Psychology and Education Studies

Psychology and Education Studies is a pairing that brings together two disciplines with a natural affinity. Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, and education is one of the primary contexts in which human learning, development and social formation take place. Understanding how people learn, how motivation and emotion affect educational outcomes, how cognitive development unfolds across childhood and adolescence, and how social and cultural factors shape educational experience requires both the theoretical tools of psychology and the analytical perspective of education studies.

The combination produces graduates who can think rigorously about learning in a way that has direct practical relevance.

At the University of Derby, this three-year full-time programme has research at its centre, developing your capacity to evaluate evidence critically and to apply psychological and educational knowledge to real problems. A foundation year is available for students who benefit from additional preparation before engaging with the full degree curriculum. You will study core psychological theory across cognitive, social, developmental and biological psychology, alongside educational philosophy, curriculum theory, policy, child development, and the sociology of education.

You will develop skills in research methods, statistical analysis, and critical writing that are directly relevant to both academic work and professional practice.

Graduates of Psychology and Education Studies programmes are well prepared for careers in teaching following further professional training, educational psychology following postgraduate study, learning support, early years practice, youth work, and roles in the charity and voluntary sector concerned with children and young people. The analytical and research skills the degree develops are also valued in human resources, management, counselling, and public services more broadly. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in psychology, educational psychology, social work, or teacher training.