Dual Honours Applied Psychology/ Major

SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

Principal Dual Honours and Major Awards Programmes in

Psychology, Applied Psychology.

Introduction

This document provides a summary of the main features of the undergraduate programmes in Psychology taken as a dual, major or minor award. It explains the relationship between dual honours programmes and these types of award, and what a student will be able to do if he or she wishes to take full advantage of the opportunities provided during the course of this Programme. This includes the opportunity to graduate with an Applied Psychology degree, which incorporates a placement year. The Dual and Major awards in

Psychology/Applied Psychology are recognised by the British Psychological Society as graduate basis for Chartership, following successful accumulation of 180 credits or higher in

Psychology.

Throughout this document, the term ‘Psychology’ is used to refer to both Psychology and

Applied Psychology programmes, unless specifically indicated otherwise.

Name(s) of programmes

BSc (Hons) Psychology

BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology

Mode of study

Single or Dual Honours

Full time

Dual Honours Programme (including Major and Minor routes)

Duration

Recognised by

BSc (Hons) Psychology – 3 years

BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology – 4 years

The British Psychological Society as graduate basis for Chartership.

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1. What is a Dual Honours Principal Programme?

Keele University is committed to offering a broad undergraduate curriculum based on a Dual

Honours system which allows students to study two subjects to Honours level. Each of these subjects is known as a ‘Principal Programme’. Each principal programme is studied throughout the student’s three or four year degree at Keele. The opportunity of studying two distinct subject areas is valuable in enabling students to develop intellectual flexibility, a broad range of study skills, and time management.

We also recognize that some students may want to specialize in one or other of their Dual

Honours subjects. To enable students to do this, Keele also offers a Major/Minor award. In the case of students who choose to take Psychology as their Minor subject it should be noted that the aims of the Programme may not fully be met nor will students be able to demonstrate that they have achieved all of the Programme’s learning outcomes. It is important to note that if psychology is the minor component of a major/minor degree, a

Minor award in Psychology will not confer eligibility for graduate basis for chartered membership with the British Psychological Society.

In the Dual Honours route students study both Principal Programmes in year 1 and year 2. In the final year students continue to study modules from both programmes.

In the Major/Minor route students study both Principal Programmes in year 1 and year 2 at

Keele. In the final year students specialise in one of the two subjects which is referred to as the Major subject. The other subject becomes the Minor subject.

2. What is the philosophy of the Programmes?

Psychology is a large and varied discipline concerned with the systematic study of mind, brain and behaviour. Researchers in Psychology utilise a wide range of techniques in order to understand how people think, feel, communicate, and act. The Psychology programme at

Keele covers topics such as the biological bases of behaviour, cognition, individual differences, human social interaction and lifespan development. It also provides students with training in the skills required to conduct quantitative and qualitative investigation in psychology.

The Major award in Psychology is designed to increase the opportunity for students to spend more time in their final year to pursue areas of interest through guided independent study and one to one supervised research projects.

3. Aims of the Programmes

The broad aims of the Programmes are to:

• develop systematic and scientific understanding of the core areas of psychology and to afford competence in subject-specific and graduate level intellectual skills that will meet the needs of students who wish to achieve accreditation by the British Psychological Society within the context of a dual honours degree;

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• facilitate the progressive development of critical thinking and independent learning in our students and to systematically apply these skills to specialist subject areas within the discipline of psychology and in devising and answering empirical research questions;

• develop a range of employability skills that transfer across different disciplines and provide a solid foundation for both further study after graduation and a range of careers.

4. What students will learn?

The intended learning outcomes of the programme (what students should know, understand and be able to do at the end of the programme), can be described under three main headings:

• Subject knowledge and understanding

• Subject specific skills

• Key or transferable skills (including employability skills)

Subject knowledge and understanding

Successful students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following:

• the scientific basis for the discipline of psychology;

• the core areas of biological psychology, cognitive psychology, personality and individual differences, developmental psychology, social psychology and research methods;

• the inherent variability and diversity of psychological functioning;

• a range of influences on psychological functioning and a critical understanding of these influences along with their significance;

• several specialised areas of psychology in detail;

• application of psychological concepts to selected real-life problems;

• the application of psychological skills within a placement agency;

• a range of research paradigms, methods and analyses;

• the ethical responsibilities of psychologists.

Subject specific skills

Successful students will be able to:

• reason scientifically and critically about psychological theories, findings and research hypotheses;

• detect meaningful patterns in behaviour and experience through the use of suitable research methods;

• pose, operationalise and critique psychological research questions;

• reason statistically and demonstrate competence using a range of statistical techniques;

• apply knowledge of ethical requirements to investigations;

• demonstrate an ability to use established techniques of analysis and enquiry accurately within psychology;

• communicate information to a specialist audience;

• operate effectively within a placement agency;

• produce a final year dissertation that follows the conventions of scientific report writing used by psychologists.

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Key or transferable skills (including employability skills)


• abstract information from a variety of primary and secondary sources and synthesise this information into a coherent understanding of the topic and practice within that topic area;

• assess the merit of contrasting theories and opinions making critical interpretations of data and text;

• critique the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of psychological knowledge;

• develop a sufficient level of conceptual understanding to enable the development of arguments and analysis that comment on advanced scholarship at the forefront of some areas of psychology ;

• apply their knowledge of a topic to identify a research question, initiate and carry out a project;

• effectively communicate ideas and research findings by written, oral and visual means;

• comprehend and use data effectively by interpreting complex sets of numerical, statistical and qualitative data;

• confidently demonstrate computer literacy by being able to word process, use email, the

Internet, use databases and statistical software;

• solve problems by clarifying questions, considering alternatives and evaluating outcomes;

• work effectively within a group setting to achieve an end goal through pooled effort which involves recognizing and using appropriate material from others;

• undertake self-directed study and project management;

•demonstrate enhanced employability skills through the development of their CV and interview experience;

• take responsibility for their own learning by reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses, and identifying appropriate courses of action, in order to fulfil long-term ambitions.

A full description of the learning objectives for each module and how they are assessed is provided at [http://www.keele.ac.uk/psychology/forcurrentstudents/]

5. How are the Programmes taught?

Learning and teaching methods used on the Programme vary according to the subject matter and level of the module. They include the following:

• Traditional lectures where the lecturer provides students with a framework for reading and independent study. Some lecture classes may include video or audio presentations.

• Tutorials and seminars in small groups of up to 16 students where key skills can be developed and issues central to the course can be discussed in more depth. Students are expected to play a full part, and occasionally to lead, these discussions. Some seminars consist largely of student presentations.

• Laboratory classes and workshops involving slightly larger classes in which students develop the basic practical skills necessary to conduct psychological research and explore ideas presented in lectures. In these sessions students will have the opportunity to work together in smaller groups, interact with the lecturer and reflect on their own learning.

• Independent study based on directed reading from textbooks, academic journals, and coursework materials.

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• Web-based learning using the University’s virtual learning environment (KLE). The KLE is used to give students easy access to a wide range of resources and research tools, and as a platform for online discussions, quizzes and blogs.

• Applied Psychology students following dual and major awards will have the opportunity to spend a year in a placement agency. This will give students experience in the application of psychological skills in a real world environment. During the placement year Applied

Psychology students have access to their placement supervisor on-site and a designated

University supervisor will visit them on a minimum of one occasion, with at least one further visit or telephone tutorial as well as being in e-mail contact.

• In the final year students will have the opportunity to undertake a piece of independent research supervised and supported by a member of staff.

Apart from these formal activities, students are also provided with regular opportunities to talk through particular areas of difficulty, and any special learning needs they may have, with their module, seminar and tutorial group leaders on a one-to-one basis.

These learning and teaching methods enable students to achieve the learning outcomes of the programme in a variety of ways. For example:

• Lectures and independent study allow students to gain a systematic understanding of psychological ideas and how they may be used in the course of seminars and tutorials to analyse a variety of contemporary psychological issues.

• Tutorials and seminars provide opportunities for students to ask questions about and discuss issues in psychology and to present their own ideas to members of staff and other students using an appropriate medium of communication.

• Laboratory classes and workshops allow students to develop their knowledge of how ideas in psychology can be researched and to apply the skills they have learned in order investigate psychological questions in a systematic and rigorous manner.

• Independent study and web-based activities encourage students to reflect on their own learning and take responsibility for its development by addressing areas of difficulty, perhaps by discussing them with their fellow students or by getting additional help from a member of staff.

• The placement year enables Applied Psychology students to work independently and gain practical experience of the application of psychological skills as well as exposing them to the psychological literature relevant to the agency.

• Undertaking a research dissertation with the support of an experienced and active researcher allows students to formulate relevant research questions and devise a feasible and ethically sound strategy for answering them.

6. Teaching staff

There are currently 18 full-time members of academic staff teaching on the Psychology

Principal Programme. All members of staff have doctorates (PhDs or the equivalent) in psychology and most hold (or are completing) qualifications in Teaching and Learning in

Higher Education. Six members of staff are Fellows or Associate Members of the Higher

Education Academy. As members of the Psychology Research Centre in the Research

Institute for Life Course Studies all Psychology staff are active researchers whose work has

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been widely published in books, research monographs and leading international journals.

This research informs the teaching that takes place in the School. The School received an

‘excellent’ score of 23/24 in the last QAA review of its psychology teaching provision. More information about Psychology Staff Members is available on the School website

[http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/ps/people/index.htm]

7. What is the structure of the programmes?

An outline of the structure of the Psychology/Applied Psychology Programme is provided in

Table 1. Years 1, 2 and 3 of the Psychology Programme have a common curriculum to Years

1,2 and 4 of the Applied Psychology Programme. Students who are selected onto the

Applied Psychology programme can undertake an additional placement year in their third year, which is detailed in the following table.

Students must accumulate at least 120 credits in psychology to graduate with a named Dual

Honours degree in Psychology and the other subject they have chosen to study. To achieve a

Major Award (Major route) in Psychology students must accumulate at least 225 credits in

Psychology across all three years. Students who choose to take Psychology as a Minor route must accumulate at least 90 credits in Psychology across all three years. Please note that the

Programme may change and we reserve the tight to add, remove or change modules as necessary.

Students that complete either the Psychology or the Applied Psychology Programme will normally obtain an Honours Degree. However, students that complete only one year and accumulate sufficient credits may obtain a Certificate of Higher Education and students that complete only two years and accumulate sufficient credits may obtain a Diploma of Higher

Education

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Honours Degree (360 credits). To be awarded an Honours Degree a student normally requires a total of at least 360 credits. Students must normally obtain a total of 120 credits at each level of study. The number of credits a student requires depends on whether psychology is taken as a Principal, Major or Minor subject.

Dual Honours: Where Psychology is taken as a Principal subject a student must obtain at least 180 credits in Psychology (to ensure eligibility for Graduate Basis for

Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society) and 120 credits in their other Principal subject over the course of their three/four years of study.

Major Route: Where Psychology is taken as a Major subject a student must obtain at least 225 credits in psychology and 90 credits in their other Minor subject over the course of their three/four years of study. Students taking Psychology as a Major subject must obtain at least 60 credits in psychology at each level of study.

Minor Route: Where Psychology is taken as a Minor subject a student must obtain at least 90 credits in Psychology and 225 credits in their other Major subject over the course of their three/four years of study. Students taking Psychology as a Minor subject must obtain at least 30 credits in psychology in Year 1 and 45 credits in Year

2.

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2.

Diploma of Higher Education (240 credits). To be awarded a Diploma of Higher

Education a student requires a total of at least 240 credits. Of these 240 credits at least 120 must be obtained at Level 2 (Year 2) or higher.

3. Certificate of Higher Education (120 credits). To be awarded a Certificate of Higher

Education a student requires a total of at least 120 credits at Level 1 or higher.

More details on modules are available to students on the University Learning Resources

Web Server [http://www.learn.keele.ac.uk]. Psychology students who study abroad cannot be guaranteed accreditation for GBC. Study Abroad students who are interested in maximising the likelihood of receiving GBC status are strongly recommended to this discuss the implications of studying abroad in advance with the School of Psychology. The British

Psychological Society (BPS) makes accreditation decisions on such students on a case-bycase basis after students have graduated.

Please note the BPS requires that students undertake (and pass) an empirical study in order to qualify for GBC. This requirement is fulfilled by successful achieving a 2:2 or better for

PSY-30061 Research project module.

Selection onto Applied Psychology programme

Students may apply to transfer on to the Applied Psychology programme. Selection is determined by interview. [Please note that students need to obtain a minimum 2:1 average across their Year 1 psychology modules and have a satisfactory interview with a member of the Programme team in order to undertake the placement year. If this is not achieved, students follow the traditional 3 year Dual-Honours Psychology degree course.]

In the placement Year (Year 3 for Applied Psychology) students take one compulsory placement module working within an applied psychology agency. The placement is for a minimum of 30 weeks. It normally begins in September/October of the third year and runs until May/June of the same academic year.

Table 1: Structure of the Psychology/Applied Psychology Programme

YEAR

1

SEMESTER 1

(15 credits)

PSY-10018

Individuals & Society

SEMESTER 2

PSY-10017

Biological & Cognitive Psychology 1

(15 credits)

2

3 (See

Note 1)

PSY-10015

Research Methods 1

(15 credits)

PSY-20012

Developmental & Social Psychology

(15 credits)

PSY-20013

Survey & Qualitative Research Methods

(15 credits)

Applied Psychology Placement Year

PSY-30070

Applied Psychology Placement

(60 credits)

PSY-10016

Research Methods 2

(15 credits)

PSY-20005

Biological & Cognitive Psychology 2

(15 credits)

PSY-20018

Cognitive and Biological Research Methods in Psychology (15 credits)

PSY-30070

(60 credits)

Applied Psychology Placement

3/4

(See

Note 2)

Compulsory modules for Psychology Dual Honours, Major route and Applied Psychology students.

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PSY-30061 Final Year Project

(30 credits)

Select one 15 credit option from

(availability will vary year on year, reflecting changes in staff interests):



Social Development in Children



Disclosure Processes in Children and adolescents



The Social Self



Psychobiology



Thinking about Knowledge and the

Mind



The Psychology of Memory



Peer Relationships in Childhood &

Adolescence



Psychology of Time



Research in Music Psychology



Ecopsychology



Group Dynamics



Cognitive Neuropsychology



Psychology and Task-Switching



Critical Psychology, Globalisation and

Human Rights



Recognising and Remembering

Words



Behavioural Analysis in Clinical

Psychology



Societal Psychology



Health Psychology

PSY-30067

(15 credits)

Individual Differences & Conceptual Issues

Additional modules available for Psychology Major route students.

3/4

(See

Note 2)

PSY-30084

Research Apprenticeship 1 (taken in semester 1)

(15 credits)

PSY-30085

Special Topics in Psychology

(15 credits)

Approved elective (15 credits)

(See note 3.)

PSY-30084

Research Apprenticeship 1 (taken in semester 2)

(15 credits)

PSY-30083

Research Apprenticeship 2

(15 credits)

Approved elective (15 credits)

(See note 3.)

Note 1. Applied Psychology students take a placement year

Note 2.

Year 4 in Applied Psychology Programme

Note 3. In addition to the modules listed in the Table 1, students may choose to study elective modules that are offered as part of other programmes. These include:

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• Modules in other subjects closely related to Psychology such as Sociology, Criminology and

Law.

• Modules in other subjects in which they may have a particular interest such as English,

History, Politics or International Relations.

• Modules designed to help students for whom it is not their first language to improve their use of English for academic purposes.

• Modern foreign languages modules at different levels in French, German, Spanish, Italian,

Russian and Japanese.

• Freestanding modules in subjects of general interest including ethics, contemporary religions and the politics, society and culture of some of Britain’s European neighbours.

• Freestanding modules related to student volunteering, studying abroad as part of the

University’s exchange programme employability skills and personal development

Elective modules are subject to change depending on staff availability and may not be offered every year.

Table 2 sets out what students learn in each year of the Programme, the modules in which that learning takes place, and the main ways in which students are assessed in their learning.

Students taking Psychology as a Minor subject who choose not to take one or more of the compulsory core modules in Year 2 and/or do not take any modules in Psychology in Year 3 may not be able to achieve the outcomes stated in the relevant sections of the table overleaf.

Table 2: Learning Outcomes

Subject Knowledge and Understanding

Outcome

Successful students will be able to demonstrate knowledge & understanding of:

Module Assessment

All modules All assessments the scientific basis for the discipline of psychology; the core areas of biological psychology, cognitive psychology, personality and individual differences, developmental psychology, social psychology and research methods; the inherent variability and diversity of psychological functioning;

All core modules offered at levels 1, 2 and 3

All assessments

All core modules, particularly Individuals in Society, Individual

Differences and

Conceptual Issues, research methods modules, individual research projects at level 3 a range of influences on psychological All modules,

Multiple choice class test,

Seen and unseen examinations, Open book exam, Group online Blog,

On-line presentations,

Essay, Individual and Group laboratory reports, Poster presentation, Dissertation,

Research paper in style of journal article

Multiple choice class test,

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functioning and a critical understanding of these influences along with their significance; several specialised areas of psychology in detail; application of psychological concepts to selected real-life problems; the application of psychological skills within a placement agency; a range of research paradigms, methods and analyses; the ethical responsibilities of psychologists.

Placement module

(Applied Psychology programme), special options and special topic modules, particularly, Peer relationships in

Childhood and

Adolescence, Societal

Psychology, Health

Psychology, Cognitive

Neuropsychology,

Behavioural Analysis and Clinical Psychology

Placement module

(Applied Psychology programme)

Research methods modules at levels 1 and

2, level 3 dissertation, research apprenticeships, and particular special options and special topics such as Music

Psychology, and

Psychobiology


2, Level 3 research dissertation particularly Cognitive

Neuropsychology,

Behavioural Analysis and Clinical Psychology,

Health Psychology, and Psychobiology and level 3 research projects

Special options and special topics taught at level 3

Seen and unseen examinations, Open book exam, Essay, Individual and group laboratory reports,

Poster presentation,

Dissertation, Research paper in style of journal article, Research proposal,

Critique commentary,

Seminar presentation,

Research dissertation

Group online Blog, On-line presentations, Seminar presentation, Essay,

Unseen exam, Research proposal, Critique commentary, Poster presentation, Research dissertation, Research paper in style of journal article research report,

Reflective diary, Seminar presentation, Placement

Supervisor’s report, Essay,

Unseen exam, Research proposal, Critique commentary, Poster presentation, Dissertation

Research paper in style of journal article

Reflective diary, Seminar presentation, Placement supervisor’s report

Individual and Group laboratory reports, Open book examination,

Research participation,

Multiple choice examination, Group and

Individual research report,

Presentation, Research proposal, Critique commentary

Individual and group lab reports, Research ethics checklist, Poster,

Dissertation, Research

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paper in style of journal article

Subject Specific Skills

Outcome


Reason scientifically and critically about psychological theories, findings and research hypotheses; detect meaningful patterns in behaviour and experience through the use of suitable research methods; pose, operationalise and critique psychological research questions;

Reason statistically and demonstrate competence using a range of statistical techniques; apply knowledge of ethical requirements to investigations; demonstrate an ability to use established techniques of analysis and enquiry accurately within psychology; communicate information to a specialist audience;

Module

All modules



Psychology and

Psychobiology



Psychology and

Psychobiology



Psychology and

Psychobiology


2, Level 3 research dissertation


2, Level 3 research dissertation

All modules

Assessment

All assessments

















Dissertation, Research paper in style of journal article


Dissertation, Research paper in style of journal article

All assessments

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operate effectively within a placement agency; produce a final year dissertation that

Placement module


Dissertation module follows the conventions of scientific report writing used by psychologists.

Key or Transferable Skills (including employability skills)

Outcome Module


All modules abstract information from a variety of primary and secondary sources and synthesise this information into a coherent understanding of the topic and practice within that topic area;

All modules assess the merit of contrasting theories and opinions making critical interpretations of data and text;

Critique the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of psychological knowledge;

Develop a sufficient level of conceptual understanding to enable the development of arguments and analysis that comment on advanced scholarship at the forefront of some areas of psychology ; apply their knowledge of a topic to identify a research question, initiate and carry out a project;

All modules

All modules, particularly level 3 modules



Psychology and

Psychobiology

All modules effectively communicate ideas and research findings by written, oral and visual means; comprehend and use data effectively by interpreting complex sets of numerical, statistical and qualitative data;



Psychology and

Psychobiology

Performance confidently demonstrate computer All modules


Dissertation

Assessment

All assessments

All assessments

All assessments

All assessments






All assessments





Presentation, Research proposal, Critique commentary, Research paper in style of journal article

All assessments

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literacy by being able to word process, use email, the internet, use databases and statistical software; solve problems by clarifying questions, considering alternatives and evaluating outcomes;



Psychology and

Psychobiology





Presentation, Research proposal, Critique commentary, Research paper in style of journal article

Group laboratory reports,

Group research report,

Presentation work effectively within a group setting to achieve an end goal through pooled effort which involves recognizing and using appropriate material from others; undertake self-directed study and project management;

Research methods modules at 2, and particular special options and special topics such as Music

Psychology.


2, level 3 dissertation, research apprenticeships





Presentation, Research paper in style of journal article


All assessments demonstrate enhanced employability skills through the development of their

CV and interview experience; take responsibility for their own learning by reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses, and identifying appropriate courses of action, in order to fulfil long-term ambitions.

Placement module


All modules

8. How is the Programme assessed?

The function of assessments listed in the previous table is to test students’ achievement of the learning outcomes of the Psychology Principal Programme. For example:

• Unseen closed and open book examinations in different formats test students’ knowledge of psychological theories and research, research methods and statistics. Examinations may consist of essay-based or multiple choice questions.

• Essays and Lab Reports test the quality and application of subject knowledge. In addition they allow students to demonstrate their ability to carry out basic independent research and

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to communicate their ideas effectively in writing in an appropriate scholarly style using the

APA system of referencing.

• Class tests taken either conventionally or online via the Keele Learning Environment (KLE) assess students’ subject knowledge and their ability to apply it in a more structured and focused way.

• Research projects and reports test student’s knowledge of different research methodologies and the limits and provisional nature of psychological knowledge. They also enable students to demonstrate their ability to formulate research questions and to answer them using appropriate methods.

• Oral and poster presentations and reports assess individual students’ subject knowledge and understanding. They also test their ability to work effectively as members of a team, to communicate what they know orally and visually, and to reflect on these processes as part of their own personal development.

• Reviews of other scholars’ work test students’ ability to identify and summarise the key points of a text and to evaluate the quality of arguments and the evidence used to support them. In the case of work based on empirical research, reviews also assess students’ knowledge of research methodologies and their ability to make critical judgements about the appropriateness of different strategies for collecting and analysing data.

• Reflective diary for the placement year (Applied Psychology students) enables assessment of students’ ability to reflect critically on their experience of applying psychological skills and of their knowledge about the placement.

• Supervisors placement report (Applied Psychology students) provides an evaluation of the students’ performance during the placement year, including how well they worked in a team, contributed effectively and benefited from the experience.

Marks are awarded for summative assessments designed to assess students’ achievement of learning outcomes. Students are also assessed formatively to enable them to monitor their own progress and to assist staff in identifying and addressing any specific learning needs.

Feedback, including guidance on how students can improve the quality of their work, is also provided on all summative assessments and more informally in the course of tutorial and seminar discussions. The assessment for the placement year is on a pass/fail basis with achievement being recognized in the awarding of prizes for the best reflective diary and supervisor placement report.

9, What are the typical admission requirements for the Programme?

The University’s general entry requirements are a minimum of two A-level passes or the equivalent in other qualifications, plus GCSE grade C or above in English Language and either mathematics or a science subject.

In addition to the University’s general entry requirements, the tariff points needed to study

Psychology depend on the other Principal Programme subject chosen. As a general rule, offers to study Psychology at Keele will be in the range of 300-320 tariff points.

Keele welcomes applications from students with qualifications other than A-levels including

14-19 Diplomas, the BTEC National Certificate and Diploma, the Scottish Certificate of

Education (Advanced Higher Level) and the International Baccalaureate. Students with these qualifications are advised to contact the University’s Admissions Office before applying

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through UCAS. The University also accepts Access to Higher Education Diplomas and normally requires 60 credits of which 45 have been passed at Level 3.

Applicants who are not currently undertaking any formal study or who have been out of formal education for more than 3 years and are not qualified to A-level or BTEC standard may be offered entry to the University’s Foundation Year Programme. The Foundation Year includes a module specifically aimed at students intending to go on to study psychology.

Students who are accepted onto the Applied Psychology programme, need to obtain a minimum 2:1 average across their Year 1 psychology modules and have a satisfactory interview with a member of the Programme team in order to undertake the placement year.

If this is not achieved, students follow the traditional 3 year dual-honours psychology programme.

10. How are students supported on the Programme?

Support for student learning on the Programme is provided in the following ways:

• Module and seminar group leaders are responsible for providing support for learning on the modules and in the seminar groups for which they are responsible. They also give individual and general feedback on in-course assessments.

• Every student is allocated to a personal tutor who usually retains this role throughout their tutees’ time at university. The tutor is responsible for reviewing and advising on students’ academic progress. Students have regular meetings with their personal tutor during their first year and are invited for individual progression reviews in their second and third years of study.

• Personal tutors also act as a first point of contact for students on non-academic issues which may affect their learning and can refer students on to a range of specialist health, welfare and financial services co-ordinated by the University’s Centre for Student and

Learning Support.

• For Applied Psychology students, prior to the placement year there will be an introductory placement meeting in Semester 1 of Year 2. In addition students will be provided with CV and application form workshops. During the placement year, students are allocated a placement supervisor within the agency they are placed with. The placement supervisor will be the first port of call for advice or questions concerning the student’s role within the agency. There will be weekly supervision sessions. In addition, students will be allocated a

University supervisor from the School of Psychology. The University supervisor will be in regular contact with the student throughout the placement year and will be on hand to provide pastoral or academic advice. They will also be available to liaise between the student and the placement supervisor should that prove necessary. Contact will include a visit in week 5, a further visit or telephone tutorial in week 15 and email/telephone contact as necessary.

All members of teaching staff on the Psychology Principal Programme are available to see students during advertised weekly office hours and at other times by appointment.

11. Learning resources

Almost all of the teaching in Psychology is carried out in the same building, which contains three large lecture rooms, two teaching laboratories and a number of seminar rooms. These

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rooms may be arranged either in traditional lecture format or more informally to allow students to work together in small groups. All of the rooms are equipped with computers, internet access and electronic whiteboards or projection equipment. There are also a number of student project rooms that are available to be used by undergraduate students to carry out project work.

The learning resources available to students on the Programme include:

• 2 or 3 full-time Teaching Fellows who run learning support workshops (e.g. essay-writing, statistics support, revision sessions) outside of the planned curriculum. The Teaching Fellows are also available by appointment to provide students with one-to-one support.

• Year-tutors who are assigned to each year-group to provide support and advice on general issues relevant to that year of study. These tutors are available for consultation should difficulties arise with attendance or late submission of work.

• the School’s full-time Learning Technology Officer and the Keele Learning Environment

(KLE) which provides easy access to a wide range of learning resources and support materials in electronic format.

Other learning opportunities

Students on the Psychology Programmes have the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in their second year studying at one of Keele’s partner universities in Europe, North America,

Australia, South Africa or Hong Kong. Exactly which countries are available depends on their choice of degree subjects. No additional tuition fees are payable for studying abroad but students do have to bear the costs of travelling to and from their destination university and insurance. Grants may be available to cover some of these additional costs for students choosing to study elsewhere in Europe. Further information on studying abroad is available from advisers in the University’s Centre for International Exchange and Development (CIED) and at the annual Study Abroad Fair held in November . During their time at Keele, students also have the opportunity to hear from, and talk to, a range of guest speakers who are invited by the School to present the findings from up-to-date research they are currently carrying out in their own area of psychology.

12. Quality management and enhancement

The Undergraduate Psychology Programme Director is responsible for the overall direction of learning and teaching on the Dual Honours and Major awards in Psychology and Applied

Psychology, with the programmes supported by the BSc Psychology Course Committee. The

Course Committee consists of student representatives plus all members of staff teaching on undergraduate programmes in psychology.

The quality and standards of learning in Psychology are subject to a continuous process of monitoring, review and enhancement.

• The Learning and Teaching Committee of the School of Psychology is responsible for reviewing and monitoring quality management and enhancement procedures and activities across the School.

• Individual modules and the Psychology and Applied Psychology Principal Programmes as a whole are reviewed and enhanced every year in the annual course review which takes place at the end of the academic year and as part of the University’ Curriculum Annual Review and

Development (CARD) process in the following autumn.

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• The Programmes are run in accordance with the standards set out in the University’s Office of Quality Assurance procedures and is subject to annual audits of its compliance with the

Internal Quality Audit Handbook

(http://www.keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuniversity/academicservices/qao/UoK_IQAHB2010_ap proved.pdf.)

Student evaluation of, and feedback on, the quality of learning on every Psychology module takes place every year using a variety of different methods:



The results of student evaluations of all modules are reported to module leaders and reviewed by the Programmes Board as part of the Curriculum Annual Review and

Development (CARD) process referred to earlier.



Findings related to the Psychology Principal Programmes from the annual National

Student Survey (NSS), and from regular surveys of the student experience conducted by the University, are subjected to careful analysis and a planned response at

Programme and School level.



Feedback received from representatives of students in all three years of the

Psychology Principal Programme is considered and acted on at regular meetings of the Programme’s Staff/Student Liaison Committee.

In addition to this, the quality and standards of learning are regularly discussed and monitored by the BSc Psychology Course Committee and by the School Learning &

Teaching Committee.

Two senior members of academic staff from other universities are appointed by the

University’s Senate to act as external examiners on the Psychology Principal

Programme. They are responsible for:

• Approving all examination questions



Confirming all marks which contribute to a student’s degree



Reviewing and giving advice on the structure and content of the Programme and assessment procedures.

External examiners see all work marked internally at a ‘fail’, of ‘first class’ standard or on the borderline between two classes (e.g. between a ‘2:1’ and a ‘2:2’). They also see work on the rare occasions when there is substantial disagreement between internal markers and receive a sample of work from all modules in Years 2 and 3.

13. The principles of programme design

The Psychology Principal Programmes described in this document have been drawn up with reference to, and in accordance with the guidance set out in, the following documents:

Programme Specification Template: Undergraduate, Keele University, 2009.

Guidelines for preparing programme specifications, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher

Education, 2006.

The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland,

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2008.

Quality assurance policies and practice for first qualifications in psychology, The British

Psychological Society. 2008.

QAA Subject benchmark statement: Psychology, Keele University, 2007.

17

Learning and Teaching Strategy 2007-2010, Keele University, 2007.

Keele Assessment Strategy, Keele University, 2008.

Educational Aims for Undergraduate Courses, Keele University, 2005.

Employability Skills Guidelines for Undergraduate Programmes, Keele University, 2007.

School of Psychology Learning and Teaching Strategy, Keele University, 2007.

This programme specification was written in March 2009, revised May 2009, October 2010

(to introduce Major and Minor routes through the Psychology/Applied Psychology programme), October 2011.

Dr NMJ Edelstyn, Director of Learning and Teaching

Dr Martin Rowley, Programme Director

Updated October 2011

18

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Dual Honours Applied Psychology/ Major

SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

Principal Dual Honours and Major Awards Programmes in

Psychology, Applied Psychology.

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