Bachelor of Arts - Psychology (Including Placement Year) (C810)

At Essex students can satisfy their curiosity about how the mind works and what drives human behaviour. Psychologists undertake scientific study to try to explain and predict how people work. It is the study of the mind and body, thoughts and behaviour, feelings and perceptions. Essex conducts experiments in order to investigate how people develop throughout childhood, the way in which they acquire language, and the behavioural changes that can occur as a result of brain injury, disease, or life experience. In the course students experiment, explore and research why humans think, feel and act the way they do. Students cover core areas of psychology including: sensation and perception, learning and memory, clinical psychology, personality and individual differences, and social and health psychology.

Students can also undertake a placement year in which they gain relevant work experience within an external business, giving them a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing them with key contacts within the industry. Students will be responsible for finding their placement, but with support and guidance provided by both the department and the Employability and Careers Centre.

Essex provides one of the most immersive and exciting experiences of studying the human mind in the UK. Students learn from the researchers and can work together in the same space via their Research Experience Scheme (RES) which gives students the opportunity to work one-on-one with a psychologist as their research assistant.

Psychology now influences an increasing range of fields, from working with clinical disorders, to managing education and training. Today, it is widely used in industry, sport and employment to improve performance, as well as affecting legal and health matters.

Essex's students go on to follow diverse career paths. This degree helps many to pursue careers as clinical, forensic, educational, or occupational psychologists. Others work in related fields such as special educational needs, social work, or mental health care. However, many graduates pursue successful careers further afield, working in areas like management, human resources, financial services, the media, information technology, and market research.

For example, some of our recent graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies including: East of England Strategic Health Authority, The Crown Prosecution Service, M&G Investments, NHS Suffolk, and Accenture.