Psychology and Public Policy & Management

Bachelor's degree

In Birmingham

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Bachelor's degree

  • Location

    Birmingham

  • Duration

    3 Years

Our Aims. To provide a thorough grounding in the principles and practices of public service management, to identify and build upon examples of best practice and effective public policy making, using a wide range of management theories and techniques.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Birmingham (West Midlands)
See map
Aston Triangle, B4 7ET

Start date

On request

About this course

Specific subject requirements:
A2 level: none specified. General studies accepted.
GCSE: English and mathematics grade C, together with any other specific qualification required by the other combined honours subject you have chosen.

Applicants offering alternative qualifications (ib, eb, access etc.) will be considered. Mature students are encouraged to apply and will be considered on individual merit.

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Course programme

Psychology

Psychology as a formal scientific discipline emerged in Europe about 130 years ago as the science of mind and behaviour. The focus of psychology is people what and how they think and feel and how they relate to others. Psychology is a research discipline and uses the experimental methods of traditional science as well as an increasingly wide range of other research methods.

Our programme investigates theories of psychology and their applications in contemporary society. We emphasise human rather than animal behaviour, and the applications of psychology. The degree programme integrates theoretical psychology, techniques of psychological investigation and the major areas of applied psychology. Our programme will provide you with a thorough grounding in theory, research and practice in contemporary psychology, a high-level practical and research experience, specialist professional skills and expertise, and a broad intellectual training.

Public Policy

Government influences many aspects of our lives both directly and indirectly. Public Policy & Management is a multidisciplinary subject that studies the processes of policy making and implementation at global, regional, national and sub-national levels of government and governance. It is not only concerned with the reasons why governments make decisions on key policy areas such as health, education, law and order and the environment, but also looks at the organisations that deliver policy such as schools, hospitals and local authorities. Thus, the subject deals with the rationale behind decisions to go to war in Iraq, lend money to banks, ban smoking in public places and introduce top-up fees for university students to name but a few, as well as focusing on the implementation of such policies.

Key benefits

Psychology

The Human Psychology degree has been taught at Aston University since 1972 and is highly regarded. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) awarded Aston's Psychology programmes a score of 22 to of 24 in the most recent round of assessments, which places us in the excellent category. Aston is also outstandingly successful in graduate employment. In 2003, 88% of Aston graduates entered employment and in Psychology 75% entered employment compared with 72% nationally.

Public Policy

The Public Policy & Management degree at Aston University will provide you with the opportunity to obtain the knowledge and skills appropriate to a wide range of careers not only in the public sector but also the private and voluntary sectors. Many private sector companies provide services for government organisations or contract with government to build schools, hospitals and maintain essential aspects of infrastructure such as roads, buildings and the environment. Many voluntary organisations are in partnership with government agencies to deliver key services to, for example, children and the elderly. The course offers the opportunity to undertake an optional sandwich year with a relevant placement in public, private or voluntary sectors. This will enhance your prospects in the job market where careers in the European Union, central and local government, a wide range of organisations providing health and social care, education, housing, leisure and environmental protection as well as businesses and charities are typical destinations of Public Policy & Management graduates. The public policy team has strong links with the Business School as well as other academic subject areas within the school of languages and social sciences.

Teaching and assessment

Psychology

You will experience a wide variety of learning and teaching methods, including:

  • lectures, tutorials and seminars
  • exercises and case studies
  • group and individual project work
  • use of our extensive computing facilities
  • corporate investigation and analysis

Students will be assessed in individual modules by end-of-semester (January & May/June) examinations and by assignments conducted and submitted

Public Policy

You will experience a wide variety of learning and teaching methods, including:

  • lectures, tutorials and seminars
  • exercises and case studies
  • group and individual project work
  • use of our extensive computing facilities

Students will be assessed in individual modules by end-of-semester (January & May/June) examinations and by assignments conducted and submitted

Personal development


Psychology


You can choose between a 3 year, full time and a 4 year sandwich Combined Honours degree with Human Psychology. You will have the option to set your studies in context by taking a psychology or related professional placement. The placement year is one of the key factors in Aston's employment success and its educational value was highly praised by the QAA inspectors. Recent psychology placement employers include North Birmingham Mental Health Trust, Birmingham Childrens Hospital, and the Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA).

Many students also take business placements, often in human resource management, where a psychology degree is highly valued. A years work will improve your employment prospects and prepare you for your future career. A placement year can also transform your academic progress, as you return to study refreshed from seeing the practical relevance of psychology in action.

Our emphasis on applied and Human Psychology provides an excellent springboard for careers in diverse professions. The decline in manufacturing and the growth of the service sector puts psychology graduates at a premium-they have insight into motivation and behaviour and know about people, relationships and group dynamics, have excellent communication and teamwork skills, are trained the critical and analytic and can design, conduct and analyse and evaluate research, all of which are valued by employers.

Combined Honours Psychology Graduates go on to pursue a very wide range of career paths. Graduates can enter business and commercial careers, caring and social careers, teaching and local government careers and many others. Progression rate to a first job is very high for Aston students and career prospects are good.

Public Policy

The professional placement year is an optional part of the Combined Honours degree programmes. The year of paid employment can give you experience of the practical problems of management and lay the foundations for you final year of study. It is highly attractive to potential employers and around 30% of students are offered a job upon graduation.

We have excellent links with over 400 different companies both in the UK and abroad. Around 1000 jobs are advertised to its students each year via its website, with opportunities available in a wide range of institutions, from large multi-national blue-chip companies to small firms in both the private and public sectors.

The dedicated placement office will help you to secure a placement by providing information and guidance in a number of ways: offering workshops in CVs and application forms, interview techniques and passing assessment centre tests.
Students can book mock interviews and the placement office is on hand throughout the year to provide support and advice.

Career prospects

Psychology

Combined Honours Psychology Graduates go on to pursue a very wide range of career paths. Graduates can enter business and commercial careers, caring and social careers, teaching and local government careers and many others. Progression rate to a first job is very high for Aston students and career prospects are good. For example, employment destinations for Combined Honours Psychology students in 2003 included Lloyds TSB, NHS, Xerox UK Ltd and Vodafone.

Public Policy

More than 40% of the UK workforce is employed in public service organisations and there are many exciting career opportunities open to public policy graduates, including managerial posts in the civil service and local government, the NHS, the privatised utilities, transport and private sector firms contracting for public services provision.

Psychology and Public Policy & Management

Price on request