Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, asking questions about how people perceive, think, feel, learn, and act, both individually and in social contexts. It is a discipline of remarkable breadth, encompassing cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, neuroscience, clinical psychology, and many other specialisms, and it draws on experimental methods, brain imaging, statistical analysis, and qualitative inquiry to investigate the enormous complexity of human mental life. At a time when mental health, behavioural science, and the psychology of technology are more prominent than ever, psychology sits at the intersection of science and human experience.

At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society and provides a thorough grounding in the discipline across all its major areas. You will study cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, biological psychology, and research methods in depth, developing both theoretical understanding and practical research skills. Edinburgh's psychology department is one of the strongest in the UK, with particular strengths in cognitive neuroscience, individual differences, and language and cognition, and you will be studying in an environment where the discipline is being actively advanced at the cutting edge.

The programme develops rigorous quantitative and qualitative research skills alongside conceptual and critical thinking.

This full-time programme runs over four years and includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to experience psychology in a different academic and cultural environment. Graduates from an accredited psychology degree at Edinburgh are eligible to proceed to further training in clinical, educational, forensic, or other applied psychology, which requires postgraduate training for full professional status. Psychology graduates also go on to careers in human resources, marketing, research, user experience, health, education, the civil service, and many other fields where understanding human behaviour is directly relevant.

Further postgraduate study in any branch of psychology is a natural and common pathway.