AS/A Level Psychology (Part-time)

Key Details

  • Available at:
    Llangefni
  • Study Mode:
    Part-time
  • Course Length:

    1-2 years

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AS/A Level Psychology (Part-time)

Part-Time

Please contact us for further information about applying for this course.

Course Description

Would you like to learn more about how and why humans and animals think, feel and behave? This course provides an introduction to Psychology and forms a valuable preparation for Higher Education. The knowledge you gain will also be useful in a range of careers in education, health, business, retail and other sectors.

Psychology has been defined as the scientific study of mind and behaviour. Psychologists use a variety of experimental and non-experimental methods, and their subject matter is you - a unique human individual. The course gives you an insight into this exciting discipline, as well as developing your critical thinking, literacy, numeracy and other skills. Prior knowledge of psychology is not required, but would be an advantage.

Entry Criteria

In order to qualify for this course, you will need the following:

  • 6 GCSEs at grade C or above, including English or Welsh 1st Language
  • GCSE in a Science subject grade B. GCSE Mathematics or Numeracy grade B and GCSE English or Welsh 1st Language grade B

As part of the application process, you will asked to attend an interview to give you the opportunity to discuss the course.

Progression to A Level is based on your performance at AS Level.

Delivery

This course is delivered as follows:

  • Group work
  • Classroom-based learning
  • Tutorial support
  • Educational visits
  • MOODLE (virtual learning environment)

Assessment

The course is assessed as follows:

  • Two external examinations each year, in June
  • There will be regular homework tasks, practical research projects and mock exams
  • There is no externally-assessed coursework component.

Progression

Whether you study the full A Level or just the AS Level, the course adds to your qualifications and helps you to progress. You will gain UCAS points and be able to apply for a range of Higher Education courses at many institutions.

If you choose to continue your studies in Psychology, you could apply for a degree course in this subject. Your skills will also have applications in personnel work, journalism, the media and other industries.

You may also consider Higher Education courses in related subjects, such as teacher training, medicine, nursing and health care, social work or counselling. Grŵp Llandrillo Menai offers suitable courses in some of these areas.

Campus Information Bangor

Psychology is the study of behaviour. Research methods and how psychologists gather their data are an integral part of the course. Human behaviour with regard to social influence, memory, cognition and individual differences will be covered in the first year with forensic psychology, cognition and law and aspects of childhood development studied at A2.

Unit information

Year 1 (AS)

PSYB1 - Introducing Psychology

This module is split into three compulsory sections:

Key Approaches – Looking at the main psychological perspectives including the behaviourist and cognitive contributions and biopsychology focusing on physiological psychology and the genetic basis of behaviour.

Gender Development – Here you will study concepts of sex and gender, explanations for the development of gender identity such as biological and social explanations.

Research Methods – Different types of research methods will be studied including qualitative and quantitative methods and strength and weaknesses of experimental and non-experimental methods.

PSYB2- Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Individual Differences

This module is split into three sections:

Social Psychology

  • Social Influence
  • Social facilitation and the effect of the presence of others on task performance.
  • What is conformity?
  • Why do some individuals and societies conform while others remain autonomous?
  • What is obedience and who obeys? What are the real life repercussions of obedience?
  • Ethical and methodological issues.

Cognitive Psychology – in this unit you will study Memory and forgetting by looking at components of a number of models including the multi-store model of memory and various explanations of forgetting, including decay and repression.

Individual Differences – in this unit you will study, explain and evaluate treatments for phobias and OCD.

Year 2 (A2)

PSYB3-Child Development and Options

This module is split in to three sections:

Child Development – This will include studying the work of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner.

Cognition and Law – Here students will study the influence of cognition on law including techniques of face recognition, debating the reliability of eye witness testimony and the False Memory debate.

Forensic Psychology – Students will look at definitions of crime and theories of criminal behaviour and current treatments and therapies.

PSYB4 - Approaches, Debates and Methods in Psychology will cover areas such as free will and reductionism, and humanistic, biological, behaviourist, cognitive, and psychoanalytic perspectives. You will study methods of research including inferential statistics.

Other details

Course type: Part-Time

Level: 3

Bilingual:

This programme is available bilingually at the following campus(es):

  • Dolgellau