School of Psychology & Neuroscience

This Session's course handbooks are below.  Please note these are for information only and the most up to date handbooks for current students can be found on the relevant Moodle pages.

• 2023-24 L1 PSYCHOLOGY HANDBOOK
• 2023-24 L2 PSYCHOLOGY HANDBOOK
• 2023-24 L3 HONOURS PSYCHOLOGY HANDBOOK
• 2023-24 L4 HONOURS PSYCHOLOGY HANDBOOK
• 2023-24 MSc PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE CONVERSION HANDBOOK
• 2023-24 MSc RESEARCH METHODS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE HANDBOOK
• 2023-24 MSc PSYCHOLOGY (CONV) ONLINE HANDBOOK

If you are a current PGR student, all information related to your course can be found on the relevant PGR Moodle page.

Please note that if you are a student in the College of Science and Engineering and you are unable to contact your Adviser of Studies, the Senior Adviser for the school is Dr Linda Moxey.  You should get in touch with her if your enquiry is urgent. Students in other colleges should contact their college office or other contact as advised.

British Psychological Society accreditation  

All of our single and joint-honours psychology undergraduate programmes and our MSc conversion programmes are accredited by the British Psychological Society. More information about accreditation is available via the British Psychological Society. 

Courses and topics studies 

In the first two years this programme provides a comprehensive introduction to the core areas of psychology including cognitive, social, development and physiological psychology, individual differences and research methods. 

We take an open science approach to developing your critical evaluation skills and your understanding of the importance of research and to supporting you in developing essential graduate skills in data handling using programming software for statistical analysis. Lectures, interactive group discussions and practical lab sessions will inspire your passion for the subject and facilitate the development of the fundamental skills and knowledge required for being a psychologist of the future. 

You will also study other subjects in years 1 and 2: see Flexible degrees. 

If you progress to Honours (years 3 and 4) you will build on the core foundational skills and knowledge embedded in years 1 and 2 and progress your understanding of statistical models, cognitive neuroscience and clinical approaches. 

Single Honours students choose from a large selection of options, including our two new specialised pathways in Neuroscience and Clinical Health. The option courses range from courses in fMRI to Psychology of Climate Change. The options span a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies and applications from theory to practice. 

You will undertake a major piece of research in your final year which can involve lab-based projects (eg using eyetrackers or brain imaging data) or applied settings such as a school or community partner. 

Undergraduate single honours  specialisms 

If you study Psychology single honours, you will have the option, if you wish, to specialise in one of the following areas: 

• Clinical Health or 
• Neuroscience; 

Each specialism has requirements on the optional courses  taken and your dissertation in level 4 must also be in the same area. If a specialism is chosen and completed, it will appear on your degree transcript on graduation. 

In the first year this programme covers a broad range of Biology topics, with specialisation in Human Biology topics in Level 2, including Neuroscience, Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology. Alongside lectures, workshops and discussions, there are weekly lab classes and tutorials to enable you to expand your knowledge of neuroscience and its influence in society, to help gain an understanding of research methodologies, all of which develop graduate attributes in communication, data handling and critical evaluation.

If you progress to honours (years 3 and 4) you will study Neuroscience specific topics and build on the core foundational skills and knowledge embedded in years 1 and 2, such as data handling, practical lab skills, critical thinking and discussion. In year 3 you will study a diverse range of neuroscience topics such as diseases of the nervous system, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, and a range of methodologies from single cell recording to fMRI.

In year 4 you will undertake a Neuroscience research project supervised by an academic member of staff. Projects can be lab based, or data handling, or in collaboration with external partners such as the Glasgow Science Centre or local schools.