COURSE CURRICULUM

This Psychology and Education joint honours degree is designed to give you a dual understanding of how people think and how they learn, combining scientific psychology with critical perspectives on education systems. At the core, you study fundamental psychology modules such as social and cognitive psychology, which explores how we think, make decisions, and interact with others, alongside biological and developmental psychology, which examines how the brain, genetics, and life stages influence behaviour. These are supported by research methods training, which develops your ability to design studies, analyse data, and evaluate scientific evidence, and are required for BPS accreditation if Psychology is your major, meaning the degree can provide the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. Alongside psychology, you study education-focused modules such as “Another Brick in the Wall: An Introduction to the Sociology of Education,” which examines how education systems are shaped by society and inequality, “Education Through the Ages,” which looks at historical development of education, and “Teaching, Thinking and Reasoning,” which focuses on how learning processes and cognitive development apply in educational settings. As the degree progresses, you can choose optional modules in areas such as educational alternatives, motivation and achievement, research methods in education, and social exclusion, or continue deeper into psychology with topics like psychopathology, cyberpsychology, forensic psychology, health psychology, or applied human performance. This flexibility allows you to shape your degree depending on whether you are more interested in teaching, policy, educational research, or psychological careers. In the final year, you complete an independent study or dissertation, where you conduct original research under supervision, often linking psychology and education together in a single project. Overall, the course is strongly research-led and encourages critical thinking about both individual behaviour and wider social systems, with a focus on real-world application, employability, and progression into careers in education, teaching support, psychology-related roles, or postgraduate study.