Course Description Document

Course Title	Psychology (2025-26)
Course Code	6998
Award Title	Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons))
Awarding Body	University of Southampton
Teaching Institution	University of Southampton
Regulated by	Office for Students
Accreditation	British Psychological Society (BPS)
Regulations	The Regulations of the University can be found on the University's Governance Webpages: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/about/governance/regulations-policies
Location of study	Southampton
Length of the course	3 Years
Tuition Fees	Fees for students can be located by the student fees page. https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentservices/money-matters/student-fees/index.page

Course Overview

Our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degree programme provides you with a comprehensive education in the core subject areas of contemporary psychology, including Learning to Learn, Perception, Social and Developmental psychology, Individual Differences, Behavioural Neuroscience, and Research Methods. In your final part, by choosing from a range of topics, you will be able to specialise in those areas of psychology that you find particularly interesting or relevant to your future career goals (e.g., clinical, educational, health, social or cognitive psychology plus many other topic areas reflecting the specific research interests of our staff). The aims and learning outcomes of the BSc Psychology are in line with QAA Psychology subject benchmark statements as well as BPS standards for accreditation of undergraduate programmes.
Psychology is grounded in theory and systematic empirical research. Accordingly, psychology at Southampton is taught and studied as a science. Our BSc programme includes extensive training in research methods and statistics. You will have the opportunity to discover how scientific methods can be used to understand human thought processes, emotions and behaviour. In your final part you will conduct your own independent piece of research under the supervision of one of our members of staff. When you graduate you will be equipped with an impressive range of transferrable skills which will enable you to consider a variety of employment and further study opportunities relevant to a wide range of careers in subject specific areas and in the broader sector.
Your contact hours will vary depending on your module/option choices. Full information about contact hours is provided in individual module profiles.

Aims of the Course

The aims of the programme are:
• To provide students with the opportunity to obtain up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the core areas of psychology as well as in-depth specialist knowledge in chosen areas of psychology. We teach psychology as an empirical discipline that involves the scientific understanding of the mind, brain, behaviour and experience and of the complex interactions of these.
The educational aims of the programme are:
• To provide an education in the core areas of psychology as well as offering a wide range of specialist options to enable students to develop both comprehensive understanding across different core areas of psychology and specialist advanced knowledge reflecting students’ personal interests.
• To develop subject specific analytical, conceptual and practical skills that enable students to pursue a professional or academic career in Psychology or a related discipline.
• To deliver a BPS accredited curriculum to enable students to meet the criteria for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership.
• To develop transferable (generic) practical and intellectual skills which can be applied in the broader employment sector including communication, problem-solving, presentation, statistics and research methods, project management, team working and working independently.
• To encourage students to develop a capacity and enthusiasm for self-directed learning.

Course Structure

The tables below provide a list of the modules that make up your course.

Each module is worth a specified number of credits: you can take a combination of core and compulsory modules enabling you to cover key subject knowledge. Some courses have option modules which enable you to develop your own interests.

Each level of your programme requires a certain number of credits. The number of option modules you can take depends on the number of core modules at a given level and this is also influenced by the requirements of the regulatory requirements for professionally accredited courses. Some courses also have pre and co-requisites, and these are included in individual module information.

Your learning will be led by the latest research, and modules can change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. You can always find the most up-to-date information about your modules and who is teaching them via the information on our webpages and, post enrolment, via the Faculty hub.

If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an option module, it may not be offered. If an option module will not be run, we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

The core and compulsory modules available on your course are as follows:

Part I The structure of the programme and the modules currently offered are set out below. Of the modules shown against each part of your programme, some are core or compulsory (i.e., enrolment is automatic) and others are optional. Against each part you are directed to which modules are core or compulsory and which are optional. Core modules must be passed. A compensated pass is possible for compulsory and optional modules. Where optional modules have been specified, the following is an indicative list of available optional modules, which are subject to change each academic year. Please note in some instances modules have limited spaces available. Psychology adopts a flexible and inclusive approach to learning and teaching which should enable any student who meets the entry requirements to access the curriculum and demonstrate achievement of all the intended learning outcomes. The programme comprises three parts, each corresponding to one year of full-time study. You will normally have to take 4 modules (30 ECTS/60 CATS) each semester (i.e., 8 modules (60 ECTS/120 CATS) in each part of the programme). Each CATS credit can be considered as the equivalent of approximately ten hours of study. All the modules offered in this programme are 7.5 ECTS/15 CATS modules. This means that each module comprises around 150 hours of study divided into contact time (e.g., lectures, seminars, workshops) and non-contact time when you will be engaged in directed study (preparation for classes involving reading set material) and independent study when you will be involved in reading material beyond the set literature and producing assignments and preparing for and taking examinations. The Empirical Project is made up of 15 ECTS/30 CATS module. The module comprises 300 hours of study divided into contact time (workshops and supervisory tutorials) and a significantly larger portion of hours allocated to non-contact, independent study time. This is because the project is designed to foster independent inquiry and is the culmination of three levels of study, enabling you to apply theories and methods explored at all parts and to examine one area of the discipline in detail. PART 1 (60 ECTS/120 CATS): 7 modules are core/compulsory and 1 module (selected in Semester 2) is optional. IMPORTANT - Successful completion of the programme grants eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society (BPS). This is conditional on students obtaining a 2:2 degree classification and passing PSYC3085.
Part I Compulsory
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
PSYC1014	Psychology of Attractiveness	7.5	Compulsory
PSYC1016	Introduction to Psychology	7.5	Compulsory
PSYC1020	Academic Support and Employability 1	0	Compulsory
Part I Core
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
PSYC1010	Research Methods and Data Analysis I	7.5	Core
PSYC1017	Behavioural Neuroscience	7.5	Core
PSYC1018	Individual Differences	7.5	Core
PSYC1019	Research Methods & Data Analysis II (& Empirical Studies)	7.5	Core
PSYC1022	Learning to Learn	7.5	Core
Part I Optional You must choose one module from the following. You may also select 7.5 ECTS (15 CATS) of Language modules. If you select a Language module this must be in Semester 2.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
PSYC1021	The Psychology of Mental Health	7.5	Optional
MANG1049	Ideas that Shape the Contemporary World - Work, Change and Organisations	7.5	Optional
Part II PART 2 (60 ECTS/120 CATS): 6 modules are core/compulsory and 2 modules are optional
Part II Compulsory
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
PSYC2024	Academic Support and Employability 2	0	Compulsory
Part II Core
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
PSYC2003	Social Psychology	7.5	Core
PSYC2007	Developmental Psychology	7.5	Core
PSYC2018	Perception	7.5	Core
PSYC2019	Research Methods and Data Analysis III	7.5	Core
PSYC2020	Empirical Studies II	7.5	Core
PSYC2027	Current issues in Clinical Psychology	7.5	Core
Part II Optional Select 2 modules from the list (30 credits). Please ensure you select an even split of credits by semester by selecting one module (15 credits) from semester 1 and one module (15 credits) from semester 2. You are not permitted to select a module that you have previously taken.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
ARCH1001	Human Origins	7.5	Optional
EDUC2030	Adult Learners and Learning	7.5	Optional
EDUC2045	Cognitive Psychology in Education	7.5	Optional
PSYC2025	Cognitive Neuroscience	7.5	Optional
PSYC2026	Introduction to Health Psychology	7.5	Optional
SSPC2008	Criminological Psychology	7.5	Optional
UOSM2004	Global Health	7.5	Optional
UOSM2017	Intercultural Communication in a Global World	7.5	Optional
UOSM2022	Social Enterprise	7.5	Optional
UOSM2029	Life in the Cosmos	7.5	Optional
UOSM2031	Engineering Replacement Body Parts	7.5	Optional
UOSM2041	Emerging and Resilient India	7.5	Optional
UOSM2043	Global Sustainability Challenges	7.5	Optional
Part III PART 3 (60 ECTS/120 CATS): 1 module is core and 6 modules are optional.
Part III Compulsory
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
PSYC3067	Academic Support and Employability 3	0	Compulsory
Part III Core
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
PSYC3085	Empirical Project	15	Core
Part III Optional You should select 3 modules (22.5 ECTS / 45 CATS) from Semester 1 and 3 modules (22.5 ECTS / 30 CATS) from Semester 2. Only ONE option per semester can be taken from outside of Psychology. Please note you are only permitted to take ONE Language or CIP module per semester. You are not permitted to select a module you have previously taken.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
UOSM2004	Global Health	7.5	Optional
UOSM2017	Intercultural Communication in a Global World	7.5	Optional
UOSM2022	Social Enterprise	7.5	Optional
UOSM2029	Life in the Cosmos	7.5	Optional
EDUC2030	Adult Learners and Learning	7.5	Optional
UOSM2041	Emerging and Resilient India	7.5	Optional
UOSM2043	Global Sustainability Challenges	7.5	Optional
EDUC2045	Cognitive Psychology in Education	7.5	Optional
PSYC3010	Attachment & Personal Relationships	7.5	Optional
PSYC3015	Social and Psychological Approaches to Understanding Sexual Health	7.5	Optional
PSYC3024	Nostalgia	7.5	Optional
PSYC3045	Perspectives in Human Animal Interactions	7.5	Optional
PSYC3052	Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme	7.5	Optional
PSYC3053	Developmental Psychopathology	7.5	Optional
PSYC3056	Current & Emerging Issues in Psycho-Oncology & Pain Research	7.5	Optional
PHIL3056	Philosophy and Ethics in Psychology and AI	7.5	Optional
PSYC3057	Introduction to Educational Psychology	7.5	Optional
PSYC3059	Psychology of Advertising	7.5	Optional
PSYC3064	Advanced Quantitative Research Skills	7.5	Optional
PSYC3068	Social and Affective Neuroscience	7.5	Optional
PSYC3069	Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health	7.5	Optional
PSYC3071	Human Sexual Diversity	7.5	Optional
PSYC3081	Moral Psychology	7.5	Optional
PSYC3082	Building Digital Health Interventions	7.5	Optional
PSYC3083	AI Applications in Psychology	7.5	Optional
PSYC3084	Current Topics in Cognitive Psychology	7.5	Optional
PSYC3086	CBT: Theory in Practice	7.5	Optional

Learning and Teaching

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning, and assessment activity, with each ECTS credit taken equivalent to 20 hours of student effort. While your actual contact hours may depend on the option modules you select, the information available on our webpages give an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities.

When not attending lectures, seminars and other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and for other types of assessments and examinations.

Full information about contact hours is provided in individual module information.

Should you wish to revisit this following enrolment, these indications have been located in a permanent resource. This can be accessed at any time via the link below:

https://sotonac.sharepoint.com/teams/CourseSupplementaryInformation/SitePages/Study-Time.aspx

How we'll assess you

Summative assessment(s) usually take place at the end of each module, although some may have interim assessments throughout. Assessment methods might include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and projects for example. The marks from summative assessments count towards your module mark.

Each module normally contains at least one piece of practice or formative assessment for which you receive feedback. Formative assessments are developmental, and any results do not count towards your module mark, but they are an important part of your learning.

The information available on our website gives an indication of the assessment methods used on your course, at each level of your course.

Should you wish to revisit this following enrolment, these indications have been located in a permanent resource. This can be accessed at any time via the link below: https://sotonac.sharepoint.com/teams/CourseSupplementaryInformation/SitePages/Assessment.aspx

Staff involved in delivering the different elements of the course

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on your course. The team includes senior academics, professional practitioners, specialists with industry experience, demonstrators and technical officers.

Postgraduate research students who have undertaken appropriate training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars if their research specialism is directly related to the topic of the module and may also be involved in practical classes, project work and field trips. All contributions will be carried out under the supervision of the module leader.

Fees

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and standard exams.

Extra costs you may experience

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.

Depending on the nature of your course, you may be able to choose modules which may have additional costs, such as field studies, travel overseas or industrial placements which will change the overall cost of your course. Details of these costs can be found in module information.

Please also ensure you read the section on additional costs in the Fees, Charges and Expenses Regulations.

The following course-related costs are not included in your fees:

Type	Details
Calculators	Where a calculator is required, all Casio Calculators are allowed but they must be Non-Programmable, Scientific models. More information is available in the Examination Regulations https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/assessment/assess-overview/exam-regulations.page
Stationery	You will be expected to provide your own day-to-day stationery items, e.g. pens, pencils, notebooks, etc. Any specialist stationery items that you may need will be specified in the relevant module profile.
Textbooks	Where a module specifies essential texts, the Library will identify the optimal option(s) to support the module via the course Reading List. This may include e-books (ideally with unlimited concurrent usage) or a digitised chapter extract, supported by a limited number of print books (where available). You may request that the Library purchases additional print copies via 'suggest a book', borrow an additional copy via our inter-library-loans service or you may prefer to buy your own copies for high demand titles.
Printing	In most cases, written coursework such as essays and projects are submitted online. However it may be necessary to submit a hard copy of some projects, business projects and dissertations. The costs of printing a hard copy for submission of such work will be your responsibility. You will also have to cover the cost of photocopying. https://www.southampton.ac.uk/isolutions/students/printing.
Anything else not covered elsewhere	BPS Membership: The BSc in Psychology is BPS accredited and students are eligible to apply for membership. All related fees will need to be paid for by you. Exams: You should make every effort to ensure that your examination scripts are legibly handwritten to aid the marker in assessing their work. If your examination script is considered illegible, you will be asked to come in to dictate their script so that it can be transcribed. The cost of this work will be met by you. If the script is not transcribed then it will receive a mark of zero (0).
Conference expenses	Accommodation: Should students wish to attend any conference they will be expected to meet the costs themselves. Travel: Should students wish to attend any conference they will be expected to meet the costs themselves.
Fieldwork: logistical costs	Accommodation: All costs related to placements must be covered by you. Insurance: All costs related to placements must be covered by you. Travel costs: All costs related to placements must be covered by you. Immunisation/vaccination costs: All costs related to placements must be covered by you. Other: All costs related to placements must be covered by you.
Hardware	Computer lab access is provided, however personal computers, recording devices etc. will not be provided by the University.
Laboratory Equipment and Materials	Basic costs for experimental research (e.g., third year research project) are included. Should students wish to engage in off-site data collection (or using crowdsourcing services) these costs would be expected to be met by you.
Other	The third year research projects will be given a budget of up to £100 supplied by the University. Any budget shortfall will be met by you.
Parking costs (including on placements at hospitals)	Student parking at academic sites is normally limited to those with medical needs. Students seeking a parking permit will be expected to pay for this themselves.
Placements (including Study Abroad Programmes)	Accommodation: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you. Insurance: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you. Medical Insurance: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you. Travel costs: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you. Immunisation/vaccination costs: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you. Disclosure and Barring Certificates or Clearance: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you. Translation of birth certificates: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you. Other: All costs related to semester abroad and placement year must be covered by you.
Software Licenses	Licenced software is available via University’s onsite computers and to students via the Virtual Private Network for further details see http://www.southampton.ac.uk/isolutions/services/vpn_service/

Bursaries, scholarships and other funding

We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from underrepresented backgrounds.

You may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs.

If you are a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.

You may be able to get a scholarship or grant that's linked to your chosen subject area.

Financial Support

The Student Services Centre offers support and advice regarding student finances. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course. You can find more information about financial support via our webpages: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentservices/money-matters/student-support-fund/index.page

Academic support

The Student Support Hub is your first point of contact when it comes to seeking support. The team will answer your questions or concerns about your wellbeing, fees and funding, accommodation and visas. The team will help make sure you receive the support you need, guiding you to further support services where required. You can find more information about student support via our webpages:

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentservices/index.page

One of the most important people you will meet while you are a student at Southampton is your Personal Academic Tutor, who will be allocated to you for your arrival at the University and who is normally a member of academic staff in your own or a closely related subject area. Your Personal Academic Tutor will offer one-to-one support and advice throughout your time at Southampton and will support you in your studies or with other issues you may have. You can find out more via our webpages:

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/academic-support-guidance/personal-tutor.page

Disclaimer

As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our courses to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. As a result, this course may be revised during a student's period of registration; however, any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Please read our Disclaimer to see why, when and how changes may be made to a student's course.