Psychology BSc
Department of Psychology
Explore this course:
This course is no longer taking applications for 2023-24 entry. View 2024-25 entry or find another undergraduate course.
Key details
- A Levels AAB
Other entry requirements - UCAS code C800
- 3 years / Full-time
- September start
- Accredited
- Find out the course fee
- Optional placement year
- Study abroad
Course description
Our British Psychological Society accredited course will give you the skills and knowledge to investigate and understand human behaviour and mental processes.
At Sheffield, you’ll cover five key areas of psychology to give you a comprehensive understanding of the subject. You’ll study:
- Social and health psychology: discover how individuals’ behaviour, attitudes and emotions are affected by social situations and how we can use this knowledge to promote healthy behaviours.
- Neuroscience and clinical psychology: explore how mental illnesses are assessed and treated as well as the underlying neural bases of cognitive functions and mental health.
- Cognitive psychology: learn how humans think by studying their behaviour.
- Developmental psychology: learn about how changes happen across the lifespan, from cognitive development in infancy and childhood, to emotion and cognition in adolescents.
- Research methods: develop the skills to be able to answer important psychological questions, from how to design scientifically sound studies, to analysing data and sharing research findings.
Within these five areas of Psychology you'll get the chance to explore important topics with real world relevance such as addictions, health behaviours, eating disorders, psychosis, and depression, under the guidance of our internationally recognised experts. You'll run your own experiments and learn from some of the UK’s top psychology researchers, too.
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and makes you eligible for graduate membership. This is the first step to becoming a chartered psychologist. It's necessary for courses in clinical, health and occupational psychology.
Modules
A selection of modules are available each year - some examples are below. There may be changes before you start your course. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.
Choose a year to see modules for a level of study:
UCAS code: C800
Years: 2022, 2023
In the first year of your degree, you'll study fundamental psychology topics, including how memory works, how we interact with others and our environment, and the biology behind human behaviour. You’ll take modules across the breadth of psychology ranging from developmental psychology and social psychology, to cognitive psychology, neuroscience and clinical psychology. Through your training in psychological research methodology you’ll also be learning how psychological experiments are designed and conducted, and get experience of how to analyse data and present findings.
Core modules:
- Cognitive Psychology I
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This unit provides an overview of core components of cognition, and principles of their investigation. The module covers perception, attention, performance, cognitive neuroscience, language, learning, memory and reasoning. It introduces and explores key concepts, theoretical perspectives and foundational methods. Examples of key studies in cognitive psychology will be considered critically.
20 credits - Developmental Psychology I
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This module provides an overview of the fundamentals of Developmental Psychology from infancy to adolescence, and into later life. The module introduces concepts of development, including cognitive development, social development, and neurological development. It summarises major developmental changes, and discusses theoretical perspectives underlying developmental research. Examples of key studies in developmental psychology will be considered critically.
20 credits - Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology I
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This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the key principles within neuroscience and clinical psychology. The module will introduce students to the basic structure and function of the brain, techniques and assessments used within neuroscience and clinical psychology, and an awareness of the ethical issues. The module will cover the aetiology, development, assessment and treatment of specific psychological and neurological disorders. Students will develop their knowledge, skills and understanding by attending lectures, engaging with activities/discussions within the lectures and engaging with the reading for this module.
20 credits - Psychological Research Methodology I
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This module provides an introduction to the knowledge and skills that underpin the science of psychology. We consider why psychological scientists conduct empirical research the way they do, and how to conduct research in psychological science. Topics span the various stages of the research process, including the logic of hypothesis testing; types of research designs, methodologies, and measurement strategies; descriptive statistics; simple qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques; and critical thinking about published research. Students will develop their knowledge and skills by attending lectures and participating in activities and discussions in workshops and tutorials.
20 credits - Social Psychology I
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This module will provide an overview of the fundamentals of social psychology. The module will introduce and explain key theories and research, and their application, for understanding social psychological phenomena. Content is organised around two themes: How people think, and how people feel and behave. The module will include lectures that will provide opportunities to learn how to critically evaluate social psychological research and theories, as well as to describe how social psychology theory can be applied to address real world issues.
20 credits
Students will also be able to take 20 credits of optional modules.
In second year, you'll build on your first year studies and explore core psychological topics in greater depth. For example, you’ll learn about eating disorders, how children learn, and why people struggle to follow through with their intentions. You'll gain more advanced research methods skills this year too as you learn how to use professional statistical analysis software, and take ethical considerations into account when designing research projects.
Core modules:
- Cognitive Psychology II
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This unit builds on the overview of core components of cognition established at level 1 (Cognitive Psychology I). The module covers the same broad topics as Cognitive Psychology II - perception, attention, performance, cognitive neuroscience, language, learning, memory and reasoning. It expands on key concepts and introduced additional details of experimental methods and theoretical nuance. Applications of fundamental science are discussed.
20 credits - Developmental Psychology II
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This module provides an in depth understanding of development from infancy to later life. The module builds on the overview of Developmental Psychology established at level 1 (Developmental Psychology I). The module examines how cognition, language, perception, and social skills develop, as well as considering individual differences in development and developmental disorders. It summarises major developmental changes, and discusses theoretical perspectives underlying developmental research. Examples of key studies in developmental psychology will be considered critically.
20 credits - Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology II
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This unit will build on the content of Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology I, to provide students with a more in depth understanding of principles within neuroscience and clinical psychology. The module will cover the aetiology, development, assessment and treatment of more complex psychological and neurological disorders. Students will develop and build on their knowledge, skills and understanding by attending lectures, engaging with activities/discussions within the lectures and engaging with the reading for this module.
20 credits - Psychological Research Methodology II
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This module builds on knowledge and skills developed at Level 1 to introduce more advanced concepts and techniques in research methods and statistics. Topics including research ethics; scale development; questionnaire design; advanced qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques; and critical thinking about published research. Students will develop their knowledge and skills by attending lectures and participating in activities anddiscussions in workshops and tutorials.
20 credits - Social Psychology II
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The module continues from the linked first year social psychology module, Social Psychology 1 to cover specific social psychological topics in greater detail and depth. Lectures cover key theories and empirical research in social psychology. Lecture activities provide opportunities for applying social psychological theory and empirical research to explain or solve real world issues.
20 credits
Students will also be able to take 20 credits of optional modules.
In your final year, you’ll have a wide range of modules to choose from. Whether it's criminal psychology, the psychology of sleep, clinical psychology, or the psychology of eating behaviour and weight management, you can focus on the areas within psychology that interest you the most, to support your career goals.
This year offers you another opportunity to put the skills you’ve learnt so far into practice. You'll complete an in-depth research project on a topic you've chosen with access to state-of-the-art psychology research facilities and tools like EEG, eye tracking, or virtual reality. You could even choose to undertake a six-week part-time work placement, making a real contribution to a local community partner.
Core modules:
- Research Project in Psychology
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The research project is intended to give students an opportunity to investigate a topic in Psychology in depth, by empirical research or computational modelling over two semesters. The topic must be approved by the Level 3 Tutor and the Departmental Ethics Committee.Staff may offer ideas for research project work and/or students are encouraged to develop their own ideas. They are expected to carry out the research themselves, although assistance is given, as appropriate, with equipment, programming or other technical requirements. The completed project is presented as a typed dissertation. There is an 8000 word limit.
40 credits - Extended Essay in Psychology
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The extended essay is intended to give students an opportunity to study in some depth a topic of particular interest to them within the subject of Psychology. The topic must be approved by the supervisor. The essay will not entail the student conducting empirical research. Rather, it is intended to provide an opportunity for the student to write critically about a selected area in considerably more depth than is possible in a tutorial essay. The work is presented as a typed essay no longer than 3000 words not including abstract or references.
20 credits
Optional modules:
A student will take 60 credits from this group.
- Modelling Brain and Mind
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This module is designed to provide undergraduate Psychology students with an accessible introduction to the application of core concepts from complexity theory, artificial neural networks, and dynamical systems theories, in the development of formal models used to test theories of brain and mind.
10 credits - Cognitive Neuroscience
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This unit provides an overview of the field of cognitive neuroscience, which is aimed at the understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in cognitive processes. Teaching will focus on methods and techniques, and the way in which these techniques have been used to help us understand aspects of cognition. Focus will be on perception, attention, and the neural underpinnings of certain neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum conditions and ADHD. In addition, we will discuss Brain Computer Interfaces and consider practical ways in which cognitive neuroscience techniques are being used in assistive healthcare. A strong focus of the course will be in understanding the way in which EEG is used in Psychology research. The course will include a practical demonstration of EEG and workshops focused on analysing EEG data.
10 credits - Atypical Brain Development and Degeneration
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This unit investigates the causes and consequences of atypical brain development and degeneration. It specifically focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders and stroke. For each topic (i.e. for each neurodevelopmental disorder covered and for each type of stroke), diagnosis, cognition and behaviour will be discussed. Each disorder will also be set in context, explaining the support which may be required, including family support and intervention strategies.
10 credits - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders
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The broad aim of this module is to introduce students to the link between academic evidence and clinical practice when delivering evidence-based psychotherapies. The more specific aim is to introduce principles and practice of cognitive behavioural therapy, as applied to the treatment of eating disorders, linking evidence and practice explicitly. The module will commence with an introduction to cognitive-behavioural models of eating disorders. It will then address the evidence that supports those models and the effectiveness of the therapy overall. Subsequent lectures will introduce and demonstrate therapist skills and impact on patients (e.g., formulation; cognitive restructuring; behavioural experiments; exposure; psychoeducation).
10 credits - The neuroscience of learning and memory
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The aim of the course is to explain current research, both experimental and theoretical, into the brain mechanisms that underlie basic forms of reward processing, associative learning and the formation of episodic memories. The lectures first cover the neural responses to pleasurable stimuli, including drugs of abuse. Next, the main characteristics of classical conditioning are outlined, followed by an account of cerebellar anatomy and physiology: a necessary basis for the evaluation of models of cerebellar function as applied to classical conditioning. Then, the anatomy and physiology of the hippocampus and its involvement in learning and memory will be described. Focus will be on episodic memory and how neural coding in the hippocampus might be used to store and recall memories.
10 credits - Occupational Psychology
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To introduce and explore psychological issues in work settings, examining people's behaviour, thoughts and feelings related to their work. The course also focuses on some key organisational practices and processes, such as training and development, and leadership.
10 credits - Psychology of eating behaviour and weight management
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This module will cover key theories and empirical research on the psychology of eating behaviours and weight management. We will consider the main drivers of eating behaviours and strategies to reduce overconsumption, as well as considering effective strategies for weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Throughout the course, we will consider why some individuals are more susceptible to overconsumption and weight gain compared to others. We will also cover the stigma that people with obesity experience and consider stigma-reducing strategies. You will learn about the methods used and the challenges faced by researchers in this area. You will also have the opportunity to apply your learning to inform interventions and/or programmes to promote successful weight management and/or reduce weight stigma. The module will be delivered via lectures.
10 credits - Pragmatic Development: How children learn to use language for social communication.
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How do children learn to use language with other people? This is the question addressed by research on pragmatic development. This module will start with some theoretical background on the nature of human language and the definition of pragmatics. It will then introduce you to the series of pragmatic skills acquired during infancy, childhood and adolescence (from prelinguistic communication right up to sarcasm and story-telling). We will finish up by considering individual differences in pragmatic development and atypical developmental trajectories. Throughout the course, we will highlight the research methods used to test pragmatic skills, the learning mechanisms that drive developmental change and the real world applications in computational, educational and clinical domains. The module will be delivered via lectures.
10 credits - Psychology in the Community and in the Workplace
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The aim of this
20 credits
module is to provide students with the opportunity to apply their learning from
the first 2 years of their Psychology degree by undertaking a six-week
part-time placement that would be completed alongside their other third year
modules. Students will work alongside local community partners to complete
project work that will make a tangible contribution to an organisation, local
community, or specific service user groups. This module will enable students to
see how a wide variety of professionals from different psychology, health,
education, social work, youth work and other backgrounds work together to
address the health and well-being of local communities. - Psychology of Sleep
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The module provides an overview of the neural basis of sleep and the changes in the brain which occur during various stages of the sleep cycle. It will also cover the reasons why we sleep and the functions of sleep, with examples from Cognitive Psychology. In addition to this, some of the most common sleep disorders will be examined, including explanations regarding their underlying aetiology and current available treatments. This module is broad and will make references to different areas of Psychology, including elements of Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive and Health Psychology.
10 credits - Criminal Psychology
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This module will introduce students to the psychological aspects of criminal behaviour. Developmental, social, biological, and genetic perspectives on the origins criminal behaviour will be considered. Different types of crimes, including homicide, crimes against children, crimes committed by gangs, and sexual and intimate partner violence, will be introduced and research in those areas will be critically evaluated. Following lectures, students will engage in independent study to critically evaluate causes of crime and to compare and contrast relevant preventions, using a self-selected case study. The module focuses on important aspects of criminal psychology. No prior knowledge of criminal psychology is assumed.
10 credits - Current Controversies in the Psychology of Addiction
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This module will introduce students to controversial issues related to addiction from a psychological perspective. Topics will cover the nature of addiction, its determinants, underlying neurological basis, treatment, and prognosis. During each lecture, the controversial topic will be introduced before relevant evidence is described and critically evaluated. Clinicians and / or service users with direct experience of addiction may contribute to some of these sessions. Topics covered may vary from year to year as new controversies emerge, but are likely to include critical appraisals of the brain disease model of addiction, and the roles of compulsion and habit.
10 credits - Interventions and treatment in clinical psychology
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This module aims to increase students' knowledge of clinical psychology in practice. It will familiarise students with a range of treatments and interventions used in clinical psychology and their effectiveness, with an emphasis on current research evidence (where available). The module will concentrate on how therapeutic interventions can be used to alleviate emotional distress and improve functioning in common and complex mental health conditions; along with considering the use of transdiagnostic models where appropriate.
20 credits - What is Learning?
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The module explores understandings about how people learn, and implications that these understandings have for how we conduct key social practices, including teaching, caring for children, assessing learning, and on educating generally. We will also look 'beneath' understandings of learning to the worldviews on which they stand, particularly 'realist' and 'constructivist' positions. This matters because 'realism' and 'constructivism' carry implications for how we conceptualise things we take for granted: the nature of truth, the process and products of science, the basis for ethics, the outcomes of research, and assumptions about what is. The module will explore these challenging issues.
20 credits - Philosophies of Education
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This module will explore the importance of philosophy to the study of education. It covers key moments in the history of Western philosophy, focusing on the question of modernity (What is modernity? What are its ramifications for education?). The module will investigate the consequences of late modernity for present day education, a period in which the aims and purposes of education have become increasingly unclear, leaving education open to the rise of instrumentalism and the forces of capital. Overall the module offers a critique of common assumptions in education, provoking questioning about its nature and purposes.
20 credits - Psychoanalytic Perspectives of Infancy and Childhood
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This module explores the relationship between psychological theory and experience. Students drawn to the study of psychology are presented with a curriculum comprising subjects (memory, perception, language, cognition, development, emotion) they have spent a lifetime experiencing. Hence psychology as a scientific study presents a unique experience for the student, learning what in an experiential sense is already known. This module introduces reflective models of inquiry in which psychological understanding is sought through the exploration of preconceptions transmitted within psychology and psychological education. This module also explores psychological approaches that illuminate different orientations to childhood experience and the implications for these different approaches for the knowledge generated.
20 credits - Psychology of Music: methods and applications
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This module lays the foundation for you to be able to research a music-psychological topic using psychological research methods and consider its relevance for musical life and the music profession. You'll work on developing skills in psychological research approaches, through teaching that is problem-based, meaning that you will work on research design and data collection methods to tackle an issue or problem that may be encountered in musical contexts. A combination of methods is considered including qualitative and quantitative data collection, reflection, observation and literature research. Included problems may relate to musical development, psychology of performance, and music engagement.
20 credits - Whiteness, Power and Privilege
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This unit explores the importance of studying whiteness in order to understand racism as a system of power relationships. It explains why the construction of whiteness has become a key focus in debates about race and ethnicity and examines critically some of the key themes to emerge in this field of study. This includes exploring the historical origins of 'white studies' and assessing representations of whiteness in literary and visual culture. It also includes exploring the racialised, classed and gendered boundaries of whiteness by examining, for example, the socially and politically constructed categories of 'white trash' and the 'chav'.
20 credits - Organised Crime & Illicit Markets
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The unit is an introduction to students to the growing field of organised crime studies. By focusing on an exploration of the primary literature concerning historical and contemporary developments in organised crime, students will be equipped to engage with sociological debates surrounding the development of this type of criminality, particularly its (alleged) increasingly transnational nature over the past two decades. In particular the unit will explore how governments and law enforcement agencies have tried to respond to this type of crime and will present a range of case studies specific to illicit marketplaces. The unit will also explore the role of the media and the influence of popular culture on the way organised crime is defined and understood.
20 credits - Digital Identities
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This module explores how gender, age, race, class and other identities are being reimagined in what various commentators have called a 'social media age. It provides students with an understanding of social media platforms roles in peoples identity negotiations, examining users social media identities in different global contexts, and paying close attention to the intersections between different identities. It reviews debates about identity formations from the earliest digital media moments and considers contemporary concerns, such as: anonymity and agency; selfies and sexting; censorship, resistance and collective identities; social media fandoms; masculinity and gaming.
20 credits - Children, Families and Welfare States
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This module examines welfare state support and services for children, parents and families, informed by sociological and social policy theories, concepts and research. Adopting a comparative approach, the module critically reviews different approaches to, and configurations of, welfare state support and services for children, parents and families across the UK and Western/Northern European welfare states. Four policy and provision domains are examined, namely cash support for children and families; childcare and early years' services; parental leave and work-family balance policies; and child welfare and family support services.
20 credits - Digital Marketing: Culture, Consumption, Control
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This module examines the sociology of digital marketing. It situates the emergence of data-driven marketing within a broader social history of marketing practices and discourses. Students will learn to critically understand the social implications and power dynamics of digital marketing and their impacts on everyday media environments.
20 credits - Education@Sheffield
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In Education@Sheffield students are invited to explore and evaluate the rich and diverse research taking place within the School of Education. Through a series of seminars presented by active researchers, students are encouraged to critically engage with research - and the researchers themselves - in the fields of educational and childhood studies. The Education@Sheffield module enables students to acquire a critical understanding of various themes, settings and methodologies which shape contemporary educational research.
20 credits - Globalising Education
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This module considers the extent to which education might be viewed as a global context with a shared meaning. Moving outwards from the dominant concepts, principles and practices which frame 'our own' national, or regional responses to education, the module explores other possible ways of understanding difference. By examining 'other ways of seeing difference', in unfamiliar contexts, students are able to examine the implications of globalisation for education and explore the opportunities and obstacles for the social justice agendas within a range of cultural settings.
20 credits - Biological Basis of Brain Disease 1: Neurodegeneration
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The module will examine recent and current research into human neurodegenerative disease including Huntington's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and motor neuron disease. In addition, reference may be made to the spongiform encephalopathies, frontal dementias and Lewy body disease, with emphasis on their inter-relationships and commonalities. The genetic and non-genetic aetiological influences, defining pathology and pathophysiology and current understanding of the underlying biology will be examined by a detailed consideration of current research in these areas. The module will also include discussion of the prevention and treatment of the diseases, highlighting possible therapies which may be useful in several pathologies.
10 credits - Music and Wellbeing
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This module introduces you to the important ways in which music contributes to our sense of wellbeing. Wellbeing is not simply about feeling ok but has health implications for society. Music plays a vital role in fostering wellbeing. In the module, we cover four distinct areas where health and wellbeing may be challenged; these include special educational needs in schools, the use of music for people with dementia, as well as some specialised clinical settings where music is used. As part of your work on the module, you will be able to design your own music intervention.
20 credits - Sociology of Health, Illness and Medicine
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This module explores sociological aspects of health, illness and medicine. It will focus on issues of health inequality exploring the ways in which patterns of health and disease vary according to class, gender and race. It also provides a critical examination of biomedicine, highlighting the contemporary challenges faced by medicine as a profession. Furthermore, it will focus on new dynamic developments in science and medicine linking health with the Internet and exploring the rise of the new genetics. The aim of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the role of health, illness and medicine within contemporary society.
20 credits - What it means to be human
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New technologies and new scientific knowledge make powerful claims about `human nature’ that are reconstructing how we understand ourselves. At the same time, they also give us new potential to reshape our bodies and brains. This module aims to critically engage with these developments using concepts from a number of sociological traditions. Can biology tell us anything meaningful about social interaction or racial and gendered differences, or about ability and disability? What are the criteria by which we determine ‘the human’ and who decides what these shall be? Does our psychology have an evolutionary basis? How are the boundaries between humans and machines changing? What is the human impact on the environment? Should we use new technologies to enhance ourselves? The module will provide students with the opportunities and tools to grapple with these and other important questions.
20 credits - Digital Health
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This module looks at the social implications of digital technologies in health, considering what these mean for our experiences of health and illness as patients and as citizens, for the work of health care professionals, and for the provision of health care. The module will consider a range of contemporary areas such as self-tracking and gamifying health, telemedicine and care at a distance, health information on the net, electronic patient records, illness death and dying on the web, and health activism and online patient groups. Drawing across these, the module will consider questions about changing representations and cultures of health and illness, whether we can all be medical experts now, who has responsibility for health, how we relate to health care professionals, the commodification of health data and the relative benefits for state and industry.
20 credits - Perspectives on inequalities
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This module is co-taught with local agency, community and family members. It asks students to think about the everyday experiences of inequality. It explores some of the core theoretical frameworks for interrogating inequality, and then explores everyday reality to apply the theories and concepts. The involvement of practitioners, community members and families means that the module is interactive and requires full attendance, in order to ensure a respectful experience for external contributors.
20 credits - Queer Theory and the Media
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This module introduces queer theory and discusses the role of different media for how gender and sexuality are constructed, represented and expressed. We will trace activist and academic origins of the word 'queer' and explore queer (self-)representations in mainstream and alternative media such as newspapers, films, zines, blogs, social media and dating apps. We will also look into how those representations promote or challenge the binaries of male versus female, masculine versus feminine, and heterosexual versus homosexual as well as how they travel around the world and promote particular understandings of gender and sexuality transnationally.
20 credits - Algorithms, AI and Society
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Algorithmic systems, AI, machine learning and other data-driven technologies are transforming society. They are having wide-ranging effects, including some benefits, but they are far from straightforward. Their use results in harms as well as benefits, and algorithmic systems and AI feed into and are fed into by inequalities. This module critically interrogates claims that AI, automation and algorithms will simply lead to a better society. It explores the negative effects of related change and the ways in which algorithmic and AI systems are not experienced equally by all. It reviews theoretical literature on AI-in-society and on algorithmic culture, and focuses on high profile accounts of their social consequences, for example in education, welfare, social care, big tech and the media.
20 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Learning and assessment
Learning
We use a range of teaching methods to make sure that our undergraduate students get the skills and knowledge that every psychologist needs. You'll learn through lectures, small group tutorials and workshops, practical sessions in the lab and research projects.
We use a range of teaching methods to make sure that you get the skills and knowledge that every psychologist needs. You'll learn through lectures, small group tutorials and workshops, practical sessions and research projects.
Assessment
Throughout the course you will be assessed through a variety of methods including exams, tests and coursework.
Programme specification
This tells you the aims and learning outcomes of this course and how these will be achieved and assessed.
Entry requirements
With Access Sheffield, you could qualify for additional consideration or an alternative offer - find out if you're eligible.
The A Level entry requirements for this course are:
AAB
including a science subject
A Levels + additional qualifications ABB, including a science subject + B in a relevant EPQ; ABB, including a science subject + A in Core Maths
International Baccalaureate 34, with 5 in a Higher Level science subject
BTEC Extended Diploma DDD in Applied Science
BTEC Diploma DD in Applied Science + A in an A Level science subject
Scottish Highers + 1 Advanced Higher AAABB + B in a science subject
Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels B + AA, including a science subject
Access to HE Diploma Award of Access to HE Diploma in Science, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 36 at Distinction and 9 at Merit
Other requirements-
Science subjects include Biology (or Human Biology), Chemistry, Environmental Science, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Psychology or Statistics
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GCSE Maths grade 6/B
The A Level entry requirements for this course are:
ABB
including a science subject
A Levels + additional qualifications ABB, including a science subject + B in a relevant EPQ; ABB, including a science subject + A in Core Maths
International Baccalaureate 33, with 5 in a Higher Level science subject
BTEC Extended Diploma DDD in Applied Science
BTEC Diploma DD in Applied Science + B in an A Level science subject
Scottish Highers + 1 Advanced Higher AABBB + B in a science subject
Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels B + AB, including a science subject
Access to HE Diploma Award of Access to HE Diploma in Science, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 30 at Distinction and 15 at Merit
Other requirements-
Science subjects include Biology (or Human Biology), Chemistry, Environmental Science, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Psychology or Statistics
-
GCSE Maths grade 6/B
You must demonstrate that your English is good enough for you to successfully complete your course. For this course we require: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C; IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component; or an alternative acceptable English language qualification
Equivalent English language qualifications
Visa and immigration requirements
Other qualifications | UK and EU/international
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Department of Psychology
Our teaching is informed by cutting-edge scientific research, which ranges from neuroscience through to child development and understanding why psychological therapies are effective. All of this has an impact on wider society.
Our work explores health and wellbeing, lifestyle choices, cognitive behavioural therapy, safe driving, mother-baby interaction, autism, Parkinson's disease, and reducing prejudice and inequality.
Department of Psychology students are based at Cathedral Court in the heart of Sheffield city centre, where you'll find our state-of-the-art computer lab, seminar rooms, tutorial rooms and social space.
We're within easy walking distance of all of the main University of Sheffield facilities, including the Information Commons, the Diamond, and our award-winning Students' Union.
Facilities
We have a suite of newly-refurbished testing cubicles where you can use computer stimulus presentation software to run experiments as part of your own mini projects. You can access a range of tools for testing participants in your third year research project. This includes eye-tracking technology used in perception studies, our state-of-the-art EEG suite for measuring brain activity, biomimetic robots, motion capture equipment and a virtual reality suite.
Department of PsychologyWhy choose Sheffield?
The University of Sheffield
A top 100 university
QS World University Rankings 2023
92 per cent of our research is rated as world-leading or internationally excellent
Research Excellence Framework 2021
Top 50 in the most international universities rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022
No 1 Students' Union in the UK
Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
A top 10 university targeted by employers
The Graduate Market in 2022, High Fliers report
Department of Psychology
Research Excellence Framework 2021
Graduate careers
Department of Psychology
A psychology degree will put you in an excellent position for many jobs in the private or public sector. Many of our graduates go on to be Clinical Psychologists, IAPT practitioners or train in the NHS.
Our degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society, and covers all the topics and training that you need to complete the first steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
Our graduates work in human resources, market research, advertising, sales, social work, nursing and teaching. They also enter professions such as clinical, health or occupational psychology, usually after postgraduate training. Some of our graduates continue to a PhD to follow a psychology research career.
Placements and study abroad
Placement
If you know you want to do a placement we also offer the BSc Psychology with Placement Year course that you can apply for via UCAS. Our students have previously completed their placements with organisations including the NHS, Prison and Probation Services and IBM.
Another great way to gain extra experience is by applying to join the Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience scheme. This gives you the chance to spend around six weeks working in one of our research groups over the summer. It's a unique opportunity to pursue research in an area that you’re excited about, and can help inform your future career aspirations.
Find out more about placements for psychology students.
Study abroad
Fees and funding
Fees
Additional costs
The annual fee for your course includes a number of items in addition to your tuition. If an item or activity is classed as a compulsory element for your course, it will normally be included in your tuition fee. There are also other costs which you may need to consider.
Funding your study
Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for a bursary, scholarship or loan to help fund your study and enhance your learning experience.
Use our Student Funding Calculator to work out what you’re eligible for.
Visit us
University open days
We host five open days each year, usually in June, July, September, October and November. You can talk to staff and students, tour the campus and see inside the accommodation.
Subject tasters
If you’re considering your post-16 options, our interactive subject tasters are for you. There are a wide range of subjects to choose from and you can attend sessions online or on campus.
Offer holder days
If you've received an offer to study with us, we'll invite you to one of our offer holder days, which take place between February and April. These open days have a strong department focus and give you the chance to really explore student life here, even if you've visited us before.
Campus tours
Our weekly guided tours show you what Sheffield has to offer - both on campus and beyond. You can extend your visit with tours of our city, accommodation or sport facilities.
Apply for this course
This course is no longer taking applications for 2023-2024 entry. View 2024-2025 entry or find another undergraduate course.Contact us
Telephone: +44 114 222 6531
Email: psy-ug-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
The awarding body for this course is the University of Sheffield.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.