follow us on Twitter
PsychShed - our Blog
Contact us
School
of Psychology
Admissions
Team
Plymouth
University
Drake
Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA
Tel: +44(0)1752 585858
Current Students
Tel: +44(0)1752 584515
Psychology at Plymouth – find out what it's like to study with us
Plymouth stood out from the rest. It’s got a really good vibe – theres so much going on!
Join Abi for a tour of the School of Psychology.
Find out about the psychology courseTeaching and learning
Your experience will be enriched by a variety of teaching methods and you'll have your own personal tutor who will provide academic and personal support during your time at PlymouthTeaching and learning in the School of Psychology
Study abroad or visit us from abroad
"I can proudly say that it has been one of the best and wisest choices I could have ever made!" – Simge Engelkiran spent a year in the USA
Psychology has links with universities around the world – we host their students and our students can study abroad.
Find out about our international opportunitiesPsychology staff and research
What’s special about Psychology at Plymouth?
Could it be the chance to spend your second year abroad, or is it our optional year on placement to gain work experience and boost your career prospects? Perhaps it is the Research Apprentice Scheme, where you work on real research projects, or the Student Council that helps to run the School.
Find out more about the things that make your time in Plymouth special
Wide range of careers
Our graduates go on to pursue a wide range of careers after studying their first degree. Whether you continue studying for a further degree or look for employment straight away our emphasis on employability will put you ahead of other graduates.
Successful graduates
If you would like to find out what other psychology graduates are currently doing, please visit the psychology and social sciences interest area.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The three schools of Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery and Psychology combine world-leading research and practical expertise across a wide range of scientific and practical disciplines.
Our staff and students form a diverse learning community and we are proud to support them in being themselves by celebrating how diversity enriches all of our lives.
In line with University policy, we do not tolerate bullying or harassment and we are continually working on how best to support everyone in being the best they can be.
Find out more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Plymouth
School of Psychology in the media
Could robots be counsellors? Early research shows positive user experience
Jackie Andrade and Joana Galvão Gomes da Silva have shown for the first time that a social robot can deliver a ‘helpful’ and ‘enjoyable’ motivational interview (MI), a counselling technique designed to support behaviour change.
TOUGH LOVE? The meaner your friends are, the more they care about you, study shows (The Sun)
Research by Belén López-Pérez in the School of Psychology suggests that people who gave 'tough love' to their friends were actually more like to empathise with them and want them to succeed.
Psychology academic navigates Moral Maze on Radio 4
Dr Susan Blackmore, Visiting Professor in the School of Psychology, has appeared on Radio 4’s Moral Maze programme discussing whether religious orthodoxy is able to exist in a world of increasingly liberal values.
EU eyes high-tech cleanup for plastic pollution in rivers - Deutsche Welle
Dr Sabine Pahl, Associate Professor (Reader) in Psychology, urges scientists from different fields to work together to address the cause of the plastic pollution.
Plymouth develop resource to assist health services deliver more personalised care - Care Appointments
A study by Dr Helen Lloyd sees the development of a practical tool to support organisations and practitioners achieve the organisational change which needs to happen if they are to provide personalised and coordinated care for people with multiple long term conditions.
‘Social media culture can encourage risky and inappropriate posting behaviour’ (Telegraph)
A new study by Claire White in the School of Psychology has received national coverage after investigating why young adults might post content on social media that contains sexual or offensive material.
Research on link between creativity and risk-taking (Guardian)
'The Guardian' invites readers to take a seven-question test, and, according to Vaibav Tyagi, Yaniv Hanoch, Stephen Hall and Sue Denham from the School of Psychology, if you score 6 or 7 out of 7, you count as more risk taking, and therefore more creative, than the average person.
School of Psychology contact details
School of Psychology, Portland Square, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
Undergraduate courses
- MPsych (Hons) Advanced Psychology (Full-time)
- MPsych (Hons) Clinical Psychology (Full-time)
- MPsych (Hons) Human Neuroscience (Full-time)
- BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies (Full-time)
- BSc (Hons) Psychology (Full-time)
- BSc (Hons) Psychology with Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies (Full-time)
- BSc (Hons) Psychology with Human Biology (Full-time)
- BSc (Hons) Psychology with Sociology (Full-time)
Postgraduate taught programmes
- MSc Advanced Psychology (Full-time, Part-time route available)
- MSc Clinical Psychology (Full-time, Part-time route available)
- PgCert Clinical Psychology (Part-time)
- PgDip Clinical Psychology (Part-time)
- MSc Human Neuroscience (Full-time)
- MSc Human Neuroscience (Part-time)
- MSc Psychology (Full-time, Part-time route available)
Latest publications
Here is a list of some recent papers published by the School of Psychology: you can find a full list from this year and previous years on our research pages
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2019 'Probing the early phase of rapid instructed rule encoding' Biosystems 184, 103993-103993 , DOI
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2019 'Theory protection in associative learning: humans maintain certain beliefs in a manner that violates prediction error' Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition PEARL
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2019 'The effect of pre-exposure on overall similarity categorization' Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition PEARL
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2019 Child Protection and Safeguarding Technologies Appropriate or Excessive ‘Solutions’ to Social Problems?. Routledge
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2019 Residential Schools and Indigenous Peoples From Genocide Via Education to the Possibilities for Processes of Truth, Restitution, Reconciliation, and Reclamation. Routledge
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2019 'Reflections' in Minton S Residential Schools and Indigenous Peoples From Genocide Via Education to the Possibilities for Processes of Truth, Restitution, Reconciliation, and Reclamation Routledge
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2019 'Setting the scene' in Minton SJ Residential Schools and Indigenous Peoples From Genocide Via Education to the Possibilities for Processes of Truth, Restitution, Reconciliation, and Reclamation Routledge
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2019 'Certain theoretical touchstones' in Minton SJ Residential Schools and Indigenous Peoples From Genocide Via Education to the Possibilities for Processes of Truth, Restitution, Reconciliation, and Reclamation Routledge
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2019 'Greenland' in Minton S Residential Schools and Indigenous Peoples From Genocide Via Education to the Possibilities for Processes of Truth, Restitution, Reconciliation, and Reclamation Routledge