Psychology

For more information on the Quality Assurance Agency subject benchmarks see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/subject- guidance/Pages/Subject-benchmark-statements.aspx

Bachelor’s Degree with Honours (6)

For more information on the QAA’s Framework for Higher Education Qualifications see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/Qualifications/Pages/default. aspx

To meet the requirements of the programme, all students must complete course units

totalling 120 credits in each year, totalling 360 credits over the three years of the degree.   All course units in Years 1 are compulsory, and in year 2, Evolution of Behaviour &  Cognition, Statistics & Data Analysis, Individual Differences, Interventions to Improve  Mental Health & Wellbeing, Conceptual & Historical Issues in Psychology (CHiPS), and either Psychology Career Management or Psychology Work Placement are compulsory units. Year 3 comprises four 20 credit option choices plus the compulsory final year project (40 credits).Students can opt to take permitted external course units instead of the non- compulsory Psychology course units, up to a maximum of 40 credits across years 2 and 3. There are four themes that run through the programme: Evolution & Development, Psychology in Society, Mind & Brain, and Adaptability & Wellbeing. These themes represent the current discipline of Psychology, and map onto the research expertise of the staff teaching on the degree. Students study two course units per theme in years one and two, and can choose options from all four themes in year 3.

Exit Awards

Award of the Certificate of Higher Education requires 120 credits, with at least 100 credits at level 1 or above (level 4 in the FHEQ*).

Award of the Diploma of Higher Education requires 240 credits, with at least 100 credits at level 2 or above (level 5 in the FHEQ).

Award of the Ordinary Degree of Bachelor for a programme of standard length (three years full-time study) requires 300 credits, with at least 60 credits at level 3 or above (level 6 in the FHEQ).

Award of the Degree of Bachelor with Honours for a programme of standard length (three years full-time study) requires 360 credits, with at least 100 credits at level 3 or above (level 6 in the FHEQ).

For more information about the University’s degree regulations see

http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/map/teachinglearningassessment/teaching/degreeregulations

A. Student Induction

Information regarding induction activities and registration processes is available to prospective students electronically before the start of the first semester. The information can also be sent to students by post as  a preregistration pack. Before the delivery of the programme’s course units begins, students undergo a weeklong period of induction. In the first week of induction, students attend orientation lectures by those responsible for the delivery of the programme in which the expectations and aims of the programme are explained. Also in this first week, students attend introductory sessions to the University’s library, careers, sport and computer facilities. The programme team also put on sessions concerning academic matters – more details are in section B below. Students receive a copy of the programme handbook, in which all aspects of the programme are comprehensively outlined, in their first week in the School. In the orientation lecture, the importance of the programme handbook (as a point of reference throughout their time on the programme) is underlined to students. The programme handbook is also made available electronically on the School’s virtual learning environment (Blackboard) throughout the year.

B. Student Support

Each student meets their academic adviser within welcome week. Academic advisers can offer support and advice on academic and pastoral matters, and are key to the School’s student support structure. In year  one, academic advisors have weekly contact with students through lectures and practical classes, and they run fortnightly study skills seminars with their academic advisees. Additionally, academic advisors in all years meet with their advisees for one-to-one meetings through the semester to discuss progress, development and other issues.

All first year students are assigned a peer-mentor in welcome week, who is a current second or third year student who has been trained to offer support and guidance to first year students on academic and non- academic matters.

The School has a dedicated Student Support Officer, who is available to see Psychology students without appointment, and who can offer advice and support on all aspects of academic and pastoral matters. The Student Support Officer has excellent links with University level support services, including the Disability Support Office (DSO) and can refer students on for extra support if need be.

Psychology students are able to attend essay-writing and statistics drop-in clinics, which are run by staff and postgraduate students for those who would like extra support in these areas.

C. Teaching, learning and assessment methods

A range of different types of teaching delivery are used across the degree programme. Core first and second year courses are typically delivered by large lectures containing demonstrations and interactive elements, which are each supported by small group teaching in the form of seminars or practical classes, and by discussions, quizzes and other material on the virtual learning environment (Blackboard). Seminars offer opportunities for students to discuss particular relevant papers, theories, ideas and applications in small groups to consolidate learning of the lecture material. Practical classes allow students to plan, execute and write up a piece of research relevant to the lecture content. These classes take a problem-based learning approach, and students work through different research problems in small groups, facilitated by teaching assistants and lecturing staff to offer a more personalised learning experience. Third year option courses typically involve smaller lectures, and these are supported by seminars and reading groups, as well as by the virtual learning environment. The seminars provide an opportunity for students to think about the lecture material and discuss ideas and theories and present papers, and the reading groups allow students to engage with a small number of key journal articles from each lecture.

All course units are supported by Blackboard, which is a virtual learning environment. Course materials including lecture slides, journal articles, webcasts, podcasts, quizzes and web-links are posted onto the site, and each unit has a discussion board where students are encouraged to post and answer questions, but which are also monitored by staff.

IT support is available on the IT Services web site. The training materials cover many of the popular IT applications used at the University. They can be accessed from: www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/trainingcourses/trainingresources

Psychology students have access to dedicated PC clusters with 35 PCs and printing facilities, with access to a further 1300 machines across campus, available weekdays 8:30 – 5:00. 10% of these available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in term-time.

Student representatives are chosen at the beginning of the academic year. The representatives are invited to the Staff Student Liaison Committee where they can feed back to staff any issues or problems that have arisen. The Programme Team then respond to these, and these responses and any action taken are fed back to staff and students via a newsletter.