Psychology and Education

Why study Psychology and Education at Aberystwyth University? 

The Psychology element of this scheme consists of core modules that confer upon graduates the British Psychological Society’s Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (subject to achieving a minimum of a 2:2 degree). The Education component offers a broad choice of specialised option modules, meaning you can tailor your degree to your developing interests and future career ambitions. A final year dissertation affords you the opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary project that draws on the skills, knowledge and understanding you will have developed from each of your disciplines. Below are just some of the other reasons why you should consider Aberystwyth University. 

Student Satisfaction

At Aberystwyth, we work with students to help them become informed and curious thinkers. We use our teaching and research experience to inspire students giving them the skills and confidence to do whatever they wish to do in the future. This is demonstrated by the high scores achieved in the 2018 Student Satisfaction Survey where the Department of Psychology scored an overall 95% and the School of Education 96% for the subject area of Education (NSS 2018).

Equipping you for life

All our degree schemes are designed with employability in mind and are accredited by the British Psychological Society – perfect for graduate-level careers or access to postgraduate training.  Check out the employability tab to see what our graduates have gone on to.

Friendly and Inclusive

It is important for you to study in a supportive, student-focused environment. Our staff work hard to provide the guidance and encouragement you will need, which is why the Department of Psychology ranked 1st for “Academic Support” across the UK (NSS, 2017) and why the School of Education was awarded top 5 in the UK for teaching quality. (The Good University Guide, The Times & Sunday Times, 2018).

Exceptional Resources

Students studying this degree will have access to modern research facilities and outstanding student learning spaces are in addition to excellent central university facilities. Discover the two departments in our virtual tour! 

Welsh Language

If you are a Welsh-speaker you have the opportunity to continue part of your studies in Welsh. You’ll find bilingual staff in the Department of Psychology and School of Education who will support you in your work, and who can guide your university experience in Welsh.

Our Staff

Department of Psychology’s teaching staff are all research active and all permanent staff are qualified to PhD level with most having either a PGCTHE or are fellows/senior fellow of the higher education academy. Over half of the staff also have the qualification CPsychol; an indicator of the BPS’ highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise.

Undergraduate lecturers in the School of Education are either qualified to PhD standard or are experienced practitioners in their field. All teaching staff currently possess, or are working towards, a recognised teaching qualification.

What career options are available to me?

A degree in Psychology with Education from Aberystwyth University will prepare you for a range of careers, and access to wide range of further training opportunities including:

• Clinical, Educational, Occupational, Sports and Exercise psychology;

• Psychotherapy and Counselling;

• Social Work;

• Health Care;

• Human Resources;

• Careers Advisory Service;

• Marketing, Publishing, Advertising.

The skills you learn whilst studying here are highly sought after by employers and include:

• Research and Data analysis skills;

• Effective problem-solving skills;

• The ability to work independently and present material clearly and effectively;

• The ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner;

• Self-motivation and independence;

• Teamwork and project management skills;

• Information technology skills.

What opportunities are there as a student at Aberystwyth University?

If you are interested in undertaking a work experience placement, then discover what options are available to you with the assistance of our professional services department.

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.

What will I learn?

Our joint honours programme in Psychology and Education brings together two exciting, complementary disciplines and this is reflected in the way you will learn on this scheme. With teaching delivered by subject experts from the Departments of Psychology and Education, our combined ethos is to develop a learning community that facilitates you in the development of your conceptual and theoretical knowledge but also enables you to develop career-oriented, transferable skills that will support your continued development beyond your degree. 

The Education component offers a broad choice of specialised option modules, meaning you can tailor your degree to your developing interests and future career ambitions. A final year dissertation affords you the opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary project that draws on the skills, knowledge and understanding you will have developed from each of your disciplines.

During your first year, you will:

• Discover the theory and principles surrounding the learner and the learning environment, and undertake a work placement;
• Explore theories of child development and their impact on professional practice;
• Develop core psychological knowledge in areas such as social and individual behaviour, brain, behaviour and cognition;
• Use research methods, techniques and forms of analysis that will enable you to conduct empirical investigations.

In your second year, you will:

• Consider the importance of safeguarding and professional practice;
• Build on core psychological knowledge by exploring the cognitive and social approaches to behaviour;
• Begin to shape your degree by choosing from a range of optional Education modules such as special educational needs, cultural diversity, bilingualism;
• Develop advanced knowledge of research methods by studying both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

In your third year, you will:

• Consider the role of assessment in education;
• Choose from a range of Education special option modules such as science education, maths education, health and education, children’s rights;
• Extend core psychological knowledge by studying behavioural neuroscience, developmental psychology and individual differences;
• Undertake a research dissertation on a theme of your own choosing.

How will I be taught?

Your academic and intellectual development are at the heart of the Aberystwyth experience. Our staff are committed to a student-focused approach to teaching, making your learning needs a priority in both what we teach and how we teach you. When you join us, you will be assigned a personal tutor who will support you throughout your degree and is there to advise and guide you on a range of academic and personal matters.
From traditional lectures to small group work, we deliver inspirational teaching through a wide variety of different formats. You will also get to apply your knowledge in lab-based workshops and practicals, where you will be able to benefit from our wide range of specialists research equipment and facilities. Your development will be assessed in a broad variety of ways including; traditional exams, essays, wikis, blogs, observations and presentations.
At Aberystwyth, you can be confident that you will receive the best learning experience at the very forefront of your chosen disciplines.

I love my tutors - they are truly amazing, passionate about their specific psychology areas and very, very kind! I also love my department - new, modern and accessible! I love how this course made me think deeper, explore new theories and come up with new ideas. C800 is also very receptive to bilingual people coming from other countries! Maryna Chwaszczewska, Department of Psychology.

I simply love my course because the topics we discuss are interesting and relevant to the world of childhood. The lecturers are very passionate about the subject, which is also reflected in the varied ways in which we are assessed - we even had the opportunity to design our own game! This is so much more hands-on and realistic when working with children than a dry exam! Overall, my confidence in a variety of topics and my abilities have been strengthened which is always a good thing in any career. I would definitely recommend the course to anyone who is interested in working with children and I can assure you that you are given great support by staff in any kind of academic situation! Caroline Korell, School of Education.