Psychology is a very broad discipline and the undergraduate degree in Psychology in UCD will introduce you to its major theories and research methods.
The degree is recognised by the Psychological Society of Ireland, and as such provides the foundation for further postgraduate training in any field of psychology.
However, Psychology graduates also go into a variety of other career paths including education, business and health. If you have a questioning attitude and good reasoning skills, you will really enjoy the world opened up by Psychology.
Curricular information is subject to change
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The purpose of a degree in Psychology in UCD is to foster an evidence-based appreciation and scientific understanding of mind, brain, lived experiences, social context, and behaviour, and the nature and outcomes of their complex interactions. Students will learn the importance of psychological approaches to problems in modelling the full richness of mental life, as well as the role of empirical research in shaping, influencing and sculpting theory. The programme stresses the importance of critical thinking, informed awareness of the multiplicity of levels of understanding psychological phenomena, the significance of building research skills, and of ethics in research and practice.
Knowledge is developed through teaching core areas at a number of stages; beginning at an introductory level, supported by tutorials and team-teaching, but becoming steadily more advanced, complemented with increased individual choice and selection of options. Learning is based on active participation, and culminates through demonstrating an ability to undertake an independent piece of research, from hunches and hypotheses, through to execution, data collection, analysis and write-up. A range of assessment methods is used including traditional, innovative and group-based, with detailed feedback to the student an essential component.
In your first year (called Stage 1) you take 11 modules over two semesters.You must study seven core modules in Psychology (six are 5 credit modules, and one is a ten credit module), along with two electives (we recommend one in each semester) and two option modules. The School of Psychology has selected for you a range of possible option modules from relevant modules offered by other Schools from which to choose based on your timetable and own interests.
In Stage 2, typically a student will take build up 60 credits from a mix of core, option and elective modules, taking at least 10 modules in Psychology from the total of 12.
In Stage 3, a student, under the supervision of a researcher within the School, undertakes their own independent piece of research, written up as a final year thesis (the research project). This is a 15 credit module. Core, option and elective modules are also taken.
Overall, the student is required to build up 180 credits based on their modules, with the standard module contributing five credits.
In Stage 1 you will be introduced to some key areas within Psychology: a general introduction to the discipline; the brain and its link to behaviour, social psychology and the importance of groups; perception; the great diversity of applications of psychology, as well as learning specific psychological research and writing skills.
In Stage 2 you will continue with the key areas introduced at Stage 1 along with additional modules on child development, health and work, but you will also begin to learn about doing your own psychological research by taking two modules of laboratory practicals, as well as modules on research methods and statistics.
In Stage 3, you will have the opportunity to make many more specialist choices from a very wide range of modules (for example, on behavioural neuroscience, intelligence, psychology of the media, psychology and crime) and will undertake a research dissertation on a topic that you have chosen, under the individual supervision of an experienced researcher in psychology.
The School of Psychology has Erasmus exchange agreements with Universite Catholique de l'Ouest (Angers), Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid and Free University, Berlin. There are also international links to unviersities in the US and Australia permitting student exchanges.
The degree is recognised by the Psychological Society of Ireland and, as such, provides the foundation for further graduate training in any field of psychology, as well as for a wide variety of careers, including:
Details on PSI Accreditation (For entrants from September 2020 Onwards)
Eliigibility for membership of the Psychological Society of Ireland requires the following;
-To be awarded at least a Lower Second Class Honours degree (a GPA of no lower than 2.48)
-Pass the independent research project in Stage 3 of the BSc Psychology
There are also career opportunities in research alongside other social scientists, such as economists and sociologists.
UCD Social Sciences,
Newman Building,
Belfield,
Dublin 4
socialsciences@ucd.ie
www.ucd.ie/socialsciences
| Award | GPA | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programme | Module Weightings | Rule Description | Description | ||
| BHSOC016 | Stage 4 - 50.00% Stage 3 - 30.00% Stage 2 - 20.00% |
Standard Honours Award | First Class Honours | 3.68 |
4.20 |
| Second Class Honours, Grade 1 | 3.08 |
3.67 |
|||
| Second Class Honours, Grade 2 | 2.48 |
3.07 |
|||
| Pass | 2.00 |
2.47 |
|||
| BHSOC008 | Stage 3 - 50.00% Stage 2 - 50.00% |
Standard Honours Award | First Class Honours | 3.68 |
4.20 |
| Second Class Honours, Grade 1 | 3.08 |
3.67 |
|||
| Second Class Honours, Grade 2 | 2.48 |
3.07 |
|||
| Pass | 2.00 |
2.47 |
|||
| BHSOC016 | Stage 4 - 50.00% Stage 3 - 30.00% Stage 2 - 20.00% |
Standard Honours Award | First Class Honours | 3.68 |
4.20 |
| Second Class Honours, Grade 1 | 3.08 |
3.67 |
|||
| Second Class Honours, Grade 2 | 2.48 |
3.07 |
|||
| Pass | 2.00 |
2.47 |
|||