Programme summary for BSc (Hons) Clinical & Community Psychology

Introduction

The BSc Clinical & Community Psychology programme has been specifically designed in line with recommendations from BPS, APHD and HEA to provide you the opportunity to:

practise applying psychological theory to real life situations
understand multiple perspectives
engage in placements and community work

UEL’s School of Psychology is well positioned to deliver these opportunities because:

We are one of the largest providers of psychology education and training in the U.K
We have a longstanding tradition of providing programmes that specialise in developing students’ ability to apply their knowledge of the discipline, including masters courses and professional doctorates in clinical, educational, occupational, and counselling psychology.
Our lecturers are practicing psychologists and researchers, in addition to being accredited teachers. Due to our expertise and diverse applied provision you will enjoy an environment which encourages a broad understanding of the discipline and its various perspectives, and at the same time be able to specialise in your own areas of interest.
Our degree courses all offer placement opportunities. This means you will enter the job market with a strong experiential background and CV, in addition to your degree. We work closely with a number of organisations with which you can gain work experience, including schools, rehabilitation units, charities and the NHS. We pride ourselves on enabling students to gain the experience, and develop the necessary skills, to pursue a successful, ethical and useful career working with people.

Why Study Clinical and Community Psychology?

Clinical and Community Psychology are branches of the discipline of psychology that relate directly to the application of psychology to mental health and working with people. It is particularly suited to students for whom the ultimate ambition is to help people who may be experiencing mental distress, and address issues in society.

The BSc Clinical & Community Psychology programme will introduce you to topics in clinical and community psychology from the very beginning of your studies. Our School’s distinctive and respected clinical perspective, along with the expertise of the staff, will help to prepare you for progression to further postgraduate study/training in related areas. This programme is part of an ‘escalator’ programme in which students who progress successfully through the BSc may then considered for entry to the MSc and Clinical Doctoral programmes.

The programme has been designed to provide you with the knowledge base and skills necessary for graduate chartership with the British Psychological Society.

Learning Environment and Facilities

Whilst studying here in the School of Psychology you will enjoy a top-ranking London student experience through access to a wealth of expertise and quality teaching from staff who are accredited by the Higher Education academy. You also have access to specialist psychological equipment and labs, a large computing centre and, as of 2012, a brand new library. The School also has a dedicated student helpdesk which offers a one-stop shop for handling student queries.

You will be allocated a personal tutor who provides support with coursework and academic achievement. Your tutor can provide guidance on any issues relating to your coursework feedback, academic understanding or study and career choices. In addition to scheduled tutorials, you can organise an appointment to see your tutor one-to-one or drop-in to see them during their Student Hours.

A typical week during the semester consists of between 12 and 16 hours of lectures or tutorials with additional independent study and assessment completion. As the programme progresses we will support you to develop the skills needed to successfully demonstrate your learning and enhance their employability.

The programme employs a range of assessment methods to assess learning. These include a blend of coursework and exams, with a number of innovative methods which will enable you to demonstrate their understanding in a range of ways.

Methods include:

- Essays

- Poster presentations

- Podcast creation

- Reflective logs

- Blogs and wikis

- Problem-based learning tasks

Programme Structure and Course Content

BSc Clinical and Community programme has start dates in September and February. The programme takes 3 years to complete on a full-time basis (or 4 to 6 part-time).

If studying full-time you will take 6 modules of study per year (and up to 4 if studying part-time). Topics you will study include:

Year 1:

Foundations of Clinical and Community Psychology

Introduction to Child Development and Social Psychology

Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology

The Psychology of Mental Health

Research Methods

Year 2:

Brain Damage, Behaviour and the Mind

Drugs and Behaviour

Applications of Clinical and Community Psychology

Individual Differences and Developmental Psychology

Biopsychology and Cognitive Psychology

Year 3:

Options from:

Child and Adolescent Developmental Difficulties

Forensic Psychology

Health Psychology

In the final year you complete a placement and your own research project in a clinically relevant area of interest. This provides an exceptional opportunity for you to work with experts in the field of clinical and community psychology and to develop your employability skills.

Entry Requirements

For admission to the BSc Clinical & Community Psychology programme you will normally need:

320 UCAS Tariff points
We will also accept students with Access, NVQ and a variety of other pre-University level qualifications including International and European Baccalaureate
Students may be admitted through Accreditation of Experiential Learning (AEL) or Accreditation of Certificated Learning (ACL) processes.
In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6 in each area (or equivalent) is required. International qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education undergraduate programmes.

Candidates will be interviewed and, in combination with their application form and reference, will be required to demonstrate:

• Self-awareness, maturity and stability;

• Ability to make use of and reflect upon life experience;

• Ability to cope with the intellectual and academic requirement;

• Ability to form a helping relationship;

• Ability to be self critical and use both positive and negative feedback;

• Awareness of the nature of prejudice and oppression;

• Awareness of issues of difference and equality;

• Ability to recognise the need for personal and professional support;

• Competence in generic skills including: literacy, numeracy, information technology, administrative skills, self-management skills; communication and interpersonal skills

Where you can find further information

Further information about this programme is available by contacting the school admissions, please email psychology@uel.ac.uk