Psychology with Human Biology

Psychology with human biology is a degree that takes seriously the interdependence of mind and body, bringing together the scientific study of behaviour, thought, and emotion with the biological sciences that explain how the human organism is built, regulated, and maintained. Psychology is concerned with perception, cognition, emotion, motivation, social behaviour, and individual difference, while human biology addresses anatomy, physiology, genetics, neuroscience, and the biological systems, from the immune and endocrine systems to the nervous system, that underlie psychological processes. The combination develops a genuinely integrated understanding of what drives human behaviour, one that neither discipline could provide alone.

At the University of Keele, this three-year full-time degree bridges psychological theories with biological foundations in a programme that also incorporates a sandwich year with work placement and the option of a year abroad. You will develop knowledge across the full range of core psychological domains required for BPS accreditation alongside a thorough biological grounding, examining how genetic, neurological, hormonal, and physiological factors interact with psychological and social influences to shape human experience and behaviour. The combination of these perspectives is applied to real-world contexts throughout the programme, developing your ability to use integrated knowledge to understand human development, health, wellbeing, and behaviour across the lifespan.

The placement year gives you direct professional experience, while the year abroad extends your academic and cultural perspective.

Graduates of this combination are well prepared for careers across psychology, health, education, and the life sciences. For those who wish to pursue professional qualification in psychology, the BPS-accredited degree provides the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership needed to proceed to postgraduate clinical, educational, health, or occupational psychology training. Others enter careers in teaching, childcare, counselling support roles, human resources, health promotion, research, and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, drawing on the biological dimensions of the degree.

The breadth of knowledge the programme develops is a genuine advantage in a wide range of applied settings.