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Introduction to Psychology

Click here to view our Psychology Subject Leaflet (PDF 2MB)

Welcome to the Psychology website at The University of Northampton. The site contains an introduction to the Division and the facilities available, an overview of the various degree courses we offer, information on academic staff, and details of research within the Division.

Psychology is a dynamic and rapidly developing Division dedicated to delivering quality programmes of study that are academically challenging and provide a sound basis for fulfilling and rewarding careers. The Division has an academic staff group of twenty-two full time lecturers supported by three technicians and with access to a range of School based administrative and secretarial staff. Psychology at The University of Northampton can be studied as either a Single Honours degree or as part of the Joint Honours programme where it can be taken as a Major, Joint or Minor subject. We also offer a postgraduate MSc in Child and Adolescent Health and contribute modules to the MSc in Research Methods. More than 400 full time equivalent undergraduate and postgraduate students study on our programmes. Postgraduate research study to Masters and Doctoral level is also available with staff offering supervision in a range of research areas.

Psychology at The University of Northampton

The University of Northampton has offered a BSc Single Honours course and Joint Honours course in psychology for many years. More recently, these courses have been embedded within a highly flexible modular system, enabling students to choose modules from a wide range of options.

At The University of Northampton, Single Honours and Joint Honours Major psychology students who study a specified pattern of modules are eligible for the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society. Obtaining GBR is an important step in starting a career in one of the psychological professions e.g. Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology, Occupational Psychology and Neuropsychology.

In year one, psychology students are introduced to the central topics and methods of psychology through two core modules. One module, Introduction to Psychology, familiarizes students with the major approaches of understanding of human behaviour; social psychology, cognitive psychology, biological psychology, individual differences and developmental psychology. The other module, Research Methods in Psychology, enables students to acquire skills in the design and execution of a range of investigative methods used by psychologists, the analysis and interpretation of data, and report writing.

The other first year modules depend partly on the course taken and partly on students choice from the available options. These modules include Psychology in Practice, Investigating Psychology and a broad range of non-psychology modules. The core topics covered in Year One are explored in greater depth during the second year.

Psychology at The University of Northampton offers an excellent variety of options in Year Three. Currently, our third year students can choose from a menu of psychology modules. Many of these have an applied psychology focus, ideal as preparation for one of the psychological professions. Such modules include: Clinical Psychology, Occupational Psychology, The Psychology of Health and Forensic Psychology. Other modules reflect the research expertise of our staff; for example The Developing Adult, New Paradigms in Psychology, Parapsychology, Transpersonal Psychology and Visual Perception with Neuropsychology. As with all institutions, third year options may change each year according to student interest and staff availability.

Features of the Psychology Courses at The University of Northampton:

• BSc (Hons) Psychology course and Joint Honours Psychology Major pathway are accredited by the British Psychological Society.
• A large academic staff group supports a wide range of third year options and dissertation topics.
• Modular programme offers flexibility and choice at all levels of study.
• Excellent student support via personal tutors, year tutors and other staff.
• Access to excellent research facilities.

Facilities in Psychology

Psychology has a range of facilities and resources to support teaching activities and research. There are three teaching laboratories with 20 Pentium class PCs in each, a psycho-physiological laboratory equipped to record human physiological responses that occur in conjunction with behaviour, like electro-dermal activity, heart rate, etc., a sound attenuated laboratory that is used for many cognitive and para-psychological studies and a perceptual research laboratory used for visual and other perceptual research activities. There are a number of smaller experimental rooms regularly used for student dissertation projects as well as staff research. The computers in all the laboratories are linked into the Psychology Local Area Network (LAN) which also includes machines in staff offices. The LAN is bridged into the University's main campus network and thereby into the internet. The network and computers support a arrange of software applications including the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) used for analysing data, Q.S.R. NUD*IST (A qualitative data analysis package); SuperLab (a package that presents classic experimental psychology experiments and allows users to define their own studies) BioPac (a hardware and software package for recording psycho-physiological behaviour); PsycLit and similar software that allows access to bibliographic databases of the Psychological research literature; and other experimental and tutorial software for psychology.

There is also an observation suite with a two-way mirror and built-in audio-visual recording and editing facilities. A smaller room for individual and dyadic activity and interviewing is also equipped with audio-visual recording facilities which link into the main control room.

A variety of other hand-held audio and video tape recording equipment is available for use by students in practical classes and projects. In addition there is an extensive collection of psychological tests. There is also other psychological laboratory equipment so enabling a wide range of research projects in all major branches of the discipline to be carried out. This is important because all undergraduates are required to carry out independent research projects supervised by staff.

The Division also makes use of computer assisted learning and self-study material. Our computer laboratories are currently available to students when not required for formal teaching sessions. In addition there are institutional IT facilities with many of the same software packages available on a 24-hour basis. Students can also access the Division's Web-based learning materials externally via dial-up lines or their own internet service provider.

Psychology also has the support of three Psychology technicians whose duties include the management of psychological laboratory equipment (including IT), psychological tests, and resource materials. One technician is also dedicated to teaching support and assists students in accessing the various information sources and use of statistical analysis and other software.

The Psychology Division is housed within the Fawsley Building, a pleasant and well-appointed low-level building on the south-east corner of Park campus. In addition to the dedicated psychological laboratories and staff offices already mentioned, Fawsley has a number of small to mediuim sized teaching rooms. Our building also houses the School of Social Sciences Programme Support Office. While much of the teaching of Psychology modules takes place in the Fawsley building, large lectures and seminars tend to be held in the more extensive main lecture theatres in the nearby Holdenby and Cottesbrooke buildings.