Well done for getting to university! We are looking forward to welcoming you to our Psychology family at Canterbury Christ Church University. Our friendly and supportive Psychology team are keen to help you achieve whilst also enjoying what University life has to offer.
Dr Emma Barrowcliffe
Course Director
Academic Calendar: Semesters
View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2024-25 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.
We look forward to meeting you at our CCCU Welcome Week. In welcome week you will be invited to several activities to get you started on our course. In these sessions you will be inducted into your course and the university. During this week you will also be assigned (and speak with) your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), who will provide you with academic and personal support and signpost you to other relevant departments for any additional help you may need throughout your time with us. Our dedicated and friendly Year 1 Coordinator will be greeting you and will help you to get started.
Our team are excited to begin working with you all, and watching you develop your knowledge, skills and confidence in psychology. Please keep in touch with us via our Faculty Instagram pages, our CCCU Psychology Instagram, X or Facebook and Log in | TikTok (links also provided below).
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. It can focus on social processes and interactions or how we perceive information in the world, how we process that information, how we respond to it emotionally and cognitively, how we learn about it, and how our mental processes change over time.
Because of the breadth of its content and its methodology, psychology makes contact with a wide variety of other disciplines and interdisciplinary activities. It can be used either as the focus of a liberal arts education or as a complement to another focus. It provides the kind of analytic and conceptual skills which are relevant to becoming a critical thinker. It can also serve as the foundation of a wide range of careers within and outside psychology.
The diversity within psychology allows you to study the broad topic of Psychology with a specific focus on Clinical and Forensic Psychology in your second and third year. In your first year, you will cover the core areas of the British Psychological Society’s curriculum for accredited undergraduate courses, including Cognitive Psychology, Biological Psychology, Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology. Additionally, you will also be given an introduction into the various careers in psychology and start to develop you academic and personal skills, helping to build transferable skills for your chosen career.
The Level 4 (first academic year) is divided into two semesters. In each semester you will study three modules,
Please be assured that you will be fully supported when you start at CCCU so that your transition to higher education is as smooth as possible. You will find the psychology staff friendly, experienced and readily available to support you with your studies. The key to enjoying and getting the most from university and the Psychology course is to be fully engaged with what is on offer right from the start.
Before you start in September, we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the latest psychology news and developments in psychological science. Have a look at the websites for the Research Digest and The British Psychological Society (BPS), both sites provide up to date information about the psychology discipline. Don’t forget to check out our social media (see links further below) and our CCCU Psychology blog, where our academics post entries related to their field of expertise. To get into the psychology mind-set, try to ask the 'why' and the 'how' questions about any human behaviour you might come across in the news, in a movie, in your life. For example, 'Why do we see colour?' might inspire you to look into the evolution of colour perception. 'How does a peaceful demonstration turn into a riot?' will lead you into social psychology topics. If you would like to learn a bit more about the range of topics that psychology explores, over the summer, head to the YouTube Channel SciShow Psych, which covers various topics about the human brain and how we interact with the world.
Your welcome and induction will be w/c 16th September 2024- we look forward to meeting you then.
On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!
CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 18th September 2024. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.
We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.
You can find out more about our welcoming community and making friends here.
If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.
You may want to start scouting for textbooks and get a head start on reading! Our award-winning library in Augustine House is well stocked, but you will use some books regularly throughout your degree and so may wish to buy your own. It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts recommended in the module handbooks you will receive when you start in September. We also advise you to look at the second-hand book market.
The list below gives you some of the core texts for your first-year modules. You do not need to buy these books, but you may want to. Where possible, to help save on the costs, we have kept the core textbooks the same for your second year (Pro Tip: You can always buy older editions to save too!). Please be aware that many recommended readings are now available as E-books too.
Module convenors will recommend additional readings in the documentation you receive for each module when you start in September.
Another suggestion is to take a look at the Ultimate Psychology Reading List, prepared by the Psychologist.
International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.
If you have any questions in the lead-up to the start of your course, please contact our psychology team.