The School of Psychology is consistently ranked amongst the top schools in the United Kingdom and is among the leading centres for research and teaching in the world. Our teaching was rated as ‘excellent’ and many of our staff conduct field-leading research across a wide spectrum of psychological investigation.
Why study psychology?
Psychology is the science of mental processes. It covers the
perceptions, thoughts, feelings and actions of people from infancy to old age, ranging in focus from individuals to groups, organisations and societies. It is multidisciplinary, involving biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics and philosophy, and has a vast number of realworld applications. It also provides a gateway to many diverse and well-paid careers. Cognitive neuroscience is a related scientific discipline concerned with the study of the biological substrates underlying cognition, perception and action.
In the School of Psychology some of the research we do is ‘pure’, with the aim of testing and developing theories; and some is ‘applied’, with the aim of understanding how we learn, how accidents happen and what causes mental disorders. Approaches to investigation range from field surveys to laboratory experiments. These include studies that employ the latest brain imaging techniques and eye-tracking facilities. At The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus we offer the following undergraduate degree programmes in psychology.
- BSc (Hons) Psychology
- BSc (Hons) Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
How you are taught
Teaching is research-led, meaning that you will benefit from internationally-recognised scientists determining your curriculum and presenting lectures, tutorials, practical classes and seminars. On completion of your course you will have acquired a range of knowledge and skills including the ability to analyse and assess contemporary theories, empirical studies and practical applications.
Your knowledge of specialised areas of contemporary interest within psychology will be developed through your selection of special options and project work. Practical and project work will also develop your problem-solving skills, including the ability to design, conduct and analyse various types of psychological research. Additionally, the course will improve your oral and written communications skills, and your ability to use information technology and information retrieval systems. You will be assessed through a variety of methods including formal exams and coursework.
Study abroad and summer internships
As a student at the Malaysia Campus you will have the opportunity to spend a semester or year abroad at our UK campus (subject to satisfactory grades and successful applications). Additionally, a number of summer internships are available in the vacation between the second and third year. These would allow you to work directly with world-class
researchers on a research project at the UK or Malaysia Campus, with a living allowance provided.
Career prospects
A recent report by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit found that psychology graduates are among the most employable, and least likely to be unemployed, of any degree course. A psychology degree helps prepare graduates for many different types of work, providing an impressive range of skills that make them highly sought after.
Psychologists work in many areas in the public and private sector, from schools and hospitals to management consultancies, high-tech industries and even professional sports teams. Many of our graduates will go on to choose psychology as a career – as researchers and teachers of the subject, or as practitioners in a range of sub-disciplines of psychology, such as clinical and counselling, educational and school, engineering, sports, forensic, health, and industrial/organisational.
Psychology graduates can also progress to a career in research, in either the public sector or the private sector. Research psychologists employed by businesses may work on a wide variety of projects, including creating new ways of targeting advertising campaigns, developing new forms of 3D cinema, and assessing new drugs to treat depression.