Psychology

Course summary

Success on A-level Psychology is excellent with 100% of students passing since 2016. A Level pathways are designed to prepare you for higher education and beyond, be it a degree, research or a wide range of careers. In year one you will study the AS specification and take exams in May/June. If successful, you will progress to year two and complete the full A-level. The A Level department has links with several local universities including Aston and Coventry University. You are encouraged to attend Masterclasses at universities, placements, workshops and programmes to help you develop skills to progress to university. We offer A Level exclusive quiet study rooms in addition to the learning zone quiet area. We have access to e-journals, e-books, subject specific publications and books. The College also holds activities for British Science Week's ‘Meet the Scientist’ event. We also hold A Level revision workshops and conferences as part of developing study skills. Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. Psychologists approach the study of human beings in different ways in an attempt to best understand why we behave as we do. Psychology is a multifaceted discipline and includes many sub-fields of study in areas such as child development, sports psychology, health psychology, psychopathology, social behaviour and cognitive neuroscience. Psychologists perform scientific and non-scientific investigations and then apply their theoretical findings to explain everyday behaviour. You will also be expected to complete a work placement as part of your programme of study. Study skills and employability skills will be developed with the help of your personal tutor. Year one: Introductory topics in psychology; • Obedience • Memory • Child development Psychology in Context – this is where we apply the different approaches used to explain human behaviour to topics such as depression and OCD. We also explore how psychologists conduct their research and statistically analyse their data. Year two: We build on and extend knowledge gained in the first year of the course and also explore additional topics including: • Gender • Schizophrenia • Aggression