In case you hadn’t already heard, I am doing a Psychology Masters at a university in central Scotland.  And, in case you’re interested, I thought I’d tell you a little about it.  The following exerpt is from my university’s website.

“What makes us who we are? Is it the way our brain works? Is it how we are brought up? Perhaps it is the way we interact with others? Or is it the society we live in? Or maybe it is a combination of all of these? As a psyhology undergraduate you will learn how to use a wide variety of approaches to answer these questions and will have the opportunity to play an active part in furthering our understanding of the human mind and behaviour. Psychology graduates are increasingly sought after because of the key skills that they learn, such as the ability to analyse, interpret and evaluate information and to communicate effectively.

At [university name] you will be a part of a vibrant and expanding School in which teaching and research are carried out to a very high standard. We were rated ‘Excellent’ in the latest Scottish Higher Education Teaching Quality Assessment and are committed to providing education of the highest quality. We have a friendly and approachable staff and encourage interaction and discussions between students and staff both within and outside classes. In your fourth year you will have the opportunity to conduct original research in the area that most interests you. Fourth year project work can lead to publications in scientific journals. Our staff are actively involved in a wide range of research areas including child development, language, neuropsychology, perception and social behaviour. Advanced option courses in the fourth year reflect both the breadth of the department and the expertise of our staff and reveal the ever-changing frontiers of psychological understanding.

You can choose to study psychology as a single or joint Honours degree. The course covers all of the major areas of human experimental psychology and is recognised by the British Psychological Society. This recognition means that when you graduate you will be eligible for Graduate Basis for Registration, which is crucial for moving into careers in psychology or postgraduate study. Satisfying the BPS Graduate Basis for Recognition requires that you meet two criteria: First you must achieve at least a 2.2 in your degree and pass your dissertation. Second, if you are taking a joint Honours degree, you must take all four of the Level 3 modules over your final two years and must also complete a dissertation.

We have established exchange programmes allowing you the opportunity to complete part of your degree in Europe, Canada or the United States.”

On a personal level, I find sometimes a real-life account of the subject can be more informative than the official blurb.  First and second year of Psychology have been interesting for the most part, however because the modules do not offer enough credits to continue through to the next year on their own, I also studied English (year 1 and 2), Biomolecular Mechanisms and Genetics (year 1) and Philosophy (year 2).  It’s not until third year that students study only Psychology, and that’s when it gets interesting!

Over the next two years I will be covering subjects including Forensic Psychology – the study of the criminal mind – Discourse and Social Psychology, which is all kinds of interesting stuff, and much more.  I’ll be completing a dissertation, and that means I get to do my very own research project.

My particular interest is mental health in young adults, and while that is not a subject studied specifically many of the subjects contribute to it, including Developmental, Cognitive and Social Psychology.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.