Psychology and Philosophy

BA Psychology and Philosophy

Interim award: Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology and Philosophy, Diploma of Higher Education in Psychology and Philsophy

Mode: full-time

This degree programme enables students to engage with the science of mental life and behaviour, whilst having an equal emphasis on profound philosophical questions about the roots of human nature and human knowledge.

Human mental life and behaviour present all kinds of questions, which are addressed today from different perspectives by psychologists and philosophers. Psychologists ask a diverse range of questions, such as: What is personality? How does memory function (or malfunction)? How are attitudes formed? How do we learn? Philosophers ask questions from a different perspective, for example: What is consciousness and can it be understood scientifically? What is the nature of the human person? What is knowledge? Do people ever make truly free decisions? How should science progress?

For example, psychologists have used careful observation to explore how people can adopt different identities (or selves) in different social situations. Simultaneously, philosophers have used rigorous argument to explore in what sense it is meaningful to speak of the 'self' in the first place.

Such diversity of study leaves students equipped with a broader range of transferrable skills than a single discipline can provide.

Becoming a Psychologist

A BA in Psychology and Philosophy will equip students for many future career paths. However, for the psychological professions (principally clinical or educational psychology), special accreditation from the British Psychological Society (BPS) is also required. Heythrop will provide significant funding for students reading for these degrees who wish to proceed to a Masters degree in Psychology giving BPS accreditation provided they meet the entry standards for the MA and do not already hold a masters degree. Whether considered academically, or financially, this unique system represents exceptionally good value for students on this programme.

Programme of Study

Four modules are taken each year. In the first year, there are four compulsory, core modules.

In the second year there are two full modules in philosophy and two half modules in psychology, and one option.

In the third year, each student will undertake EITHER a research project OR a long essay. Working with one of the Heythrop academic staff, this will provide an opportunity to bring together, and to reflect on the studies undertaken in the first two years as well as to further develop the skills of analysis and intellectual and academic enquiry in a topic chosen by the studentfrom a wide range of options.

Teaching and Assessment

Each module is taught by a two-hour session once a week over the 11-week term. These are group sessions, typically lectures and presentations and seminars, which are interactive with students. Directed reading and other tasks guide independent learning. Additionally, you will have regular tutorials, normally on a one-to-one basis, to discuss work completed or in progress, and meetings with a supervisor in relation to the dissertation. You will receive a Programme Handbook and module handbooks.

Each module is assessed by a combination of coursework tasks completed during or shortly after the period of module teaching, and an end-of-year essay.