Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, concerned with how people think, feel, perceive, learn, remember, communicate, and interact with others. It is a discipline of remarkable breadth, encompassing cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, biological psychology, clinical and abnormal psychology, and the research methods that make rigorous investigation of these topics possible. Studying psychology develops both substantive knowledge about human behaviour and the analytical and methodological skills needed to evaluate evidence critically and to conduct research with appropriate rigour.

The University of Liverpool offers psychology through a 2+2 programme with a foundation element, which is a distinctive structure designed to provide additional support and a more graduated entry into degree-level study. The four-year programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study psychology in a different academic and cultural context. The curriculum covers all the core areas required for British Psychological Society accreditation, including biological, cognitive, developmental, social, and individual differences psychology, alongside compulsory training in research methods, statistics, and empirical research.

As the degree progresses, you will have the opportunity to develop depth in particular areas through option choices, and to undertake an independent empirical research project that demonstrates your ability to conduct and report original psychological research.

Graduates from psychology programmes have a wide range of career options. The most direct professional route is into applied psychology, for which further postgraduate training is required: clinical psychology, educational psychology, occupational psychology, health psychology, and forensic psychology all require doctoral or masters-level qualifications beyond the undergraduate degree. Many psychology graduates, however, go directly into careers in human resources, market research, education, social care, the NHS in non-clinical roles, business, and the voluntary sector, where psychological knowledge and research skills are valued.

Teaching psychology at secondary level is another path. Postgraduate study in psychology or a related applied field is a common and often necessary step for those who want to practise as a professional psychologist.