Psychology with Politics BSc (Hons)

Teaching

You will experience a rich blend of teaching methods designed to support your academic development and future career. Lectures will introduce key topics using both traditional and contemporary sources, enhanced by technology-based active learning tools such as Padlet to encourage critical engagement. Seminars will offer a more student-led environment, allowing you to consolidate lecture content through discussion, collaborative activities, and formative feedback. Practical sessions and workshops will focus on developing subject-specific skills, including statistical analysis and political discourse, while lab sessions will provide hands-on experience with experimental equipment and software such as EEG, eye-tracking, Jamovi, and Gorilla. Online asynchronous sessions will complement your learning, offering digestible content that can be accessed at your own pace.

The course places a strong emphasis on experiential learning, recognising its value in enhancing student engagement and understanding. You will participate in problem-based learning activities that apply psychological and political theory to real-world global challenges such as climate change, AI in the workplace, Brexit, populist politics, and global pandemics. These themes will be embedded throughout the course. Research-informed teaching is central to your learning experience, with opportunities to apply research methods in practical classes, directed study, group work, and assessments. This approach ensures that you not only learn about research but actively engage in it, building valuable analytical and investigative skills.

You will be supported throughout your studies by a dedicated Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), who will provide academic and pastoral guidance and can act as a referee. You’ll meet your PAT at least four times in your first year—two group sessions and two individual meetings—and three times annually in subsequent years, with additional meetings available on request. At Level 6, you will undertake a mandatory Work-Based Learning module, sourcing your own placement (subject to university approval), with departmental support available to help secure opportunities. The course is offered as a three-year full-time or four-to-six-year part-time programme.

Contact time

In a typical week, students will have around 12-14 contact hours of teaching.  The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected and in the final year there is normally slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study. 

Typically class contact time will be structured around:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Tutorials
• Use of course Virtual Learning Environment (Blackboard) for online activities

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 24 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, and preparing coursework assignments and presentations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

• 3 years full-time
• 4-6 years part-time

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Teaching staff

All staff either possess some form of status within the higher education academy (ranging from associate to senior) or have obtained, or are in the process of obtaining, a PGCE.

You can learn more about Psychology with Politics staff by visiting our Psychology staff profiles and Politics staff profiles.

Assessment

We take a wide range of approaches to summative assessment. First, we use essays, literature reviews and critical reviews to enhance psychological literacy and critical thinking. To instill problem solving, research, organisation, planning and effective communication, we ask students to complete quantitative and qualitative data analysis and collection and research reports.

To promote effective written, oral, and visual skills we use assessments like presentations conducted in various formats (e.g., single PowerPoint, group oral presentations, and poster presentations). To help develop key skills needed to be a practicing psychologist we use case studies, role play practicals, and reflective pieces.

We also use examinations to allow students to showcase retained knowledge from across a semester (these include fully MCQ exams, written closed-book exams, partially seen exams, and in-class assessment).

Specific assessments within the course include; Essay, Exam, Practical Report File, Reflective Log, Personal Development Plan, Psychology Applied Learning Scenario, Public Communication, Research Funding Bid, Literature Review, Research Proposal, Presentation (group and individual), Research Project, Poster Presentation, Case Study, Portfolio, Policy Briefing, Extended Essay, Workbook, In-Class Assessment.

Programme specification

If you would like to see a full programme specification for this course, please email AcademicQualityTeam@worc.ac.uk