A Level: Psychology

Overview of Subject

Psychology is a great course to study for those who have an interest in people and want to learn why they behave the way they do. Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and how it dictates and influences our behaviour, from communication and memory to thought and emotion. It’s about understanding what makes people tick and how this understanding can help us address many of the problems and issues in society today. It prepares students for a range of future career paths.

The mind is something intangible that exists within our brain; an unseen process of enzymes, chemicals and electric currents. But why is it that some people suffer from stress or mental illness? Or that others are considered abnormal for deviating from social norms? Psychology looks at questions like these and more.

It’s a fascinating science with cutting edge research that has real world applications that you are bound to find interesting.

Topics studied in the syllabus include

• Sex and Gender
• Forensic Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Schizophrenia
• Memory
• Social Influence
• Attachment
• Approaches in Psychology

This course might be of interest:

If you are interested in understanding Human behavior Psychology will give you an insight into understanding why people behave the way they do. Psychology combines well with Social Science subjects and counts as a science subject for University applications.

Potential Future Pathways

If you want a career in any of the caring services, or in marketing or human resources, you will find an understanding of psychology useful. Psychology leads to a number of career routes including forensic psychology, sports psychology, clinical psychology and counselling and psychotherapy.

A-level Psychology will help you develop a range of skills that will benefit you, whether you decide to go on to further study or the working world, including; analytical thinking, improved communication, problem solving, planning and conducting scientific investigations, analysing and interpreting data and critical reasoning skills. Psychology will complement just about any other subject. Students who study psychology often also study Biology, Sociology, Health and Social Care, Business, English or Physical Education.

General entry requirements including at least a 4 in the relevant subject if taken