Your Psychology Degree in Focus
The year at Stirling is divided into two 15-week semesters with 10 weeks in each semester devoted to teaching. Each semester, students will typically be required to complete 3 separate units of study or courses.
Year 1: Orientation
The two Introductory Psychology Units taken in semesters 1 and 2 are designed to give students an overview of the subject's wide ranging research interests - Cognitive Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Neuroscience; Social & Community Psychology; Comparative Psychology (Animal Behaviour) and Clinical Psychology. Note also that, in the 1st and 2nd year, students have the opportunity to broaden their studies through the inclusion of units offered by other Departments.
Years 2 and 3: Acquiring Specialist Skills and Knowledge
In semesters 3 to 6, students will build on the knowledge and research skills introduced in the 1st year through the study of advanced core units. Each advanced unit focuses on a discrete research area considering its key theoretical concepts and research methodologies.
Year 4: Research Experience
In semesters 7 and 8, students have the opportunity to put their recently acquired research skills to the test as, guided by a project supervisor, they undertake a major research study of their own. Students will also pursue their academic interests in the Final Year Electives, where they may choose a study topic from a wide choice of specialist areas. The topics of final year electives vary each semester, depending on staff availability and the changing research interests of staff (see examples below):
- A History of Psychology
- Criminality and Childhood
- Theories on the Evolution of Language
- The Psychology of Parenting
- Face Perception
- Culture and Evolution
- Exploring Experience and Spirituality
- Health, Wealth and Happiness
- Comparative Mammalian Development
- The Systematic Study of Dream Content
- Who Needs Consciousness Anyway?
- Emotion
- Understanding Suicidal Behaviour
- Advanced Critical Psychology
The Final Year is also a time when students will look ahead and consider career choices. This process is assisted through the final year unit "The Person in Context" which encourages students to think about their personal, social and academic strengths and how they could best be exploited.