Psychological and Behavioural Sciences

Teaching is provided through lectures, classes or seminars, and supervisions. Some papers include a practical element, which takes place in laboratories.

You can typically expect two lectures a week for each paper. You also have one or two supervisions a week to discuss your work and develop your reasoning and ideas.

In Part IA, you take a total of four papers, two of which are compulsory:

• Introduction to Psychology
• Psychological Enquiry and Methods (this includes practical demonstrations and exercises)

The remaining two papers are chosen from a selection of up to nine options. The optional papers available each year may vary but subjects usually include:

• biological and social anthropology
• education
• evolution and behaviour
• politics
• philosophy
• computer science
• sociology

At the end of the year, you sit a three-hour written examination in each paper.

Part IB provides a foundation for the research-led teaching of the final year while also allowing you to begin to specialise in those areas that most interest you.

You take four papers in total. All students take:

• the Social and Developmental Psychology paper
• the Cognitive Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology paper, which teaches research methods and includes laboratory work
• two optional papers

The optional papers are selected from a range of around 19 available. The subjects may change from year to year but typically include papers in:

• biological and social anthropology
• history and philosophy of science
• education
• neurobiology
• philosophy

You sit a written exam in each paper at the end of the year.

In your final year, you undertake a research dissertation of between 6,000 and 10,000 words on a psychology topic of your choice. You also choose a further three papers from a selection available, each of which is assessed by a written examination.

The subject of these papers may change from year to year but typically include the following topics:

• social and developmental psychology
• cognitive and experimental psychology
• behavioural and cognitive neuroscience
• legal psychology
• criminology
• linguistics
• selected subjects from those offered at Part IB

For further information about studying Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Cambridge see the Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos website.