Apply your passion for Psychology to answering the Big Questions of our time by studying it in combination with Global Sustainable Development (GSD).
Why do people think, behave, and understand themselves in certain ways? Why does this vary between individuals and across cultures? How might a more complete understanding of human behaviour help to achieve a more sustainable future for all? A BASc in Psychology and Global Sustainable Development challenges you to ask these questions across both sides of your degree programme. You will study biological, developmental, and social aspects of human psychology with Warwick's Psychology Department. Meanwhile, you will balance your studies with the Global Sustainable Development Department by delving into the Big Questions of today, including food and water security, gender equality, and climate change. You’ll consider these issues from many different perspectives, understand their complexity and learn to use a variety of approaches to think creatively about potential solutions. Throughout, you will be researching the relationship between individual behaviour and the global challenges we all face.
We expect you to become an active participant in your own learning and we will help you to develop professional skills through certificates you’ll complete as part of the course. You’ll also have the opportunity to spend part of your second year studying abroad at our partner institution in Monash, Australia – home to the world-leading Sustainable Development Institute.
Year 1: 120 CATS in total of which 60 are comprised of core GSD modules and 60 credits are optional core modules offered by the Psychology Department. There is the opportunity to take Certificate of Digital Literacy.
Year 2: For the GSD half, 60 credits of GSD modules comprised of one 30 CAT optional core (Food Systems, Security and Sovereignty or Bodies, Health and Sustainable Development) plus further module(s) totalling 30 CATS selected from the range of modules available across the University (including from within the Global Sustainable Development Department) which have a global sustainable development focus. You will also take 60 credits of options from the Psychology Department. There is the ppportunity to take the Certificate of Coaching Practice, Certificate of Professional Communication (alongside a work placement) and Certificate of Sustainability Auditing.
If you opt to travel abroad to study at Monash University for part of the year you take one of two optional GSD core modules in the first term whilst at Warwick together with further relevant second year modules from within or outside of the School totalling 15 CATS. You will also take 30 CATS of optional Psychology modules. Whilst abroad, you are required to study relevant approved modules equating to 60 credits selected from those offered by the partner institution.
Final Year: Core GSD module 'Dissertation' (30 CATS) plus further relevant modules from within or outside of the School totalling 30 CATS. You are also required to take optional modules worth 60 CATS in total from the Psychology Department.
In the first year, two of the GSD core modules have an exam worth 40%. The remaining 60% of these modules and the other core GSD modules are assessed by methods other than formal examination. In the second year GSD optional cores and options do not have traditional examinations. The final year core GSD module is a Dissertation/Long Project and so is assessed via 'coursework'. The overall percentage of the course that is assessed by coursework depends upon the options taken.
There is an option to spend part of the second year abroad studying at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. You may be based at either the University’s Melbourne campus or at its campus in Malaysia.
You will spend the first term of your second year studying at Warwick and will travel to Australia in February to join Monash for the start of its second semester (which spans Warwick’s second and third terms). This arrangement is the integrated terms abroad variant of the course.
During your time abroad you will study approved modules/units and will undertake assessments. The credit gained from this study is used to contribute towards your final degree classification awarded by Warwick. You may also choose to spend a year studying or working abroad (e.g. as part of the ERASMUS scheme).
This module introduces the biological and methodological basis of current approaches to sensory processing, reflexive and skilled action, emotion, language, learning, memory, and psychological disorders. The emphasis throughout the module is on showcasing the way in which behavioural and neuroscientific approaches and techniques are converging in modern investigations of mental phenomena.
This module is about the context of psychology and the psychology of individuals as they relate to others. It looks at psychology’s conceptual foundations and examines cognitive and social development as well as how we deal with the wealth of information about us by looking at the role of memory in cognition.
This module presents a collection of new and exciting developments in psychology. Each contributor to the module is an expert in the field they choose to present, and will give you a ‘snapshot’ of the topic for that session. Examples of recent issues explored are eyewitness testimony, social influence, mindfulness and consumerism and mental health.
"The range of skills you learn are so varied and rich."
"Warwick has a fabulous vibe and I loved it from the moment I arrived. My Psychology course was diverse in terms of lectures, the topics covered and the breadth of students studying on it. It was in-depth and rigorous but never dry.
My original plan was to go down the route of Clinical Psychology but in the second year of my undergraduate I began to think about other options. I initially took on a graduate role at Anderson Consulting but realised my passion remained with Psychology so I returned to university to complete an MSc, and become both a Chartered Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychology Society."
"I thought about my career as soon as I started my degree."
"I was the first member of my family to access Higher Education so decided to choose Warwick as my destination of study mainly due to its global reputation.
Being a research-led university, we were able to study modules based around what the academics were researching at the time, which made the course unique.
During my psychology course, I had the opportunity to study areas of research that were very different to what other universities were offering which I really enjoyed. My degree helped my understanding of people and I use this theory to inform my work every day as a graduate management trainee at the University of Birmingham."