Programme Specification
BSc (Hons) Psychology with Communication (2019 entry)
Academic Year: 2019/20
This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning opportunities that are provided.
This specification applies to delivery of the programme in the Academic Year indicated above. Prospective students reviewing this information for a later year of study should be aware that these details are subject to change as outlined in our .
This specification should be read in conjunction with:
- Reg. XX (Undergraduate Awards) (see
- Module Specifications
- Summary
- Aims
- Learning outcomes
- Structure
- Progression & weighting
Programme summary
Awarding body/institution | ÌìÌÃÊÓƵ |
Teaching institution (if different) | |
Owning school/department | School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences |
Details of accreditation by a professional/statutory body | |
Final award | BSc/BSc+DIntS/BSc+DPS |
Programme title | BSc (Hons) Psychology with Communication |
Programme code | PSUB23 |
Length of programme | BSc – 3 years full-time BSc with placement – 4 years full-time |
UCAS code | CP83, C8P3 |
Admissions criteria | BSc (Hons) - BSc (Hons) DPS/DIntS - |
Date at which the programme specification was published | Mon, 25 Nov 2019 14:14:13 GMT |
1. Programme Aims
Overall, this Programme seeks to give the student a thorough grounding in two complementary ways of understanding the human in society: through a consideration of people's internal processes and social relations (Psychology) and through connections between people via text, image and speech (Communication). While both disciplines have a large hinterland of theory and research the outer bounds of which have little in common, certain topics are core to both: mechanisms of perception; theories of language and speech; social influence; interpersonal communication; social interaction; the role of media in society; understanding representation; and the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
With this general aim, curriculum content reflects the need to meet the programme standards for the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and:
- equip students with intellectual, practical and transferable skills for careers in which psychology provides a relevant foundation;
- develop a range of research skills for investigating experience and behaviour, culminating in the deployment of these skills in the conduct and reporting of an independent piece of research;
- foster a constructive, critical approach to the evaluation of psychological theory and research, and to relations between psychology and its cognate disciplines in both academic and applied settings;
- enable students to develop and sustain arguments and solve problems through a conceptually and empirically grounded understanding of psychological topics, and to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to different audiences;
- promote and provide a multi-disciplinary educational experience
- to equip students with a thorough, theoretical and evidence-based understanding of how communication plays a vital role in the relationships between individuals, groups and commercial and cultural agents
2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:
- British Psychological Society GBC curriculum
- Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
- The subject benchmark statement for Psychology
- The subject benchmark statement for Communication, Media, Film and Culture Studies
3. Programme Learning Outcomes
3.1 Knowledge and Understanding
On successful completion of these programmes, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following areas.
K1 |
Social psychology: e.g. social cognition, attribution, attitudes, group processes and intergroup relations, close relationships and social constructionism. |
K2 |
Cognitive psychology: e.g. perception, learning, memory, thinking, language, consciousness and cognitive neuropsychology. |
K3 |
Individual differences and personality: e.g. abnormal and normal personality, psychological testing, intelligence, cognitive style, emotion, motivation and mood. |
K4 |
Developmental psychology: e.g. childhood, adolescence and life-span development, development of attachment, social relations, cognitive and language development, social and cultural contexts of development. |
K5 |
Biological psychology: e.g. biological bases of behaviour, hormones and behaviour, behavioural genetics, neuropsychology, socio-biology and evolutionary psychology. |
K6 |
Conceptual and historical issues in psychology: e.g. the scientific underpinnings of psychology as a discipline, its historical origins, development and limitations. |
K7 |
Research design, including qualitative and quantitative methods, the nature and appropriate statistical analysis of data, psychometrics and measurement techniques, an empirical project. |
K8 |
The main theoretical approaches to understanding communication and media, and contemporary and historic debates related to the relation between theories of psychology and communication. |
K9 |
The nature of communication and how relevant agencies and actors use it. |
3.2 Skills and other attributes
a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:
On successful completion of these programmes, students should be able to:
C1 |
Demonstrate evidence-based scientific reasoning, and make critical judgements about arguments and primary source material in psychology. |
C2 |
Apply multiple perspectives to psychological issues, recognising that psychology involves a range of research methods, theories, evidence and applications. |
C3 |
Search for similarities and general principles in order to detect and evaluate meaningful patterns in behaviour, psychological functioning, and experience. |
C4 |
Recognise the continuous significance and importance for psychology of contextual, interpersonal and cultural influences, and appreciate the complexities their recognition raises. |
C5 |
Examine practical, theoretical and ethical issues associated with the use of different methods, paradigms, analytic techniques and applications in psychology. |
C6 |
Critically analyse methods and theory in psychology and demonstrate the relationship between theory and evidence. |
C7 |
Critically evaluate competing theories and explanations for the phenomena of communication. |
C8 |
Apply communication theory and research to problems and questions in communication and media. |
b. Subject-specific practical skills:
On successful completion of these programmes, students should be able to:
P1 |
Observe, record and give a systematic account of human behaviour in a range of settings. |
P2 |
Make effective use of a variety of methods of data collection, including experiments, observation, psychometric tests, questionnaires, interviews and field studies. |
P3 |
Analyse data using both quantitative and qualitative psychological methods. |
P4 |
Present and evaluate psychological research findings. |
P5 |
Use a variety of specialist software packages, laboratory and psychometric instruments, and digital data gathering platforms. |
P6 |
Deploy effective listening skills and communicate psychological concepts, methods, and findings effectively in speech and writing. |
P7 |
Apply ethical considerations to psychological research and professional practice. |
P8 |
Conduct and report an empirically-based research project under appropriate supervision, demonstrating appropriate levels of personal planning and project management. |
P9 |
Analyse and assess findings about communication and report information about them. |
P10 |
Use appropriate analytical methods and reserach tools in relation to communication, including quantitative and qualitative techniques. |
c. Key transferable skills:
On successful completion of these programmes, students should be able to:
T1 |
Generate, organise, analyse and interpret qualitative, numerical, statistical and other forms of data effectively. |
T2 |
Demonstrate computer literacy with respect to relevant and widely used word-processing, database and analytic software packages and resources. |
T3 |
Use electronic and other resources to search for, identify and organise information in library books, journals, and appropriate online sources. |
T4 |
Work independently and in groups to solve problems, find alternative solutions, reach common goals and evaluate outcomes. |
T5 |
Deploy critical judgements and evaluations to arrive at supported conclusions. |
T6 |
Communicate effectively to a range of audiences using a range of media. |
T7 |
Learn independently and pragmatically and take responsibility for their own learning and skill development. |
T8 |
Interpret and apply principles of communication to the construction of effective written and spoken arguments. |
T9 |
Deploy critical judgment in recognizing how communication is informed by psychology. |
4. Programme structure
Candidates must take a total modular weight of 120 credits in each Part with a minimum modular weight of 50 in each semester, taking into account both compulsory and optional modules. Where the modular weight of a module taught and assessed over both semesters is 20 or 40, this shall be split equally between semesters. All modules subject to confirmation, availability and having taken the appropriate pre-requisite modules (where applicable)
4.1a Part A – Compulsory Introductory Modules for all Programmes
Code |
Module Title |
Modular Weight |
Semester |
SSA301 |
Introduction to Comm. & Media Studies A |
10 |
1 |
SSA307 |
Constructing Meaning: Texts and Audiences | 10 | 1 |
PSA503 | Foundations in Quantitative Research Methods | 10 | 1 |
PSA508 | Foundations in Social Psychology | 10 | 1 |
PSA510 | Foundations in Qualitative Research Methods | 10 | 1 |
PSA500 | Foundations in Developmental Psychology | 10 | 1 |
PSA501 | Historical and Conceptual Issues in Psychology | 10 | 2 |
PSA502 | Foundations in Biological Psychology | 10 | 2 |
SSA157 | Academic & Professional Skills for Social Sciences Psychology students | 10 | 1 |
PSA509 | Foundations in Cognitive Psychology | 10 | 2 |
PSA511 | Psychology Practicals A | 10 | 2 |
SSA160 | Language in Society | 10 | 2 |
4.2a Part B – Compulsory Degree Modules
Code |
Module Title |
Modular Weight |
Semester |
PSB513 |
Human Cognition | 10 | 1 |
PSB508 | Developmental Psychology | 10 | 1 |
PSB510 | Personality and Individual Differences | 10 | 1 |
SSB165 | Social Psychology and Communication | 10 | 1 |
PSB507 | Social Psychology | 10 | 1 |
SSB132 | Analysing Language: Theory and Method | 10 | 1 |
PSB511 | Quantitative Research Methods | 10 | 2 |
PSB512 | Psychology Practicals B | 10 | 2 |
PSB514 | Brain and Behaviour I | 10 | 2 |
PSB509 | Qualitative Research Methods | 10 | 2 |
SSB133 | Group and Intergroup Communication and Conflict | 10 | 2 |
SSB164 | Social Interaction | 10 | 2 |
4.3 Part I (4-year/8-semester programme only)
Candidates pursue ONE of the following streams:
(i) Placement Stream (DPS)
Candidates will undertake an appropriate psychology-related placement.
(ii) Study Abroad Stream (DIntS) where applicable
Candidates will study at an approved academic institution overseas.
4.4a Part C – Compulsory Degree Modules
Code |
Module Title |
Modular Weight |
Semester |
SSC199 |
Project |
40 |
1&2 |
SSC171 |
Advanced Social Psychology |
10 |
1 |
SSC173 |
Language, Culture and Mind |
10 |
2 |
SSC320 |
Presenting Media Debates |
10 |
1 |
4.4b Part C – Optional Degree Modules
Optional modules (50 credits) At least 20 credits must be chosen from group (ii). The remaining 30 credits can be chosen from either group (ii) or group (iii):
Code |
Module Title |
Modular Weight |
Semester |
Group (ii) |
|||
SSC136 | Media, Memory and History | 20 | 1 |
SSC317 | Critical Viewings: Documentary | 10 | 1 |
SSC318 | Critical Viewings: Television | 10 | 2 |
SSC357 | Producing the News | 20 | 2 |
Group (iii) | |||
SSC130 | Social Psychology of Everyday Life | 20 | 1 |
PSC321 | Psychology of Workplace Health | 20 | 1 |
PSC301 | Advanced Experimental and Qualitative Design & Analysis | 20 | 1 |
BSC720 | Behavioural Decision Science | 10 | 2 |
BSC722 | Consumer Behaviour | 10 | 2 |
PSC315 | Psychology and Health | 20 | 2 |
PSC320 | Parenting and Socialisation | 20 | 2 |
PSC311 | Clinical Psychology | 20 | 2 |
5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award
In order to progress from Part A to Part B, from Part B to Part C and to be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, candidates must satisfy the minimum credit requirements set out in Regulation XX.
6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification
Candidates' final degree classification will be determined on the basis of their performance in degree level Module Assessments in Parts B and C. The percentage mark for each Part will be combined in the ratio Part B 40: Part C 60 to determine the final percentage mark.