BSc (Hons) Psychology with English Literature

Course outline

For at least a hundred years, the discoveries and hypotheses of psychologists have been enriching the study of English literature, either as a way of understanding the mind of the artist, or of the characters they create. Studying psychology at Buckingham with English literature as your minor subject, gives you the chance to ‘apply’ the insights which the scientific study of individual and group psychology provides to a range of powerful and enigmatic works of literature, from the plays of Shakespeare, through the Gothic and Romantic projections of the late 18th-century, to the short stories and novels of British and American women writers writing in a post-Freudian universe.

Both subjects require the close analysis of texts (spoken, written, uttered) and the discipline of clear report and essay-writing. Their combination in this programme gives you the imaginative scope of an arts programme with the vocational and professionalism of a Bachelor of Science degree.

Teaching methods

The Psychology Department believes in using a number of different teaching methods, with a great emphasis on interaction between students and lecturers / tutors and also on active learning. Our modules consist of some or all of the following:

• lectures – the main forum for communicating factual information. Given the small number of students these can easily become interactive, and students are encouraged to ask questions
• tutorials – small groups of typically 4 – 6 students discuss specific readings relevant to the lecture course and have the opportunity to ask questions about anything unclear from the lectures
• classes / seminars – taught in larger groups, these may include demonstrations, videos, presentations to other students or other class activities
• practical classes – psychology involves designing experiments and collecting and interpreting experimental data, and these classes will help students learn the relevant skills
• computer classes – the modules on research design and statistics in particular involve the use of computers and programs such as SPSS. Students will have several classes during these modules to help familiarise them with such software
• individual research project -this very important part of your degree is carried out in your second year. For more details please see Individual Research Project.
• observational methods – use of eg. video footage for developing of critical incident criteria and interaction process analysis (for developmental psychology, personality / social psychology, crime psychology topics).