Year one core modules

• Adventures in Crime News and Criminology

  Crime is a major area of public policy and political debate (we are both fascinated by and afraid of crime). This module will introduce students to exploring and defining how crime shapes our thoughts, drawing on its portrayal in the media, as well as responses generated through political shifts and crime prevention/community initiatives. The module then examines the criminal justice process. In addition, the module will examine crime data (statistics, case studies, crime rates etc) and the sources from which they are gathered. Adventures in Criminology aims to engage students in the components of the Criminal Justice process through a student-facilitated case study. The case study will enable you to identify with many of the issues that are obscured or misrepresented when thinking of everyday crimes, as well as present them in a reflective and developmental style. The range of assessments in this module will allow you to demonstrate understanding and begin to develop critical thinking skills (the essay), understanding and application skills (patchwork texts) as well as an opportunity to reflect upon and relate the knowledge gained to employment in the Criminal Justice Sector (Portfolio/diary).

• Adventures in Criminal Justice

  Building on Adventures in Crime News and Criminology, Adventures in Criminal Justice aims to introduce you to the somewhat abstract components of the criminal justice process. You will explore and analyse sections of the criminal justice system, paying particular attention to how it fits together (under the National Offender Management System ? NOMS) within five main sub-systems: law enforcement, courts, youth justice, prison and probation. Each week, you will examine and develop a portfolio relating to the following issues within the criminal justice system: freedom, human rights, net-widening, retribution, rehabilitation, politics and prevention of crime. The portfolio will provide an opportunity for you to recognise and begin to critically evaluate the effectiveness of the criminal justice process, based on contested evidence and research. As a result, you will be able to demonstrate a critical appreciation of the complicated position and treatment of offenders in England and Wales, as well as the challenges faced by policy-makers and criminal justice staff.

• Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology

  Our experience of the world is an interpretation based on many cognitive processes being carried out by the brain. Because these processes are so automatic, and their outcome so convincing, people are often not aware that what they are experiencing is merely an interpretation, and as such can be inaccurate. This module will challenge students to think more clearly about this, and consider the ways in which the brain constructs its interpretation of the world, and the ways in which this interpretation can be misleading. The module aims to give students a broad understanding of cognition and how we process information about the world by introducing the major issues underpinning cognitive psychology, drawing attention to the key conceptual and ethical considerations of research in the area. Throughout the module, several key issues will be repeatedly addressed, e.g. the interactive nature of cognitive processing, and the core role of empirical research in developing cognitive theory. Areas to be covered in the module include: Visual perception, Learning, Attention, Memory, Language, and Problem Solving. The module will be delivered through a combination of lectures and practical based sessions during which students will be given the opportunity to carry out classic experiments supporting major theories in cognitive psychology. Students will be taught how to write up research using APA format, and their ability to do this will form part of the assessment for the module. In addition to this element of assessment, a multiple choice examination will be used to assess students' general understanding of the module material. This module will provide students with insights into their own cognitive processes (such as learning and memory) which they can apply to help in their study and understanding of other parts of their degree. It will equip students with a range of key transferable skills useful in the workplace, such as report writing, data analysis, and logical thinking.

• Key Skills for Psychology

  Psychology is a broad discipline and most psychologists specialise in relatively narrow areas of expertise. However, all psychologists share basic skills in understanding, conducting and communicating research and this module aims to give students a grounding in these skills. Psychology is driven by empirical research - we start with a question of interest, formulate an hypothesis which we wish to test, design and implement a study to test the hypothesis, analyse the results and discuss the findings. This module will give students the basic skills needed to produce a research report from beginning to end including experimental design, statistical data analysis, the use of resources and software, writing and presentation skills, ethical issues and general study and research skills. Assessment will involve three components: 1) a portfolio of practical work including practice in writing each section of a research report and other relevant skills-based exercises. 2) The writing of a research report. 3) A multiple-choice and short answer examination. This module provides a vital grounding for Psychology students as well as offering a range of useful, transferable skills such as data analysis and report-writing which are valued by employers.

• Media and Crime

  Media representations of crime, law and order have always been a matter of public interest, as well as debate amongst people involved in the criminal justice system. This module explores the ways in which media shapes our perception of crime and provides an overview of the theoretical perspectives on media within criminology. The module then explores the construction of crime news and the role of politics and ideology and introduces the concept of 'moral panics'. It will also address sex crimes and their fictional and factual representation in the media. Subsequently, it examines ways of analysing available statistics on criminal activity, the fear of crime and its relationship to the media representation of crime. The discussion of contemporary surveillance culture will also be included. This module will examine these issues through the use of case studies, reports, and theory. Year two core modules.

• Social and Developmental Psychology

  This module will provide an introduction to key topics, theories and issues in social and developmental Psychology. It will enable students to understand how certain behaviours and experiences can be shaped by different social contexts (the family, peers, society) and the impact of these on social and emotional development. Key areas within social psychology (attitudes, interpersonal communication, social influence, groups, identities and ethics) and developmental psychology (genetic and environmental influences, language, cognitive and emotional development and ethics) are covered. The module includes consideration of methodological issues, and some introduction to the conceptual debates that characterise social and developmental psychology. Applications of the work of social and developmental psychologists are also considered. This module will be assessed through an essay and oral presentation. Students will learn transferable skills such as how to manage information and to collect data from appropriate sources, as well as oral communication skills.

• Trials and Errors

  Trials and Errors will evaluate the relevant techniques that are required in order to adhere to the principles of current criminal proceedings and identify the various stages within the system (such as sentencing procedures and outcomes). Students will be required to consider a range of problems and identify how some events could have been avoided. The module will examine a variety of legal case studies, paying particular attention to the processes involved and offer students the opportunity to challenge legal decisions and to evaluate the Appeal System. The aim of this module is to enable students to identify and analyse the elements involved in the criminal justice process that can contribute to a miscarriage of justice and to recognise the available procedures that can correct such errors of judgment. The module will comprise weekly lectures and seminars, including prepared debates and discussion relating to particular cases that have attracted the attention of the media.

Year two core modules

• Theories of Deviance, Crime and Social Control

  The module explores explanations of deviant behaviour throughout the 20th century and covers theories of crime that are of both historical interest and contemporary relevance, identifying and policing the parameters of 'normality' in late modern, western society. Whilst in general it explores issues of deviance and control also it looks at specific questions related to the transgression of social norms. For example, are individuals transgressive by virtue of a rational impulse or as a consequence of the environment or location in which they live? Is crime mostly an outcome of unequal power relations within society and/or a constructed definition of 'good' and 'bad'? The purpose of the module is not just to provide an historical understanding of social explanations but also to demonstrate the relevance of these theories to contemporary understandings of deviance and social control, through examination of the social construction of crime and the criminal. Assessment will be based on an essay, a PDP Portfolio, and an end of semester exam.

• Research Techniques for Psychology

  In this module students will develop a critical understanding of the principles of data collection and analysis for psychology, and consider the theoretical bases of various qualitative and quantitative methods. The emphasis is on ensuring that students understand the logic behind the techniques covered, so that they know when it is appropriate to use a particular technique, and how to interpret its output. A key part of the module will be a group project, where students will be given the opportunity to design and carry out an independent piece of research in an area of their own choosing. The course will equip students with a wide range of highly useful transferable skills such as; numerical skills, use of SPSS, IT skills, experimental design, report writing, group work, research and oral presentations. Assessments will be through a combination of examination and written portfolio.

• Psychopathology

  This module provides an introduction to psychopathology and clinical psychology. The module introduces students to the various psychological disorders, as well as their aetiology and treatment. The module will also look at models of psychopathology, as well as its classification and diagnosis. Broad theories of the development of the various psychological disorders will be touched on, drawing from psychodynamic, cognitive, and neuroscience perspectives, as well as social factors. Students will learn about the various psychological disorders through a series of lectures. Seminars will provide more focused discussions on particular disorders. Case studies and/or media examples will be used to aid understanding of various psychological disorders.

Year three core modules

• Clinical Psychology

  This module will enable students to have a critical awareness of the issues and debates involved in understanding deviant behaviour. It examines the psychological, social, cultural and biological influences and predispositions upon general definitions of abnormality and specific disorders. Particular categories of disorder will be studied in order to illuminate controversies concerning the value of models, methods of classification and diagnosis. Specific syndromes addressed in detail in this module are: major depression and mania, schizophrenia, and suicide. For each of these specific disorders, the diagnostic criteria, course, epidemiological factors, biological predisposition and treatment strategies (such as cognitive behaviour therapy, psycho-pharmacological treatments, and suicide prevention) are reviewed and critically evaluated. Students will learn that multiple factors can contribute to the development of mental illness and that often different psychiatric syndromes can co-occur in one patient. The role of social factors such as gender and culture in the classification and treatment of mental ill-health is discussed. Current research streams and findings on biological origin of mental illness and treatment will be presented and discussed. The module is available for students in the third year of psychology courses. Lectures will be illustrated by video demonstrations of patients with different forms of mental illness and the discussion of these case studies. Students will learn to work independently as well as in small teams/groups where they will discuss and critically evaluate contemporary issues in Clinical Psychology. Work in seminars and preparation for lectures will require the ability to independently research literature in the library and internet databases on different topics presented in lectures. This module will prepare students particularly for working in clinical settings (i.e. with psychiatric patients).

• Comparative Criminal Justice

  There have been some profound economic, political and cultural developments in the world since the late 1980's and they have added to the complex relationship between crime, punishment, social change and the maintenance of order. In many countries, prisons numbers are dramatically increasing, yet in others they are emptying at an equally rapid rate. Some countries deal with overcrowding by building more prisons, others have waiting lists for up to a year. Some countries favour capital punishment, others outlaw it. Crime statistics are gathered in a wide range of methods and the age of criminal responsibility ranges from seven to eighteen, depending on where you live. This module examines the ways different countries and jurisdictions deal with the main stages and elements in the criminal justice process, from crime rates and policing through to sentencing. Examples from all over the world will be explored, with a particular focus on Europe, the UK, the United States and Australasia.

Year two optional modules

• Crime and Place: Geographic Criminology and Crime Mapping

• Cultures of War & Peace

  War can be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and this module will examine the contexts in which 'conflicts' can be translated into 'wars' and vice versa. Through a 'Cultural Criminological' lens the module will explore some cultural, historical, political, philosophical, legal and sociological explanations of wars, in order to appreciate the disparate perspectives that exist in many given contexts. Cultures of War and Peace will offer students a range of issues through which to evaluate the conduct of governments and international bodies, combatants and non-combatants, 'terrorists' and 'freedom fighters', allies and 'the enemy'. Students will learn to contrast 'political' violence with other forms of violence in order to distinguish the now-common term 'terrorism' from related concepts such as revolution, riot, and rebellion. In addition, the module will examine the theory, practice and politics of peace. Students will evaluate the changing characteristics of the environments in which peace-keepers operate, the role that peacekeeping plays in a local and global context and the major challenges facing peacekeepers in the future. The module will be taught by weekly interactive seminar/workshops. Assessment is based on a poster presentation.

• Issues in the Professional Practice of Psychology

  In this module, students will develop an awareness of the moral and practical implications of being a professional psychologist. Students will be encouraged to reflect on the assumptions and limitations of the knowledge base guiding the practice of psychology, and to consider their implications. The module provides an understanding of professional skills of specific relevance to psychology, including professional codes of conduct and ethical behaviour in research and practice; planning research and writing a research proposal; bibliographic search strategies and effective literature review; working collaboratively in research; scientific publishing - how it works; communicating scientific results using different methods and to different audiences; personal and career development. Students will have the opportunity to acquire skills which are key to their development should they wish to pursue a career in psychology, but which are also of relevance for students whose career interests lie elsewhere. The module is assessed via an examination and a research proposal. Students who plan to take the Psychology Project module in the final year would benefit from having taken this module.

• Learning, Memory and Perception

  Underlying all psychological functioning is the ability to perceive, remember, and alter our behaviour in response to information in the world. These basic psychological processes of perception, memory and learning were the first areas of study for empirical psychology and this module examines both the historical development of these areas as well as the current state of knowledge in each area. An overview of principles of associative learning will be given including the principles of operant and respondent conditioning and the distinction between contiguity and contingency in learning. We will also consider how the principles can be applied in practical situations such as the treatment of phobias. The underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of memory as well as cognitive models of memory will be presented. Experimental findings of short-term, long-term, implicit and explicit memory, as well as problems of memory encoding, organisation, retention and retrieval will be addressed. Disorders of memory associated with brain injury will be discussed. Models of visual perception and attention will be discussed and experimental findings on change blindness, object perception and face perception will be evaluated. We will also consider the effect of learning and experience on perception as well as some of the neuropsychological impairments which can affect perception.

• Personality, Intelligence & Psychometrics

  This module is designed to enable students to develop an understanding of key contemporary approaches to the study and assessment of personality and intelligence. In this module we examine the assumptions behind theoretical approaches to personality and intelligence; the nature of personality and intelligence; the theory of psychometrics; the strengths, implications and limitations of different approaches; and the applications of theory. The module links theoretical approaches with assessment and includes the development of basic skills in understanding and using psychological tests. The module is suitable for students who have a basic understanding of psychology and is normally available to those who have studied some psychology research methods in their first year. It is delivered via lectures and seminars and includes some practical work on psychological testing. It is assessed via an examination. As well as acquiring a detailed knowledge of major theories of personality and intelligence, this module enables the development of awareness of the social and ethical implications of the measurement of individual differences. The module develops students' skills in problem solving, evaluation and autonomy.

• Project Preparation

• Violent Crime, Body and Mind

  This module will approach the study of violence from a range of perspectives, including criminal and legal, psychological, medical and biological. It will explore a range of expressions of violence, and the sanctions that are employed through the criminal justice system. In addition, the module will examine the concept of evil and how rehabilitation or punishments are juxtaposed against such an idea. The assessments will take the form of an essay relating to theoretical explanations of violence and a portfolio, encompassing a structured classroom debate.

Year three optional modules

• Criminal Psychology

  The psychological study of crime, criminals and victims within a legal framework is known as criminal or forensic psychology. This module examines the role that psychology and psychological perspectives can play in the criminal justice process. Particular attention will be paid to the application of psychology to police investigations including the collection, examination and utilisation of investigative information and evidence as well as to the role of the psychologist in the court room. The module explores the different ways criminal psychologists contribute to police training, investigations and interviewing as well as their contribution to understanding evidence in the courtroom and how juries process that evidence. The challenges and pitfalls of giving such advice will also be examined and evaluated. Students will be required to contribute each week primarily through the completion of practical tasks and exercises. These exercises will utilise actual case studies designed to familiarise students with the types of criminal cases and associated outputs produced by criminal psychologists in a 'real world' setting.

• Critical Issues in Health Psychology

  This module enables students to develop a critical awareness of issues and debates surrounding health, illness and disability. Standard clinical and medical models of illness and disability are seen as only one of several competing ways of making sense of health, illness and disability in contemporary society. This module presents a range of broadly social, critical perspectives on our understanding of health, illness and disability. These include how illnesses and disabilities are commonly represented in contemporary society, and how this may influence individuals' experience of illness and disability; the social model of disability which views disability as a relationship between an individual and the constructed environment; the experience of stress among health care workers. Critical consideration is given to how poverty, class, culture and gender are factors to consider in health psychology. The module, while primarily a critical health psychology module, draws on material from a broad range of disciplines including clinical psychology, psychiatry, social psychology, sociology, and public health. This module is delivered via lectures and seminars and assessment is via a portfolio based on the preparation and facilitation of student-led seminars and short critical essay based on a chosen topic.

• Atypical Development

  The course will introduce a variety of developmental disorders including Downs' Syndrome, Williams' Syndrome, dyslexia and autism. The module will include an analysis of the biological, cognitive and social profiles of each. Students will gain an insight in to the main symptoms of each clinical condition and the prognosis for people with these disorders. This will be done by discussing published literature and studying symptoms of children and adults with these disorders in video demonstrations. The course also covers the effects of early brain injury. Problems in the assessment and diagnosis of developmental disorders will be addressed as well as the range of psychological theories that have attempted to explain the different clinical conditions. Ethical issues and working with clinical populations will also be considered. Students will learn to critically evaluate contemporary issues in neurodevelopmental psychology supported by a range of academic literature. This module will be particularly useful for those considering a career related to development, educational or clinical psychology or a career working with typically developing children or children with special needs.

• Emotion

  What are feelings? Are they reducible to brain states or are they something different from mere neurophysiological activity? Questions such as these overlap between two areas of research: emotion and consciousness. Emotions are a dominant feature of human mental life, and they impact upon our behaviour, our cognitive processes, our social relationships, and our phenomenal experiences. In the last 15 years there has been a renewal of interest in both emotion and consciousness in psychology. This module aims to give students an overview of some of these exciting new developments in emotion and consciousness research, as well as providing some historical background as to how these topics have been treated in psychology. The module delivery consists of 11 lectures and 4 seminars; and the assessment consists of one 90 minute exam and one 1500 word essay. The seminars consist of a series of student-led debates based on classic issues and controversies in both emotion and consciousness research. Examples of the kinds of debates which may be included are: can science explain consciousness?; are emotions biological states or cultural constructions?; are unconscious emotions possible? Each student will present one side of such a debate in small groups in the seminars, and then write a coursework essay based on one of these debates. Students who successfully complete the module will gain skills of critical evaluation: particularly, the ability to independently evaluate evidence to support conclusions, and the ability to investigate contradictory information and to identify reasons for contradictions. In addition, they will gain skills of: oral and written communication; interacting within a group and managing conflict therein; and autonomous learning - particularly, taking responsibility for their own work and being able to criticize it. By the end of the module the answer to the question 'what are feelings?' may perhaps be uncovered.

• Forensic Psychology

  This module provides a broad overview of forensic psychology with a specific focus on prison psychology. Prison forensic psychology focuses on the specific application of psychological theory and research methodology to the prison environment. For example, prisons contain many vulnerable individuals and the module addresses ways in which psychological theory can be applied to evaluating and then reducing the risks that these individuals face. 'Life' prisoners, as an example, face particular psychological challenges and the module addresses how theory can be applied to assist individuals adjust to long periods of incarceration. The module is delivered via traditional lectures but has a particular focus on student centred seminars including role-playing. The module is assessed via an examination and an essay which focuses on applying theory to real life problems.

• Invisible Crimes

  Criminology has historically focused on crime committed by the most disadvantaged and powerless members of society. The crimes of more powerful individuals or organisations have been less well studied. This is particularly pertinent to criminal activity in the environmental sector that is often policed by governmental or quasi-governmental organisations. In particular, the crimes committed by corporate entities, or those individuals within them, often have a more profound economic, physical and social cost on individuals than those associated with 'conventional' criminal behaviour. This module will explore the difficulty in defining corporate, white-collar and organised crime, and how they have been addressed by criminologists. It addresses the extent and nature of such corporate crimes, suggests different perspectives on organised crime, and provides a forum for the discussion of environmental crimes. In addition, the module will explore the links in the crime-power-media relationship; examine them through case studies and reportage specific to the cases, as well as texts and theories to inform the broader context. Assessment is completed through assignment where students will be asked to select a case and critically evaluate the development of this case.

• Major Project (Criminology)

  The individual Final Project module allows students to engage in a substantial piece of individual research, focused on a topic relevant to their specific discipline.

• Neuropsychology

  This module introduces students to major neuropsychological syndromes following brain damage. The most frequent syndromes in clinical practice such as aphasia, amnesia, agnosia, dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease are discussed. Students will be introduced to a variety of different tests and assessment procedures applied in clinical neuropsychology and for each of the clinical syndromes, relevant neuropsychological and psychiatric symptoms will be outlined. Problems in the assessment of brain-damaged patients as well as treatment procedures available will be discussed. The aim of the module is also to make students aware of the theoretical concepts of cognitive processing derived from the study of brain-damaged individuals. One major question will address the way in which the study of brain-damaged patients can help us in the understanding of brain functions. Students will obtain insight into the relation between brain structure, cognitive processing and observable behaviour by looking at case studies of neuro-psychological patients. This will be done by discussing published individual case descriptions and by studying symptoms of patients in video demonstrations. Concepts, theories and experimental methods of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology will be evaluated as well as therapeutic approaches in the neurorehabilitation of brain damaged individuals. Finally, the potential mechanisms underlying cortical reorganisation after brain injury and underlying learning of new information on healthy individuals will be discussed.

• Preparing for Work

  This module will act as a bridge between higher education and future employment. It will evaluate students' learning achievements, identifying their strengths, weakness and skills and prepare them for the next step in their career in an orderly and planned fashion.

• Psychological Therapies

  This module provides an introduction to some of the main methods of psychological interventions used by clinical, counselling and health psychologists in therapeutically helping people. These interventions are used to assist people in strengthening their capacity to manage and cope with their lives, and help work through some emotional difficulties. The module will cover some of the core theoretical principles and techniques used in various psychological interventions, when working with individuals (both children and adults) as well as with families and groups. The module will also show that the therapeutic relationship is central to a variety of psychological interventions. The different interventions used also aim to assist clients and patients to make meaning of their distress. Students will learn the principles of various interventions through a series of lectures. Seminars will provide more focused discussions on particular interventions.

• Psychology Project

  The psychology project provides students with an opportunity to develop, conduct and analyse their own research project, and as such requires a high degree of autonomy from the student. The module supports students in the preparation and submission of an Undergraduate Research Project worth 30 credits and involving 300 hours of student commitment. It provides students with the opportunity to select an area of psychology, ethically evaluate their research, carry out an in-depth literature review of that area, formulate hypotheses based on that review and design a study to test these. Having collected the data, students will then be required to analyse, evaluate and discuss their findings, and present them with a project that adheres to the appropriate format. The length will in no circumstances exceed 8 000 words.

• Sex, Sex Offending and Society

  Arguably, sexual offending is considered 'different' from other forms of offending and all convicted sexual offenders occupy a unique position in contemporary society - sometimes as mythical as folk devils. Sex offending has become a major concern of governments, academics, policy analysts and pressure groups around the world, yet the problem remains little understood and inadequately addressed. This module examines the way certain activities have come to be defined and regulated as sex crimes and how particular definitions generate specific legal responses and treatments. Students will explore legal, policy and practice responses which have meant that many women not only suffer as victims of rape, but also at every stage of the criminal justice system. The module will explore sexual offending, underlying theories and its consequences from the perspectives of offenders, victims, society and the law. Each week, the seminars will include a structured and planned debate. Students will embark on the creation of a documentary, which can be in the form of a film or presentation (which will be filmed). The documentary must also encompass details of sources and a group blog of how the product came about.

• Sport and Crime

  The module will allow students to get to grips with a broad range of literature of both a theoretical and empirical kind which relates to sport and crime. A special study will be made of the use of sports programmes in crime prevention using research from England, Scotland and the USA. The aim of this module is to relate a criminological and sociological analysis to issues of crime and deviancy that arise in sport, whether professional or not. The module will pay attention to the role sport plays in the construction of delinquency, often termed the 'delinquency hypothesis', and upon many of the notions commonly held about class, race and gender. The structure of sport will be set out in terms of issues related to organised crime in sport, notably around money laundering and match fixing. The notions of 'winning' and 'losing' will be analysed in terms of their propensity to cause people to breach social norms and break regulations and laws, notably around doping in competitive sport. The weekly structure of the module will include, in addition to lectures and seminars, workshops where specific cases relating to sports law will be evaluated.

• Youth Justice