AS/A2 Psychology

Psychology

Level: AS and A2

Exam Board: OCRA

Syllabus No: AS 3876, A2 7876

What will I study?

Psychology is the study of mind and behaviour, so you will study various psychological theories that help to shed light on the reasons why we think and behave in the way that we do.

The AS course is a thorough grounding in psychological research and helps you to understand what psychologists do. During the AS course you will conduct four different types of psychological investigation. You will also learn about fifteen landmark studies in psychology and the impact they have had on the world we live in today.

You will cover topics such as the effect of the prison situation on normal individuals, causes of phobias, dreaming and sleep, autism, multiple personality, diagnosis of mental illness and many more. At A2 you will study Psychology & Health and Psychology & Crime. Alongside this you will also develop further your ability to plan and implement psychological research.

For those who would like to develop their understanding of Psychology further and can demonstrate a high aptitude for the subject, we offer them the chance to study for the Advanced Extension Award in Psychology, often described as the A star for A levels.

How is this course assessed?

The course is assessed by two exams in AS Psychology, a one hour paper taken in January and a two hour paper taken in May. The A2 course is assessed by exams, one paper lasting two hours and the second lasting an hour and a half.

What next?

Study at A level can lead to many careers such as clinical psychology, counselling, education psychology, forensic psychology and occupational psychology. Psychology is useful for any career involving people, and it is studied as part of other university courses, such as education, sport studies, business studies, medicine, nursing, speech therapy, occupational therapy, media studies, to name but a few. For further information contact the Psychology department.