Psychology undergrad

Nooppea

Does BSc psychology undergraduate course involve a lot essays or a lot of statistics?

Reply 1

Scotland Yard

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Nooppea

Does BSc psychology undergraduate course involve a lot essays or a lot of statistics?

Yes and yes. I think we don't have as many essays as the humanities subjects but more than other science degrees. We are eased into the essay aspect of it though, at least at my university (Queen Mary), with only a couple in year 1 before ramping up in year 2 and 3.

We also have a whole year long module in year 1 purely dedicated to statistics. A lot of it is largely a recap of A level statistics though, so it's not terrible.

I'm not a big fan of either writing essays or statistics but I'm enjoying studying psychology! It's obviously something to consider but don't necessarily shun the idea of a psychology degree if you don't enjoy essays and statistics.

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Nooppea

Does BSc psychology undergraduate course involve a lot essays or a lot of statistics?

Hi @Nooppea ,

Hope you are well. You will often find that a lot of universities who offer psychology will have a large portion of their module assessments dedicated to essays, but that doesn't mean that they don't offer modules that are exam-based too. The balance between exam and coursework essays differs slightly between each university so I would advise looking at the modules offered and asking how they are assessed. At Lancaster, I would say during first year there aren't as many essays compared to exams and you recieve a lot of support when writing your coursework pieces. However, this does change when you get to second year and beyond.

If a psychology degree is BPS accredited, you will have to take statistic modules. The BPS accreditation is important if you are thinking about becoming a psychologist as it means you degree has been approved by the British Psychological Society (BPS) who issue licenses to psychologists, allowing them to practice. As @Scotland Yard said, you shouldn't let the idea of statistics put you off. Personally, I wasn't looking forward to studying statistics when I first started, but I eventually found that I enjoyed it! Again, I would ask any universities you're considering what their statistics modules are like and what you could expect to learn.

Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any questions.

Faheema (Lancaster University Ambassador for Psychology)

Reply 3

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post by Nooppea

Does BSc psychology undergraduate course involve a lot essays or a lot of statistics?

Hey there 😀

When it comes to the Psychology BSc course at De Montfort University (DMU), I have experienced a mix of essays and statistics.

One standout aspect of the course is the dedicated Research Methods modules that span the duration of the course. This subject incorporates statistical elements. The good news is that it is designed to be accessible to all students. The statistics component is well-explained and includes reasonable time spent on practice. Personally I found this to be one of my favourite modules due to its practical and logical approach to learning.

On the essay front, you will be engaged in quite a few, but the silver lining is that the topics are often intriguing. Moreover, the support system at DMU is robust. Lecturers provide clear guidance on what is expected, and you have the option to arrange one-to-one appointments with them for additional assistance.

Furthermore, DMU organises regular academic writing workshops at the library. These workshops are very helpful in refreshing or advancing essay-writing skills.

So, while you can expect to delve into both essays and statistics wherever you decide to study Psychology, the resources and support structures at DMU help thrive in both aspects of the academic journey.

I hope it was helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.

Take care,

Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University