Overview

This course is designed to permit students to study key components of Psychology and Politics whilst obtaining eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). The degree prepares students for employment and further study in psychology through acquisition of the first step in a career in psychology, a GBC degree. This course is not a professional qualification in Psychology as further rigorous postgraduate study would be necessary for students to become eligible to apply for Chartership with the BPS. This programme does however provide students with the necessary foundations to pursue such training, including the GBC requirement.

The Educational Aims of the programme are based on the principles of the QAA Benchmark Statement for Psychology (revised 2016) as well as the Politics and International Relations (2015) QAA Subject Benchmark Statement. Furthermore, this programme recognises that the majority of graduates do not end up as Chartered Psychologists, but instead work in related fields. Accordingly, alongside studying psychology the course will have a political edge, in that students’ studies will be contextualised within a wider focus on Westminster, European, and global political philosophies, systems, and challenges. As a result, it is a further educational aim of the programme to prepare students for the vast array of possible future careers they may go into. This is achieved by flexibility, creativity, and confidence, as well as by showing how psychology can impact beyond the classroom in relation to the contemporary political challenges we all face.