Our programme lays particular emphasis on the application of psychology to real-world problems based on a combination of pure and applied research in areas such as health, clinical psychology, social interaction, industry, the environment, education, child development, perception and cognition. Our degree also considers issues related to professional practice in preparation for your professional training year.

Factfile

Degrees

 Degree Programme

Degrees

 Degree Programme

 Our Degree

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental life. It seeks to understand what makes us as we are, and what constrains and influences what we do. It addresses issues such as how children learn, why we forget, what causes mental disorders, how brain and behaviour interact and how we perceive the world.

In the first two years of your programme you will learn about the core areas of psychology, studying social, developmental and cognitive psychology, biological bases of psychology, individual differences, and the use of research methods and statistics in psychology. In your final year you will be able to select from a range of modules and will undertake a five-month independent research project on a topic of your choosing.

As well as the specific subjects that you will study, students of psychology also develop highly valued key transferable skills. These include critical thinking, analysis and synthesis, scientific methods and practice, data analysis, report writing, presentation skills and teamwork.

We provide excellent teaching, as verified by the Quality Assessment Agency, and use a variety of teaching styles and methods to promote your learning and understanding. You will be taught by lecturing staff who have an international reputation in their specialist fields. 

We work to provide a lively, friendly and supportive environment for our students and boast an excellent record for both graduate employment and for providing students with the basis for subsequent professional training in psychology and other areas.

Other degrees you may be interested in:

Criminology and Sociology
Sociology

Programme

 Programme Overview

Psychology is a rewarding and valuable degree both for the subject areas it covers and the skills you learn while studying these subjects. Understanding what makes us as we are and what constrains and influences what we do is fundamental to human endeavour. For instance, advances in science, international conflicts, our enjoyment of the arts, are all shaped by factors such as our biology, the capacity of human thought, patterns of communication and social interaction, and the operation of our perceptual systems. Psychology seeks to explore these factors.

Qualified psychologists have a commitment both to research and to the practical application of knowledge. They work and conduct research in laboratories, schools, offices, industry, clinics, hospitals, prisons and many other settings in which people live and work.

Our Department has a reputation for being friendly, approachable and supportive, and provides a vibrant and enthusiastic environment for teaching and learning. It is no surprise that our graduates readily find interesting and rewarding employment in business, industry, the public sector and research when they graduate.

Level 1 focuses on helping you to develop a foundation knowledge of psychology. Individual modules cover the core areas of psychology and introduce the research methods, statistical and analytical techniques you will use in order to conduct your own research. Our academic and subject tutorials also help students to develop the skills required for success throughout the programme.

At Level 2 most of the areas addressed in Level 1 are covered in greater depth. Study of these core areas provides the basis for accreditation of the degree by the British Psychological Society. You will also be introduced to applied psychology and professional skills in preparation for your professional training year. Subject tutorials in support of research activity and critical thinking will continue throughout the year as a core part of the curriculum.

Level 3 gives you the opportunity to extend your studies further into those areas of psychology that most interest you. Along with an Integrative Psychology module, you will choose two modules during each semester which cover advanced and applied areas of psychology. You will also undertake a five-month research project and submit a dissertation on a topic of interest to you, supervised by a member of staff.

The skills you will gain are highly valued in both academic and workplace settings. As a Psychology graduate from Surrey, you will be skilled in applying your knowledge, and in your ability to learn quickly, work in teams, plan, analyse and present your work. This will be an advantage in your future career or study choices.

 Programme Structure

Professional Training

Our degree programme includes a professional training year during the third year. Professional placements give you the opportunity to spend part of your degree programme with an outside organisation gaining invaluable work experience, and enhances employability. 

The extensive professional and research activities of departmental staff enable you to choose from a range of different work settings to reflect your individual interests and needs. Settings may be found throughout the UK and include hospitals and clinics, schools, social survey companies, personnel and occupational guidance services, industry and commerce. 

Institutions and companies that have participated in the scheme include: the Home Office, the Institute of Psychiatry, BMG Records, IBM, the Metropolitan Police, HMP Holloway, Royal Marsden Hospital, the Guildford Pupil Referral Unit, More House School, the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy and Action on Addiction.

Why Surrey?

 Key reasons to study Psychology 2012 at Surrey

• Accredited by the British Psychological Society as providing the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership
• Undertake a supervised professional training year, with opportunities in professional areas of psychology
• Benefit from our outstanding graduate employment record
• You will have access to our first-rate computing and laboratory facilities
• Our lecturing staff have an international reputation in their specialist research area, ensuring that programme content is at the forefront of the discipline
• In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 85 per cent of our research was rated as internationally recognised, internationally excellent or world-leading

Careers

 Top for Jobs

Graduates over the last few years entered employment with organisations such as:

• Institute of Psychiatry – Research Assistant
• Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability – Rehabilitation Assistant
• UK Young Autism Project – Tutor
• Great Ormond Street Hospital – Assistant Psychologist
• Marks & Spencer – Human Resources Adviser
• Metropolitan Police Service – Technical Author
• Which? – Business Research Assistant
• Broadmoor Hospital – Therapy Assistant

 Career Opportunities

Our Psychology degree provides you with the basic requirement for admission to psychology postgraduate training courses in specialist areas of the discipline such as clinical, educational or occupational psychology. Some graduates continue their interest in psychology by registering for a research degree (PhD, MPhil) in a specialist area of interest, leading to a career as an academic research psychologist. 

Many organisations will employ psychology graduates for their specific training and skills in areas such as personnel, research and development, survey and market research departments, and career guidance. 

In addition, many employers are anxious to recruit psychology graduates because the broad curriculum produces a well-rounded individual, who communicates well, has analytical skills and is numerate. Recent graduates have embarked on careers in research, law, accountancy, teaching, computer programming and general management. Virtually all graduates of the programme find satisfactory employment within six months of graduation.

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Teaching

A range of teaching methods is employed on our programme as appropriate for the individual modules. These range from lectures, seminars and workshops, through small group practicals and tutorials, to one-to-one dissertation supervision. In addition to lectures and seminars, tutorials are generally used to introduce you to the core areas of psychology. 

In the first year of the programme, students receive tutorials in groups of about ten, which gives you the opportunity to develop your skills such as searching for and analysing research, writing essays and laboratory reports, and preparing for exams. Laboratory classes in your first and second years will introduce you to the main research methods and techniques used within psychology, and to methods (statistical and qualitative) for analysing research data. 

Teaching is delivered by staff who are experts in their particular field of psychology. Teaching takes place in a friendly and professional environment. Teaching, laboratory and IT facilities are up-to-date and well maintained.

Facilities

The Department provides computing laboratories with a large number of Windows-based workstations and PCs. In addition, students have 24-hour access to the University’s computing facilities. 

The Department also has a range of dedicated laboratories for conducting a wide variety of psychological research, including infant observation facilities, laboratories for perception and psychophysiological research, a suite of small project rooms, an extensive library of psychometric and clinical tests, and the use of an MRI brain scanner.

Assessment

At all levels, methods of assessment include coursework and exams. You will be required to pass all of the components at each level in order to proceed to the next one. Because the first year does not count towards the final degree classification, this gives you the opportunity to resolve any problems before they affect your degree grade. Your final degree classification will be based upon your performance at Levels 2 and 3. In determining the final degree grade, the marks from Level 3 assessments are double-weighted relative to those from Level 2.