Bangor or Oxford Brookes for Psychology?
Scroll to see replies
Actually, for Psychology undergraduate courses, research rating is of the utmost importance. For most subjects it isn't, but for Psychology it is. Undergraduate students take part in most of the current research, by volunteering posts, statistics teaching, lab teaching, or participation schemes where the student must have participated in enough experiments to pass the year.
They are taught how to conduct research by learning from the current departmental research (which is why the content of the degree will vary from year to year in the research side of it). Learning how to conduct Psychological research is integral to the degree, and can only be taught in this way.
It may even be fair to say a bad research department = a bad Psychology degree.
I take it you're not a Psychology student? Because most would know the research quality of the department is absolutely important.
They are taught how to conduct research by learning from the current departmental research (which is why the content of the degree will vary from year to year in the research side of it). Learning how to conduct Psychological research is integral to the degree, and can only be taught in this way.
It may even be fair to say a bad research department = a bad Psychology degree.
I take it you're not a Psychology student? Because most would know the research quality of the department is absolutely important.
(edited 13 years ago)
Actually, some of the good researchers are full time lecturers in Bangor, i.e. Guillaume Thierry, Caroline Bowman, Fay Short. Ever heard of them? I thought not because you've never studied there. Guillaume has conducted research in areas such as language comprehension and bilingualism, many of which have been regarded as high quality standard. Familiar with Richard Bentall and his publications and books such as 'Madness Explained'? Again, didn't think so. He's a Bangor University lecturer as well.
Why is this nonsense thread still going on?
Of course it has. I'm not the one lacking basic skills in comprehension and how to form an argument.
I have already covered this.
The theory is that a research intensive department provides superior teaching as the academics are at the forefront of research.
Sometimes this doesn't always work out in practice and it will have a negligible effect. Even a negative effect as staff are more concerned with research than teaching undergradutes. As with anything in life things vary.
A number of the staff at Bangor, whose research was submitted to the RAE, do teach undergraduate students.
The bottom line is research is one aspect of a good department. You have been very dismissive of Bangor's department and initially failed to recognise its research strength (stating that it can't have such a good research score as it's so low in the tables). Finally, the teaching at Bangor is of a high quality and we can look at external assessments for this.
EXACTLY!!!
You are aware that student satisfaction is flawed, yet you still trust league tables! Don't you realise that league tables are heavily influenced by student satisfaction? It is given quite a significant weighting.
When student satisfaction was introduced (2005) it significantly altered the position of some universities.
I don't know how you can place so much faith in league tables but at the same time be so critical of student satisfaction.
Now, I wasn't using student satisfaction to argue that Bangor is better. I was showing that across the criteria league tables use Bangor does often outperform those at the top. It's you who places so much faith in league tables and that you're using league tables to argue Bangor is crap.
Yes? But what about the other universities? Manchester, for example?
It's a general point and quite a fair one.
Even if you use the Independent's table but gave one or two criteria a higher weighting then Bangor can easily climb twenty places.
Why is the weighting they use correct? Don't you see league tables are just a game in how to manipulate statistics?
Erm....no I didn't. Yet again your comprehension fails.
I said that Bangor can rival some "top ten" universities in terms of graduate employment. This is true.
Lancaster and St Andrews (two top ten/top twenty) universities have similar graduate prospects to Bangor. There will be others.
Using graduate employment is also flawed. Why? Because the definition of "graduate employment" is quite outdated. What's more, some people don't want to go straight into employment and travel. Finally, why does it make a department inferior? It doesn't. Teaching quality,
Research has significance. This has been explained by me (not sure if you saw the post as it was removed) and others.
No I haven't. I have also pointed to teaching quality scores and assessments. These can be found if you're actually informed enough and know where to find them.
Are you know going to say teaching quality doesn't matter?
Isn't it amazing that you're arguing it's crap yet have nothing to back this up with except league tables? League tables which are routinely criticised?
You even criticse student satisfaction yourself, yet ignore the role it plays in league tables! So by criticising student satisfaction you're actually exposing one of the flaws in these league tables.
So can I ask, if student satisfaction and research are both useless, then why are league tables so important? These are both used in league tables and are given significant weighting?
Do you really not see this?
And that in these league tables Bangor does compete with highly ranked universities in all but one criteria. Sometimes doing significantly better?
I'm not interested in any argument. Arguing with people on the Internetz (and trolling) is a very sad way to spend your time.
I am only interested in offering advice and correcting people who show clear ignorance.
If I didn't know any better I'd think you were doing this deliberately in order to get negative rep (and possibly even some insults through the rep system). It does give some people some jollies. But I don't neg.
Research is pointless in considering the value of a department for undergraduate work. A good researcher may not even lecture.
I have already covered this.
The theory is that a research intensive department provides superior teaching as the academics are at the forefront of research.
Sometimes this doesn't always work out in practice and it will have a negligible effect. Even a negative effect as staff are more concerned with research than teaching undergradutes. As with anything in life things vary.
A number of the staff at Bangor, whose research was submitted to the RAE, do teach undergraduate students.
The bottom line is research is one aspect of a good department. You have been very dismissive of Bangor's department and initially failed to recognise its research strength (stating that it can't have such a good research score as it's so low in the tables). Finally, the teaching at Bangor is of a high quality and we can look at external assessments for this.
Student satisfaction is also ******ed as it works on the idea that the students have something to compare it with, which they don't.
EXACTLY!!!You are aware that student satisfaction is flawed, yet you still trust league tables! Don't you realise that league tables are heavily influenced by student satisfaction? It is given quite a significant weighting.
When student satisfaction was introduced (2005) it significantly altered the position of some universities.
I don't know how you can place so much faith in league tables but at the same time be so critical of student satisfaction.
Now, I wasn't using student satisfaction to argue that Bangor is better. I was showing that across the criteria league tables use Bangor does often outperform those at the top. It's you who places so much faith in league tables and that you're using league tables to argue Bangor is crap.
STOP SAYING THAT THE TABLES VARY. That is a *******
redundant point as the position of Bangor varies by only 2 places through three different tables.
redundant point as the position of Bangor varies by only 2 places through three different tables.
Yes? But what about the other universities? Manchester, for example?
It's a general point and quite a fair one.
Even if you use the Independent's table but gave one or two criteria a higher weighting then Bangor can easily climb twenty places.
Why is the weighting they use correct? Don't you see league tables are just a game in how to manipulate statistics?
What you happily ignore is that the amount of students that get a job within 6 months of graduating from Bangor is far low than higher ranked universities.
Erm....no I didn't. Yet again your comprehension fails.
I said that Bangor can rival some "top ten" universities in terms of graduate employment. This is true.
Lancaster and St Andrews (two top ten/top twenty) universities have similar graduate prospects to Bangor. There will be others.
Using graduate employment is also flawed. Why? Because the definition of "graduate employment" is quite outdated. What's more, some people don't want to go straight into employment and travel. Finally, why does it make a department inferior? It doesn't. Teaching quality,
Isn't it amazing you are arguing it's good and yet you have what to back you up? Some research figures and student satisfaction which are both equally useless as each other.
Research has significance. This has been explained by me (not sure if you saw the post as it was removed) and others.
No I haven't. I have also pointed to teaching quality scores and assessments. These can be found if you're actually informed enough and know where to find them.
Are you know going to say teaching quality doesn't matter?
Isn't it amazing that you're arguing it's crap yet have nothing to back this up with except league tables? League tables which are routinely criticised?
You even criticse student satisfaction yourself, yet ignore the role it plays in league tables! So by criticising student satisfaction you're actually exposing one of the flaws in these league tables.
So can I ask, if student satisfaction and research are both useless, then why are league tables so important? These are both used in league tables and are given significant weighting?
Do you really not see this?
And that in these league tables Bangor does compete with highly ranked universities in all but one criteria. Sometimes doing significantly better?
Now go away and try to brew up some other pretentious argument somewhere else which is borderline conspiracy ********.
I'm not interested in any argument. Arguing with people on the Internetz (and trolling) is a very sad way to spend your time.
I am only interested in offering advice and correcting people who show clear ignorance.
If I didn't know any better I'd think you were doing this deliberately in order to get negative rep (and possibly even some insults through the rep system). It does give some people some jollies. But I don't neg.
(edited 13 years ago)
Lindsey123
Sorry, didn't realise it was for an insurance place!
I've just been so dissappointed with it. I'm almost doing a major/minor because they offer so few Psychology modules. You can't pick your own dissertation topic but instead have to pick from a list of the lecturers' specialisms (which are mainly Cognitive or Developmental). They are few seminars/practicals and you get very little feedback. There's a massive overlap between the modules, which can be helpful but is also extremely tedious and repetitive!
Obviously I don't know how other departments compare but IMO Brookes' Psych course is a pile of crap. Having said that, the other people on my course moan a bit about it but certainly don't regret coming here.
I've just been so dissappointed with it. I'm almost doing a major/minor because they offer so few Psychology modules. You can't pick your own dissertation topic but instead have to pick from a list of the lecturers' specialisms (which are mainly Cognitive or Developmental). They are few seminars/practicals and you get very little feedback. There's a massive overlap between the modules, which can be helpful but is also extremely tedious and repetitive!
Obviously I don't know how other departments compare but IMO Brookes' Psych course is a pile of crap. Having said that, the other people on my course moan a bit about it but certainly don't regret coming here.
Well the reason that i liked Brookes is because im mostly interested in developmental psychology............im thinking of looking at Bath Spa instead, but its only my insurance anyway
GodspeedGehenna
Why is this nonsense thread still going on?
I can't delete it....
clairelou92
x
I can understand why you are cautious about Bangor (given that you can't visit it).
I was going to suggest Birbeck as being one good BBB department. But they're ABB
Can I ask what your other choices are (apologies if this has been mentioned before)?
If you're predicted A*AA then I think places like Birbeck, Essex or, if you don't mind studying Applied, Durham's course based at Queens Campus.
Are you looking for a course accredited by the BPS.?
What do names on research papers have to do with it? Psychology students are taught as participants, who then write up a lab report on the procedure, conducting their own research with the researchers later. You cannot under BPS legislation name in the paper the participants who took part. "Participants from the University of Bangor's Psychology department" would be sufficient.
Unsure how you came to that conclusion. I have no idea how the two are unrelated. I have explained how the departmental research standard is integral to the standard of the degree.
You clearly don't understand how research-led teaching is conducted, or it's importance.
Unless you want to say that undergrads are as valuable as post-grads which really then says how much of a joke the course is.Where did that nonsense even come from? 
I'm done with this ridiculous thread. I'll happily explain it all to someone who actually wants to study psychology, but you come across as one of the people who doesn't even know what the subject is.
OP - as we can see, Bangor is the department of choice out of the two you listed.
You may learn how to do research but that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual value of the current research the department is carrying out. For example you may be taught good experimental techniques, but that again has zero to do with the actual research being carried out.
You clearly don't understand how research-led teaching is conducted, or it's importance.
Unless you want to say that undergrads are as valuable as post-grads which really then says how much of a joke the course is.
I'm done with this ridiculous thread. I'll happily explain it all to someone who actually wants to study psychology, but you come across as one of the people who doesn't even know what the subject is.
OP - as we can see, Bangor is the department of choice out of the two you listed.
This thread has already been cleaned up once. Please keep on topic and don't engage in spammy arguments. If this continues the thread is likely to end up closed, which isn't helpful for anyone.
clairelou92
Well the reason that i liked Brookes is because im mostly interested in developmental psychology............im thinking of looking at Bath Spa instead, but its only my insurance anyway
Bath
Lovely city. Up there with Newcastle and Liverpool (and London) as one of our most attractive cities.Bath Spa's campus also looks quite pleasent. A little rural for some, certainly outside the city, but seems quite relaxed and quiet (not that I've visited.
I know sod all about its psychology department though
Anyway, sorry about the "debate". I just don't like to see such complete nonsense as it can be dangerous for other applicants and may mislead. If I were still a moderator here I'd have just removed the posts after a while as it was just going in circles.
You mentioned deleting the thread. It won't be deleted but would you like it locked?
I don't think we'll see the same argument though.
(edited 13 years ago)
River85
I can understand why you are cautious about Bangor (given that you can't visit it).
I was going to suggest Birbeck as being one good BBB department. But they're ABB
Can I ask what your other choices are (apologies if this has been mentioned before)?
If you're predicted A*AA then I think places like Birbeck, Essex or, if you don't mind studying Applied, Durham's course based at Queens Campus.
Are you looking for a course accredited by the BPS.?
I was going to suggest Birbeck as being one good BBB department. But they're ABB
Can I ask what your other choices are (apologies if this has been mentioned before)?
If you're predicted A*AA then I think places like Birbeck, Essex or, if you don't mind studying Applied, Durham's course based at Queens Campus.
Are you looking for a course accredited by the BPS.?
I have chosen Cambridge, Birmingham, Sheffield, Reading and i need 1 more as an insurance place, which is what im stuck on
............maybe Oxford brookes, bangor or Bath Spa?Im not too keen on Bangor anymore, as people have put me off about it
So either Oxford brookes or Bath Spa or another one....
clairelou92
I have chosen Cambridge, Birmingham, Sheffield, Reading and i need 1 more as an insurance place, which is what im stuck on ............maybe Oxford brookes, bangor or Bath Spa?
Im not too keen on Bangor anymore, as people have put me off about it
So either Oxford brookes or Bath Spa or another one....
............maybe Oxford brookes, bangor or Bath Spa?Im not too keen on Bangor anymore, as people have put me off about it
So either Oxford brookes or Bath Spa or another one....
Bangor is definitely your best option out of those three. Just don't have a backup if you don't wanna apply there, the others are terrible for Psych... Plus Brookes strictly requires a B in GCSE Maths DUNDUNDUNNN
(edited 13 years ago)
Jackso
Bangor is definitely your best option out of those three. Just don't have a backup if you don't wanna apply there, the others are terrible for Psych... Plus Brookes strictly requires a B in GCSE Maths DUNDUNDUNNN
No, Brookes accept people with a C as long as they get a grade A or B in their Psychology A-Level
and how do you know they are bad for psychology???clairelou92
No, Brookes accept people with a C as long as they get a grade A or B in their Psychology A-Level and how do you know they are bad for psychology???
and how do you know they are bad for psychology???Damn, I was trying to put you off Brookes... I just know a lot of people who went there (two of them did Psychology and both dropped it) and I've always heard negative things. =/ I dunno, it just seems like a waste of really good predictions, imo.
clairelou92
Im not too keen on Bangor anymore, as people have put me off about it
So either Oxford brookes or Bath Spa or another one....
Im not too keen on Bangor anymore, as people have put me off about it
So either Oxford brookes or Bath Spa or another one....
I'm sure Bangor does have its negative points, but it is a well respected department and (as mentioned many times in this thread
) . As a department. People, especially those informed and who know psychology departments well, have actually been quite positive about it.But if you're actually referring to the location as well then it's understanable if you don't think Bangor will suit you.
When it comes to graduate employment, certainly outside psychology, then there are some employers who will take notice of university name. Although this is only a minority of employers (most estimates put this at 10%). For others university name is of little to no significance.
Even so, Oxford Brookes and Bath Spa won't give you better, or worse, prospects.
Original post by Jackso
FAO Jackso..I was just intrigued by your location USA/Holland/UK. only because I am currently in USA trying to get a decent job in the Psychology field, but applying for Psychology jobs in Manchester (UK), I am English but been living in USA for a year and a half. I feel like it is not a path well travelled with UK Psychology qualifications!
Original post by Lindsey123
Sorry, didn't realise it was for an insurance place!
I've just been so dissappointed with it. I'm almost doing a major/minor because they offer so few Psychology modules. You can't pick your own dissertation topic but instead have to pick from a list of the lecturers' specialisms (which are mainly Cognitive or Developmental). They are few seminars/practicals and you get very little feedback. There's a massive overlap between the modules, which can be helpful but is also extremely tedious and repetitive!
Obviously I don't know how other departments compare but IMO Brookes' Psych course is a pile of crap. Having said that, the other people on my course moan a bit about it but certainly don't regret coming here.
I've just been so dissappointed with it. I'm almost doing a major/minor because they offer so few Psychology modules. You can't pick your own dissertation topic but instead have to pick from a list of the lecturers' specialisms (which are mainly Cognitive or Developmental). They are few seminars/practicals and you get very little feedback. There's a massive overlap between the modules, which can be helpful but is also extremely tedious and repetitive!
Obviously I don't know how other departments compare but IMO Brookes' Psych course is a pile of crap. Having said that, the other people on my course moan a bit about it but certainly don't regret coming here.
hii i dont know it u still use this or not but its worth a shot.. so is the psychology dept at OB that bad?? i understand u were in the undergrad program, but any thoughts on the postgrad courses? currently thinking of accepting my offer for a postgrad course in developmental psychology.. any comments would help a lot! thx
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Oxford Brookes or Kent?
- Making friends in Oxford
- Course transfer?
- Would you rather attend...?
- Official Oxford Brookes University Applicant Thread for 2024
- Official Oxford Brookes University 2023 Applicant Thread
- Psychology AABC grades
- University Freshers Threads 2023 *Official Thread*
- architecture oxford
- What schools can i get into?
- Cardiff vs Oxford Brookes for architecture?
- University of Oxford Brookes
- Do subject combinations or grades matter more?
- Oxford Brookes vs. Anglia Ruskin Uni
- IELTS score
- Oxford Brookes English language test releted details
- The honorable non-russell group hurt/heal game
- is Oxford Brookes good
- Which is a better university for Hospitality & Tourism
- Bangor University 2023 Freshers chat thread
Latest
Trending
Last reply 2 days ago
Wolverhampton MSc psychology mental health and well-being (online)Psychology
128
Trending
Last reply 2 days ago
Wolverhampton MSc psychology mental health and well-being (online)Psychology
128