This discussion is now closed.
Check out other Related discussions
- what's the difference between these two courses??
- Foundation year for cognitive neuroscience and psychology
- psychology vs neuroscience
- help me pick between 2 options
- neuropsychologist vs clinical psychologist
- Psychology vs psychology with cognitive neuroscience
- Nottingham psychology 2024
- neuroscience vs psychology
- bristol university : psychology & neuroscience
- Neuroscience msc with a psychology bsc?
- Do you recommend the degree Psychology and Neuroscience?
- A level choices
- Psychology courses in the UK with a biology/neuroscience focus
- Oxford PPL vs Cambridge PBS?
- Neuroscience related degrees without chemistry required
- KCL Neuroscience and Psychology BSc vs Neuroscience Bsc?
- Neuropsychology
- Wanting to study neuroscience at postgrad
- Considering taking Neuroscience,but cannot take A level Chem
- a levels for neuroscience/neurobiology?
Neuroscience or Psychology
So my uni offers neuroscience which is a phych bio joint major and was wondering if I should do that or just plain Psych. I sort of have got the impression that psych has better job prospects but neuroscience more respect. What are your thoughts?
Scroll to see replies
Neuroscience rocks! 
If you have the option of going for Psych+Neuro, I would definitely do it, but then again I love neuro, so I'm a bit biased really... Psychology is more flexible than neuroscience in terms of job prospects, but it depends on what you want to do... You're never going to find a degree that gives you access to *any* kind of job. And you could always do a BA/BSc in Psychology and then a Masters in Neuroscience, if you're into it.
If you have the option of going for Psych+Neuro, I would definitely do it, but then again I love neuro, so I'm a bit biased really... Psychology is more flexible than neuroscience in terms of job prospects, but it depends on what you want to do... You're never going to find a degree that gives you access to *any* kind of job. And you could always do a BA/BSc in Psychology and then a Masters in Neuroscience, if you're into it.
kalen
Neuroscience rocks!
If you have the option of going for Psych+Neuro, I would definitely do it, but then again I love neuro, so I'm a bit biased really... Psychology is more flexible than neuroscience in terms of job prospects, but it depends on what you want to do... You're never going to find a degree that gives you access to *any* kind of job. And you could always do a BA/BSc in Psychology and then a Masters in Neuroscience, if you're into it.
If you have the option of going for Psych+Neuro, I would definitely do it, but then again I love neuro, so I'm a bit biased really... Psychology is more flexible than neuroscience in terms of job prospects, but it depends on what you want to do... You're never going to find a degree that gives you access to *any* kind of job. And you could always do a BA/BSc in Psychology and then a Masters in Neuroscience, if you're into it.
They don't have a neuroscience undergradute degree at Oxford?
any one else want to add their two cents
i don't know what it's like at other unis, but at York one of the compulsory topics in the first 2 years is actually 'cognitive neuroscience'
Do neuroscience if you enjoy bio/chem... otherwise go for the plain psych. How about that?
Actually I do think plain psych opens up to a wider range of careers, and yes neuroscience would probably get more "respect"... but it'd be like saying doing mechanical engineering gets more respect than doing physics (or something to that effect)- at the end of the day, it'd what you like that counts.
Actually I do think plain psych opens up to a wider range of careers, and yes neuroscience would probably get more "respect"... but it'd be like saying doing mechanical engineering gets more respect than doing physics (or something to that effect)- at the end of the day, it'd what you like that counts.
If you enjoy research on a microlevel in terms of the science of how very small changes within the brain make changes on a bigger level (phew) then neuroscience is your thing. It's fascinating, but it will limit you to neurotransmitters, action potentials, endocrine function etc. The reason I found I actually love Psychology is that I get to switch between these things and others (e.g. Social Psychology, Personality Psychology, Clinical Psychology). When I get bored of one aspect I fall into another.
The other thing with Neuroscience, and also what other people have said, is that it will slot you into a very particular area of the job market. In particular, research, which as a few of my PhD neuroscience friends attest, can become extremely boring after a while if your heart is not completely in it (and sometimes even when it is).
The other thing with Neuroscience, and also what other people have said, is that it will slot you into a very particular area of the job market. In particular, research, which as a few of my PhD neuroscience friends attest, can become extremely boring after a while if your heart is not completely in it (and sometimes even when it is).
evolvedFrom
If you enjoy research on a microlevel in terms of the science of how very small changes within the brain make changes on a bigger level (phew) then neuroscience is your thing. It's fascinating, but it will limit you to neurotransmitters, action potentials, endocrine function etc. The reason I found I actually love Psychology is that I get to switch between these things and others (e.g. Social Psychology, Personality Psychology, Clinical Psychology). When I get bored of one aspect I fall into another.
The other thing with Neuroscience, and also what other people have said, is that it will slot you into a very particular area of the job market. In particular, research, which as a few of my PhD neuroscience friends attest, can become extremely boring after a while if your heart is not completely in it (and sometimes even when it is).
The other thing with Neuroscience, and also what other people have said, is that it will slot you into a very particular area of the job market. In particular, research, which as a few of my PhD neuroscience friends attest, can become extremely boring after a while if your heart is not completely in it (and sometimes even when it is).
ITA. That's why I think a undergrad degree in Psychology and a pg degree in Neuroscience is the better option (or a joint honours undergrad in Psych+Neuro). I don't think I'd be so interested in Neuroscience that much if I didn't have a good Psychology background to extend my views beyond the neural substrate.
kalen
There's PPP (Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology), which is as close as you can get to Psych+neuro I guess... There is a MSc in Neuroscience available though.
Yep, the Physiology of PPP or the straight Physiology degree or Medical Sciences (3rd year of medicine) has a Neuroscience option.
I didn't find it to be too molecularly limited - although i don't have much of a Psych background to compare too! The "themes" ranged from: Ion Channels, Synaptic Transmission, Synaptic Plasticity, Systems Plasticity, Sensory Processing, Sensory Motor Integration & Biology of Brain Disorders. So perhaps some aspects of the latter themes overlap with social/personality/clinical too.
Elecxtricxs
alrite...rather simplistic answer..but tht's alrite dude
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychology
<--- this might be helpful.
My two eurocents:
In addition to the fact that neuroscience is indeed more biology and chemistry, I think it also depends on how you view life.
Especially in recent times, there seems to be a rapid growth in discoveries and research in explaining the human being though science, and not traditional psychology which involves a bit of philosophy.
Programs of traditional psychology often include good old Freud and other psychoanalysts/psychologists with their different theories on human mind.
Despite being only theory, however, these traditional forms are the most accepted in today's industry (especially if you want to become a Psychologist, or enter counseling).
Cognitive- and Neuroscience are growing at research level, and whatever any philosopher of mind (especially the antiscientists
) will tell you..., neuroscience "works"!Anyway, I might be a bit uninformed, and maybe some modern courses of Psychology do stress the weight of the scientific background of mind.
The Boosh
or you could do neuroscience and do a conversion masters in psychology....
If you did that and wanted to work as a chartered neuropsychologist or clinical neuropsychologist you'd have to make sure the conversion course was accredited by the British Psychological Society, and I'm not sure how many are (please correct me if I'm wrong, it's not something I've looked in to).
At Nottingham they do a psychology with cognitive neuroscience degree alongside straight psychology, but as the course has a lot of neuroscience in anyway, the only difference is that your module choices are restricted on the psych with neuroscience to the neuroscience modules - you can still do them on the straight psych degree.
The choice between courses really depends on what you want to get out of psychology. If you want to develop a general understanding of how and why people behave on a more social level, such as group behaviour, then psychology is probably best. If you want more indepth biological info about the brain, choose neuroscience.
You do biological aspects of disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, schizophrenia, etc, in both, but in psychology there can be less emphasis on the purely biological (although it's still covered) and more info on social mechanisms, personality factors, etc. If you want to work in counselling and behaviour therapies for people with clinical disorders, then psychology is the way to go.
TheEntertainer
Programs of traditional psychology often include good old Freud and other psychoanalysts/psychologists with their different theories on human mind.
Despite being only theory, however, these traditional forms are the most accepted in today's industry (especially if you want to become a Psychologist, or enter counseling).
Despite being only theory, however, these traditional forms are the most accepted in today's industry (especially if you want to become a Psychologist, or enter counseling).
I'm sorry but no no no no!!!
A) Freud was not even a psychologist, he was a neurologist. Modern psychology developed through an entirely separate route.
B) His theories are NOT accepted by modern psychology. There are still therapist who practice psychoanalysis, but most psychologists think he was a crackpot! Clinical psychology for the most part uses cognitive/behavioural therapies, not psychoanalysis!
C) Modern psychology courses do not emphasise Freud at all. Except for a third year optional unit in psychoanalysis taught by an external lecturer, i don't think Freud or psychoanalytic theory were mentioned AT ALL throughout my entire degree!
Anyway, I might be a bit uninformed, and maybe some modern courses of Psychology do stress the weight of the scientific background of mind.
Actually i think you'll find most modern psychology courses stress scientific background. Im pretty sure all courses teach some neuropsychology and cognitive science, and for lots of the top psych courses (eg. Oxford, York, Notts, Bristol), neuroscience is a very strong emphasis.
flora
I'm sorry but no no no no!!!
....
....
Right, flora
you got what I meant.However, I must add that (according to my sources), along with Freud (sorry for using his name in first place, but here he's the first person associated with psychology), many other models of psychology that are still taught [I'm pretty sure about Italy] are in my opinion relatively old compared to what one learns in cognitive- and neurosciences.
I checked some UK course programmes of psychology, and indeed they seem to be a little more "advanced" on scientific level - which is something that I welcome ^^
Anyway, sorry for the misunderstanding
supose I decided not to go into a job related to either degree ... like buisness or somthing. Wich is more likly to get me hired? (sorry about all the questunes you'all have been so helpfull.)
Psychology i would say. It's a more competitive course, and is respected for giving you good all round transferrable skills- there'll prob be more essay writing etc in psych than neuroscience for example, so shows off your communication skills more. You could also maybe do a postgrad in occupational psychology, which would be a good route into management consultancy type work in business (that's what my sister did and is now earning a small fortune!). But neuroscience would still be a good degree...so if you really would enjoy a neuro degree more then don't be put off it by a slim chance you might be less employable to some companies.
Related discussions
- what's the difference between these two courses??
- Foundation year for cognitive neuroscience and psychology
- psychology vs neuroscience
- help me pick between 2 options
- neuropsychologist vs clinical psychologist
- Psychology vs psychology with cognitive neuroscience
- Nottingham psychology 2024
- neuroscience vs psychology
- bristol university : psychology & neuroscience
- Neuroscience msc with a psychology bsc?
- Do you recommend the degree Psychology and Neuroscience?
- A level choices
- Psychology courses in the UK with a biology/neuroscience focus
- Oxford PPL vs Cambridge PBS?
- Neuroscience related degrees without chemistry required
- KCL Neuroscience and Psychology BSc vs Neuroscience Bsc?
- Neuropsychology
- Wanting to study neuroscience at postgrad
- Considering taking Neuroscience,but cannot take A level Chem
- a levels for neuroscience/neurobiology?
Latest
Trending
Last reply 4 hours ago
MSc Psychology Conversion Derby/Wolverhampton/Arden Jan 2025 StartPsychology
10
22
Last reply 1 week ago
Do I need to do A level psychology in order to get a psychology degree?Psychology
8
11
Last reply 1 month ago
Is A-level Psychology more interesting than Psychology at undergrad?
