Foundations in Biological and Cognitive Psychology is a mandatory module for all students taking a psychology degree route. Together with the “Foundations in Social and Developmental Psychology” module, level 4 students will attain a holistic underpinning to the major approaches in psychology. The module will cover conceptual and historical issues of behavioural, biological and cognitive approaches to psychology.

Social Psychology is concerned with the scientific study of human social behaviour, experience and thought. Developmental Psychology is concerned with the scientific study of systematic changes in human psychology across an individual’s lifespan, particularly cognitive, perceptual, social and emotional development in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. This module provides an introduction to key theories and approaches in Social and Developmental Psychology.

This module is designed to provide students with two essential aspects of further psychological study. Firstly, an introduction to psychological research methods; including a consideration of methodology and data analysis for both quantitative and qualitative data.  Secondly, this module will also equip students with the essential academic study skills required for their degrees.

Counselling theory is the foundation of all effective counselling practice and this module will draw on a selection of therapeutic modalities to illustrate the interplay of theory and practice. This module will use elements of Transactional Analysis and other humanistic and psychodynamic modalities to explore an awareness of the therapeutic relationship and a good interaction of theory and clinical practice.

This module looks at key dimensions of counselling theory and practice, for example ethics, clinical supervision, and issues of difference and diversity, in the context of the therapeutic relationship. The module raises students’ awareness of the multi-dimensionality of the counselling profession, and students are encouraged to reflect on their understanding and development; and to consider the impact of their own values and beliefs on their emotional lives and developments as students on a psychology and counselling programme.

The skills component of the module introduces students to a range of counselling skills that are fundamental to all approaches or will help in other work with clients in therapeutic contexts. This module aims to expose students to a range of Counselling skills and give them the opportunity to experiment with these skills. The learning in this module is based on gradually building role play scenarios, and it interacts with the other modules during the year so that as theoretical perspectives are understood and personal development increases, so counselling skills will develop.

In terms of the self-awareness component, an essential aspect of a counselling training is that students reflect not only on knowledge learnt but also on the internal emotional life of themselves and others. This element enables an ongoing experiential process group and completion of a learning journal which both support and illuminate the work done in other parts of the course.

Biological psychology (biopsychology) looks at psychological processes from a biological perspective, dealing with issues such as behaviour genetics, endocrinology and physiological psychology. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed by the brain and sense organs. It is concerned with issues of how people perceive, understand, make decisions about and remember information.

This module will build on the broad introduction at Level 4 and seek to provide research-based accounts of social and developmental behaviour in key areas, such as people in groups, prejudice and discrimination, aggression, social influence, emotional and social development, life-span adult development and developmental social psychology. 

This module provides students with the skills to carry out quantitative research of sufficient quality and rigour to complete their own independent studies.  Students will attain a holistic underpinning to the major research skills utilized within psychology.

All researchers require a basic understanding of qualitative research methodology. This module develops the knowledge gained in the Psychological Research Methods Module, and provides students with the skills to carry out research of sufficient quality and rigour to complete their own independent studies.

The humanistic tradition has developed a wealth of models for counselling. Each one contributes unique perspectives to the field and adds to the formation of a professional identity. This module will build on theories learned in year 1 and 2 so far, introduce new perspectives, and focus on core aspects of specific humanistic counselling approaches. This offers students the opportunity to expand their theoretical knowledge, while also giving some insight into clinical practice.

The psychodynamic approach to counselling rests on the premise that adult behaviour and emotional life is significantly affected by experiences gained during earlier formative years. The module builds on the theory of the first year Introduction to Counselling Theory module and will consider our emotional roots in early life. Of particular interest in understanding relational styles are Attachment Theory and the British Object Relations School. While studying these ideas the student will also be working towards integrating them into a framework for practice.

Abnormal Psychology seeks to explain unusual or maladaptive behaviour through the examination of rigorous, research-based subject matter. The concept of ‘abnormal’ can be problematic given negative connotations with ‘not normal’ and this will be a key area of debate: the essence of normality and the appropriateness of labels which may have important ramifications for how people suffering psychopathology are in some way perceived as ‘not normal’ or as inferior members of society.

This module seeks to primarily explore and touch upon individual differences in personality and intelligence. The module also aims to introduce students to other elements of differential psychology for example creativity, cognitive styles, motivation and leadership.

Research is an important and integral part of your degree, and the Research Dissertation gives students the opportunity to expand learning and develop interests in a particular topic. Students will critique research by others and will reflect on their own work, moving students from a theoretical knowledge of research toward a more informed level of skill and application. 

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic modality that is increasingly widely available. Its growing popularity in recent decades is due in part to its robust claims to evidence of effectiveness for a variety of psychological problems and mental health disorders. This module introduces and explores the fundamental concepts, principles and methods that underpin CBT. While the field has expanded considerably since its inception and now includes a wide range of approaches to practice, the primary focus of this module will be on those principles, theories and methods that provide the foundations of CBT. These include the role of cognition and behaviour in emotional experience and distress, and the role of context in shaping experiences of mental health and ill-health. The module will also consider how these foundational approaches have been adapted to meet the needs of a growing number of mental health issues in our population.

This module builds on the theory and skills learned at level 4 and 5. It aims to give students a     dedicated opportunity to further integrate the knowledge they have acquired, and to advance their awareness of professional issues and responsibilities they are likely to encounter in a counselling context. The module encourages students’ self reflexivity through practice based learning; in addition it aims to continue to develop students’ awareness of self in relationship with others, as is key for the upholding of an effective therapeutic alliance.