University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2022/23 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Life Sciences > School of Psychological Science > Psychology (BSc) > Specification
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Programme code | 7PSYC001U |
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Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Peter Allen
|
Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
School/department | School of Psychological Science |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Accrediting types: |
Accredited against the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS). (http://www.bps.org.uk/) |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Psychology (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 3 years (full time) |
This section sets out why studying this programme is important, both in terms of inspiring you as an individual and in considering the challenges we face. It describes how this degree programme contributes to:
This programme aims to develop students' interest, scientific knowledge, and understanding of the mind, brain, behaviour and experience. Multiple perspectives are presented enabling students to critically evaluate the complex interactions between different areas of psychology. Students develop a thorough understanding of the role of empirical evidence in the formation of theory and how theory guides the collection and interpretation of data. This is achieved by acquiring a range of research skills and methods for investigating psychological topics that culminates in the conduct of an independent empirical project. The knowledge and techniques developed also lead to an ability to appreciate and evaluate theory, research findings, and their function in understanding theoretical ideas and the real life applications of psychology. The wide range of transferable skills (including critical thinking, group/teamwork, time management, communication, presentation, and IT skills) acquired is highly valued by employers and provides an excellent preparation for many careers, as well as for further postgraduate study in psychology and beyond.
The learning outcome statements shown below for your programme have been developed with reference to relevant national subject benchmarks (where they exist), national qualification descriptors (see the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) and professional body requirements.
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies are listed to show how you will be able to achieve and demonstrate the learning outcomes.
This programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
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Lectures (live and/or pre-recorded), discussion-based seminars, tutorials, presentations, problem-based laboratory work in small groups/teams, a final year empirical |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
Time-limited assessments and/or examinations (1-3, 5-7), coursework, including empirical reports (1-8), individual and/or group oral presentations and discussion (1-7), research proposals (3,4), and an empirical project (1-8). All students must submit a successful ethics application and risk assessment before beginning their project work (8). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
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|
Lectures (live and/or pre-recorded), discussion-based seminars, tutorials, presentations, problem-based laboratory work in small groups/teams, a final year empirical |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
Time-limited assessments and/or examinations (1-7, 10), coursework, including empirical reports (1-10), individual and/or group oral presentations and discussion (1-7) and an empirical project (1-10). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
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|
Lectures (live and/or pre-recorded), discussion-based seminars, tutorials, presentations, problem-based laboratory work in small groups/teams, a final year empirical |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
Time-limited assessments and/or examinations (1-6, 8, 10), coursework, including empirical reports (1-10), individual and/or group oral presentations and discussion (1-8) and an empirical project (1-11). |
This section describes what is expected from you at each level of your programme. This illustrates increasing intellectual standards as you progress through the programme. These levels are mapped against the national level descriptors published by the Quality Assurance Agency.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
There are 100 credits of mandatory units at Level 4 that are designed to enable the student to acquire, and be conversant with, core aspects of research methods, research skills, theories and perspectives in biological, cognitive, developmental, individual differences and social psychology. Students are initially provided with guidance on how to identify, locate and use materials from a wide range of sources. Comprehensive references are provided for each unit at the outset, as are guidelines for the production of written work. Oral communication and teamwork skills are developed primarily within tutorials and laboratory work. Students are expected to understand and demonstrate the scientific underpinnings of psychology, its historical origins, development and limitations and an awareness of the ethical context of psychological research. Students are also expected to demonstrate good communication skills by written, oral and visual means. Students are given formative feedback on their presentation skills in preparation for summative assessment in later years. An integral component of work at this level is basic research literacy (quantitative and qualitative) and the integration of this with the report of research studies. Students can take 20 credits of open units. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
All 120 credits are mandatory and are designed to continue the development of a more in-depth knowledge in all the above areas where students are expected to take a more critical stance to the theories, findings and approaches to the discipline. There is a progression from initially supported and guided study to more active forms of self-learning. Students are expected to be able to reason scientifically and demonstrate the relationship between theory and evidence and adopt multiple perspectives. They are also expected to demonstrate a shift from knowledge to conceptual understanding, as well as competence in research skills and a broad range of data analysis methods. Finally, they will be able to work effectively individually and in groups, and be able to communicate effectively with both peers and academic staff. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
All 120 credits are taken in Psychology, and include both mandatory and optional units, as well as the empirical project. The emphasis on independent active learning and self-directed study in the acquisition of both generic and specific skills reaches its conclusion. Students are expected to have acquired detailed knowledge of several specialised areas of psychology, research paradigms and research methods, and be aware of their limitations. They are also expected to be able to analyse systematically the relationships between multiple perspectives in the light of theory and evidence, show incisive critical evaluation, an impressive grasp of theory and creative insight. These skills are expected to be demonstrated in well-presented and structured discussion of topics in all assessed work. Students are also expected to initiate, design, conduct, and report an empirically based project under appropriate supervision by an individual member of academic staff. Demonstration of ethical issues in connection with project work and applied units is also expected. Oral communication and presentation skills are further enhanced via delivering and participating in small-group seminars. |
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
UG Workload Statement
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. Programmes are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with units in which timetabled teaching, such as lectures and practical classes, provides the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving on to individual research-based work. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive. At the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing and it is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Most programmes use credits and a 20 credit unit broadly equates to about 200 hours of student input. This includes all activities related to the teaching, learning and assessment of taught units.
A component of this is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes activities such as lectures, laboratories, tutorials and fieldwork. Some of this activity may be online and could consist of activity that is synchronous (using real-time environments such as Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis).
In some programmes there are field courses and/or placements that will take place in concentrated periods of time.
Outside scheduled activities you are expected to pursue your own independent learning to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include, reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks, working on examples sheets, completing coursework, writing up laboratory notes, preparing for in-class progress tests and revising for examinations.
We recognise that many students undertake paid employment. To achieve a sensible balance between work and study, you are advised to undertake paid work for no more than 15 hours per week in term-time.
Professional Programmes
Many undergraduates in the Faculty of Health Sciences will be following the professional programmes of:
For these professional programmes, full time attendance is compulsory unless absence is formally approved. Academic activities are timetabled throughout the 5-day week and student workload is around 40 hours per week on average. Where possible, students in the early years are permitted Wednesday afternoons for sport and extra-curriculum activities. This may not be available in later years of professional programmes as when a student progresses through the curricula there is an increasing exposure to clinical and professional activities. Students in clinic or on placements may need to stay later than core times of 08.00 – 18.00 or even overnight to observe out-of-hours activities. This increasing exposure to clinical activities means that students on these professional programmes often have longer term dates than the University standard. Individual years within programmes are likely to vary in length (for example because of the timings of placements) and further information on this will be found in individual programme regulations. Another important point to note is that many of the assessments sit outside of the standard University examination timetable and are likely to be more frequent meaning that students will more oftentimes be engaged in revision activities and self-directed learning.
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty Assessment and Feedback Statement for Undergraduate Students. University of Bristol access only.
The mission is to train undergraduates in the scientific understanding of the human mind in a School in which teaching is research led. The British Psychological Society accredits the degree and regular reviews are conducted to ensure that accredited degrees continue to reach the necessary standards.
The School Office Tel: +44(0)117 374 6624 http://www.bristol.ac.uk/psychology/
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Foundations of Psychology | PSYC10004 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Myths and Misconceptions about Psychology | PSYC10005 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Psychological Research Methods | PSYC10010 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Students take 20 credit points from the following list: | ||||
20 credit points of Open Units | OPEN | 20 | Optional | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Continuing Psychological Research Methods | PSYC20006 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Brain and Cognition | PSYC20007 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Individual and Social Cognition | PSYC20008 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Research Project Major | PSYC31013 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Current Topics in Psychological Science | PSYC30023 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Applied Psychology Professions | PSYC30027 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Students take 40 credit points from the following list: | ||||
Issues in Social Psychology | PSYC30017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Nutrition and Behaviour | PSYC31052 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Evolutionary Psychology | PSYC30001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Drug Use and Addiction | PSYC30020 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Animal Learning and Cognition | PSYC30021 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Cognitive Neuroscience | PSYC30026 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Developmental Science | PSYC30025 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Social Neuroscience | PSYC30022 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Changing Climate, Behaviour and Society | PSYC30028 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Genes and Behaviour | PSYC30018 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Psychology (BSc) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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