Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, asking how people think, feel, perceive, and act, and what biological, social, and environmental factors shape these processes. It encompasses a remarkable range of domains, from the neuroscience of perception and memory to the psychology of social influence, from child development to the treatment of mental illness. What unites this diversity is a commitment to empirical inquiry: psychology tests ideas about human minds through careful observation, controlled experiments, and rigorous analysis of data.

At the University of Reading, this programme includes a foundation year that provides an accessible starting point for students who want a more gradual transition into degree-level scientific study. The foundation year builds the quantitative, scientific, and study skills needed before you move into the main degree. Throughout the programme you will study the major domains of psychology, including cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, biological psychology, and abnormal psychology.

Research methods and statistics are central to the curriculum, reflecting the discipline's commitment to evidence-based understanding. The programme includes a foundation year and offers sandwich year and work placement options, connecting your academic studies to professional contexts in which psychological knowledge is applied.

Reading's psychology department has strong research credentials, and the programme benefits from the intellectual environment that research-active staff bring to undergraduate teaching. You will develop skills in experimental design, data analysis, scientific writing, and critical evaluation of evidence, all of which are highly transferable.

Graduates pursue careers in clinical and counselling support roles, human resources, education, healthcare, research, user experience design, marketing, and the civil service. Many go on to postgraduate qualifications in clinical or counselling psychology, educational psychology, or occupational psychology. The BPS-accredited nature of the degree provides a recognised basis for further professional training in psychology.