The aim of the Psychology course is to give an understanding of the causes of human behaviour which will be applicable, for example, to the problems of education, mental disorders and the activities of social groups and organizations. Psychology is essentially an interdisciplinary subject having close links with other Social and Biological Sciences. No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed but it is an advantage to have taken biology and mathematics or statistics at school. In addition, Psychology 2 also contains material on individual differences and social psychology. For all students there are practical classes, and statistics is taught in conjunction with these.
Teaching involves lectures, seminars and practicals.
In the fourth year students choose from a range of optional courses in which third year topics are carried to an advanced level and the particular research interests of staff are explored. Students also carry out an individual research project. Psychology is unusual among the School of Biology Departments in that selection for Honours takes place at the end of the second year, rather than after completion of the third year. This is the case so that the Biological Sciences students intending Honours in Psychology will be treated in exactly the same way as those from the Faculty of Social Sciences. So students are strongly advised to take some of the more molecular and biochemical second year courses as an insurance.