Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Psychology and Special Educational Needs (XC18)

Liverpool Hope University sees Psychology as a discipline with the capacity, and responsibility, to make a positive contribution to how people live in everyday life. The university strives to enable students to grow into constructive citizens who are curious about people, and motivated to make a positive difference to the lives of others. Beyond classroom learning, there are opportunities to enrich students' chosen program of study in a way that will help them in developing their psychological thinking. They include going on a placement year, working as a research assistant in a laboratory, travelling to another country as part of Global Hope, or studying abroad.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) at Liverpool Hope University is an interdisciplinary subject underpinned by the work of the Centre for Culture and Disability Studies (CCDS). Studying Special Educational Needs at Liverpool Hope University will enable students to develop an understanding of the complex relationship between disability and society. They will explore the ways that disability studies can inform people's understanding of the medical and social models of disability and learn the importance of this in working with children with so-called special educational needs. The degree incorporates insights from education, the arts, humanities and health care, to ensure students gain a critical understanding of the relationship between disability and education.

A central aspect of the course is an understanding of medical and social constructions of Special Educational Needs from a historical as well more recent perspectives. Students will gain a knowledge and understanding of the importance of cultural representations in shaping individual and societal relationships with disability.

By completing this degree, students will have gained an awareness of global perspectives on disability studies, inclusion, education and society as well as an understanding of the role of disabled people as activists working for equality. This degree will enable them to develop their professional and personal confidence in advocacy and education. Students will enter their professional life recognizing the importance of criticality, compassion and understanding of their work with, and on behalf of, those who are disabled and/or identified as having a special educational need.