What is studying Psychology and Counselling at Salford really like?

What is studying

Psychology and Counselling

at Salford really like?

What modules will I study?

How will I be assessed?

What does my timetable look like?

Going to university involves making some tough decisions and we know that you’re probably wondering how you’re supposed to make the best choice for you.

This guide aims to help you with your decision by providing a snapshot of what being a Psychology and Counselling student at the University of Salford could look like. Find out more about your modules, see what your timetable could look like and hear from a current student.

Please note that the information in this booklet is intended to give an example of course information and some of it may change before September 2020.

Visit us!

We also offer an exclusive day for offer holders which aims to arm you with all the information you need to make your decision. You can visit us on campus and experience first-hand what studying Psychology and Counselling at the University of Salford will be like.

If you haven’t already, you can book onto an upcoming Applicant Visit Day here

@SalfordUni

@SalfordUni

/salforduni

We’ve pulled together some of the most frequently asked questions we have received from applicants to your course.

Let’s get straight into answering them for you…

Who will I meet?

You can expect to be on your course with around 60 other students. Your class sizes will differ depending on what type of class it is. Lectures tend to be the full course, but seminars and tutorials will be smaller groups.

You’ll meet four or five different tutors in your first year, who will teach your different modules. You’ll also have a personal tutor who is there to support you. They will have weekly office hours so you can always book an appointment if you need to chat to them!

How will I learn?

In your first year, you will be taught through a mix of Lectures, Seminars and Tutorials. You will also be expected to undertake some independent study, or ‘directed study’. Your tutors will advise on how much independent study you will be expected to undertake.

Lectures Formal lectures are used as a way of providing knowledge and information on a topic to a large group of students at the same time. They are sessions where, in the main, the flow of information is from the lecturer, or a guest speaker, to the student. However, some lecturers encourage or welcome comments or queries from students during the lecture. If you have any further queries you may be able to raise these with the lecturer at the end of the lecture, or, more realistically, in the setting of your seminar group.

Lecturers may supplement their lecture with handouts which may be made available at the end of the lecture or via ‘Blackboard’. You may be asked to undertake preparatory reading in advance of the lecture. Where this is the case, it is vital that you do this to assist in your understanding of the material being delivered.

Seminars Seminars are used as a way of consolidating information given in lectures and are often used as a means of developing your understanding of the relationship between theory and practice. Seminars consist of groups of approximately 25 students where you are encouraged to discuss issues raised directly or indirectly by the lecture. A seminar tutor will facilitate your seminar and the emphasis will be on your participation and a sharing of your experiences, ideas and opinions.

Tutorials Tutorials are used as a means of supporting your learning. You will be allocated a Personal Tutor. In Year 1 this is usually your Seminar Group Tutor.

Issues discussed may include academic guidance or your personal and professional development. Students will be offered 1 hour of tutorial support each semester.

Directed Study Directed study is used to promote the skill of independent learning. During each module, you will be given work to complete outside of the teaching sessions. This may be a specific task; recommended reading; a piece of research; or be connected to the assessment for the module.

The expectation is that you will take responsibility for your own learning and involves the key skill of time management.

You may also have some laboratory or practical sessions which can be carried out in the Psychology labs or the computer suites.

What will I study in my first year?

You’ll have six modules, usually three in each semester.

We’ve outlined below the sort of content that will be covered in each module. This is the sort of thing you can ask your future tutors about at our Applicant Visit Days!

Introduction to Research Methods This module is an introduction to statistics and research methods used in psychology and related fields, including the conversation analysis. This module will give you the skills you need to conduct your own research projects, as well as interpret the research papers you read over the course of your degree.

You will cover topics such as Ethics, Questionnaire Design and Research Design.

Assessment: Research Report

Introduction to Developmental and Social Psychology You will be introduced to key factors in human development including social, emotional, cognitive and biological foundation. Within social psychology you will look at how individuals perceive, influence and interact with others.

Assessment: Critical Analysis

Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Approaches This module will introduce you to basic counselling, communication, listening, interpersonal skills and reflective practice. You will explore psychoanalytic and person-centred counselling approaches.

You will cover topics such as Freud, Maslow: An Introduction to Humanistic Psychology and Carl Rogers and the Person-Centred Approach.

Assessment: 2,000 Word Essay

Introduction to Individual Differences The module covers the core aspects of the psychology of individual differences (a core area of psychology as identified by the BPS). You will be introduced to classic psychological theories of intelligence and personality, exploring the contributions made to these fields by fascinating historical figures such as Freud, Jung and Galton.

This module introduces the study of personality, intelligence, gender and mental health. Understanding these differences can be applied later in your studies to understand, for example, why some children learn language faster than others, or why men’s and women’s language use is sometimes so different.

Assessment: Multiple Choice Exam

Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology You will be introduced to the basic biological processes and cognitive principles necessary for understanding human psychology. Language is a key cognitive skill, and this module covers topics such as reading and listening, automatic word identification, resolving linguistic ambiguities, and aphasia.

Assessment: 1,500 Word Essay

Therapy, Ethics and Human Rights This module will enable you to recognise and contextualise Counselling and Psychotherapy nationally, internationally and globally and explore the impact on clients and therapists.

Assessment: 1,500 Word Essay Please note that module and assessment information is subject to change, but the above gives you detail about the Psychology and Counselling modules currently running and example methods of assessment.

ok?

How does my week lo 9

MORNING 11

10

12

Mon

Tue

h Introduction to Researc Methods

9-11

Wed

Library

PRACTICAL

Therapy, Ethics & Human Rights 11-1 LECTURE

Thu

Study day Fri

Introduction to Individual Differences 11-1 LECTURE

Sat Sun

1

Year 1, semester 2 2

AFTERNOON 3

4

5

Introduc tion to B iological and Cog nitive Psy chology

1-3

LECTURE / LAB

Meet friends for coffee

Library

Society team meet up

Hockey team social 5.30

Bandioke night!

Meet Flatmates for Pizza at the Student’s Union “)

A week in the life of a Psychology and Counselling student Eileen, a third year Psychology and Counselling student, talks us through what a standard week in her life is like.

followed by an outdoor session: an experiential session on Shinrin Yoku (Japanese Forest Bathing)! We As I’m in my final year, we have fewer all came dressed for a walk in the lectures as the dissertation accounts woods—which meant boots, hats for half of our options. I’ve don’t and brollies to be fully prepared for a have any lessons on Monday, so I can Mancunian winter’s day! We set off spend that time working studying or for the wooded area over on the main working on my assignments. campus and spent an hour or so on various mindfulness-type activities On Tuesday morning we have exploring the area. It was actually a Expressive Therapies; this is all about powerful experience, finding such an different types of creative therapies oasis of calm in such a built-up area; such as the noises Salford is quite unique in that art, music of the traffic students can use any of the or drama disappeared therapy. equipment we are interested in for and were This is replaced our dissertations one of the by birds optional modules you will be able to tweeting! We ended the session choose in your third year. Last week building a kind of monument to nature the session was on Drama Therapy out of the sticks and branches we with a live performance from a found. group called Playback Theatre. This On Wednesday I had a meeting with week was about outdoor therapy, so Sam the Psychology technician we had a lecture about the theory to discuss the equipment I have and how the discipline developed,

a Mancunian wint er’s day “) chosen to use for my dissertation.

I am using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS for short!) to investigate brain activity in specific areas of the brain while participants do particular tasks. The equipment does this by measuring changes in blood oxygenation levels. Salford is quite unique in that students can use any of the equipment we are interested in for our dissertations; there are a three dedicated Psychology technicians who are always available to show is how to use the equipment and help us to set up our experiments. I have taken part in a few of my fellow students’ experiments for their dissertations; they can return the favour now I’ve got mine ready to go!

I am also off on Thursdays this year, so in September I started volunteering as a telephone counsellor at Childline. The training was very intense, taking until the end of

November to complete and I started my volunteer shifts, on Thursday afternoons/evenings in December. It really is rewarding, and the training is excellent. It’s great to actually put some of the skills I have learned on my counselling modules into practice, and it will be great to have as experience on my cv for when I finish at uni.

On Friday afternoon I have the psychology module ‘Brain and Behaviour’. We had load of modules to choose from including social, developmental, and forensic psychology. I have really enjoyed the biological modules so chose this for my last module. I was amazed at how much biology was involved in the study of psychology. In this module we are looking at the relationship between behaviour and the nervous system, and looking at things like the effect on behaviour of damage to particular areas of the brain.

Next steps…

Hopefully that’s answered some of your burning questions. If you can, attending an Applicant Visit Day is a fantastic opportunity not to be missed. You’ll have the opportunity to speak to your tutors, current students and support staff about any more questions you have before you make your decision.

Book your place here Alternatively, get in touch with our friendly team by emailing enquiries@salford.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)161 295 4545.