Our academic team is passionate about
both research and professional activity,
using each to inform our teaching and
provide a learning environment which is
challenging and relevant. Our students
have opportunities to gain hands-on
experience by working directly with us on
our research or by engaging with our
networks and their interface with
communities.
Our approach to learning and teaching
You’ll learn through a range of methods
including traditional lectures, research
seminars, workshops, student-led
sessions and self-directed learning. The
focus is on learning how to acquire and
utilise knowledge for yourself, through
identifying existing knowledge as well as
discovering new knowledge.
Our courses enhance a wide range of
transferable skills that will open up a
diverse array of job options. You will be
supported to improve your interpersonal
and presentation skills, develop effective
reading and writing skills, engage in
analytical thinking and critical reflection,
as well as focus on the development of
your research skills. You will also develop
skills in information retrieval, practical
investigation, data collection and analysis
– as well as learning how to present your
ideas for a range of audiences.
You will be assessed via traditional
exams and essays, but also through
scientific reports and critical reviews, live
multimedia presentations and poster
presentations. In the later stages of your
course, you will be able to choose
modules in areas that particularly interest
you and which will help you develop an
emerging area of expertise to give you an
edge in future employment or study.
Research
Our psychology and sociology team are
actively involved in a range of research
interests (see division website at www.
qmu.ac.uk/schools-and-divisions/
psychology-sociology-and-education for
details). Our research activities employ
diverse methodologies and the team
collaborates with a number of national
and international universities. We are
engaged in the impact and applications
of our work to real-world contexts and
21st-century issues and many of our
research undertakings involve
collaborations with NGOs, humanitarian,
social enterprise and community groups.
Career prospects
Our courses have a strong employability
focus and we’ll fully support you in
building your employability skills and
becoming job market-ready. Around 20%
of psychology graduates choose to
become professional psychologists and
undertake further academic study. Other
graduates have gone on to forge
rewarding careers in education, social
services, industry, marketing,
government agencies and the media.
Many psychology and sociology
graduates find work in areas such as
social and community work, consumer
and social research, marketing,
education and human resource
management.
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Jessica da Costa
BSc (Hons) Psychology
“The course enabled me to see more of
what psychology was about and the
range of areas and knowledge I could
explore. It was through the vast expanse
of knowledge that I took an interest in
forensic psychology. In my third year I
was able to take part in fellow students’
project experiments and in turn learn
more about what psychology research is
about. One in particular involved
watching clips from a TV series and
attempting to uncover who was truthful.
This only further peaked my already
expanding interest in forensic
psychology and the justice system which
would later be a foundation for my
Master of Research (MRes) thesis.”