Minor in
Psychology

The Minor in Psychology covers the basics of the field such as childhood and developmental psychology. You can also expand on your knowledge by choosing from four additional Psychology-related courses.

Goes well with

Related minors

Programme Structure

An undergraduate may complete the requirements of one major and one minor and receive one US degree. A minor is an optional subject of specialisation within the undergraduate degree, which must be outside of the undergraduate major course of study and consist of at least 18 US /72 UK credits. A minor may not be completed independent of an undergraduate degree.

Undergraduates who add a minor to their major degree programme will normally need to complete more than the minimum 120 US/480 UK credits required for graduation. The normal course load for a full-time undergraduate student is 15-16 US/60-64 UK credits a semester. The minimum full-time undergraduate course load is 9 US/36 UK credits a semester.

Minor in Psychology Programme Specification
	US Credits	UK Credits
PSY 3100 Foundations in Psychology Introduces students to the major areas within the psychology discipline, through current empirical research and theoretical debate. Topics include: scientific methodology; brain functioning; sensation and perception; evolutionary theory; consciousness; development; personality; social psychology; psychopathology; language; and learning. Students discover how psychological research is conducted and how research findings can be applied to understanding human behaviour.	3	12
plus one of the following:	3	12
PSY 3101 Psychological Debates and Controversies ‘Psychological Debates & Controversies’ introduces students to foundational, core and contemporary debates in psychology and how these big questions impact psychological research and scientific progress. Students will learn about theoretical debates such as the Nature-vs-Nurture, Idiographic-vs-Nomothetic, Reductionism-vs-Holism and Determinism-vs-Free Will; additionally, modern controversies such as Essentialism and Social Constructionism; also, the arguments around how psychology is used regarding the economic impact of psychology research and Applied-vs-Theoretical psychology; and the unexpected prevalence of Race, Culture, Sex & Gender bias in Psychology. The course will also teach students how to articulate psychological arguments based on primary research and the basics of APA-style and referencing.	3	12
PSY 4205 Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology This course engages students in an overview of the main philosophical, scientific and social ideas that formulated psychology as we know it today. We will cover conceptual and methodological positions underlying different paradigms and research trends in the study of human behaviour. We will examine the following questions: what is science and to what extend is psychology permeated by the characteristics of science; what is the extent of social and cultural construction in psychology; is or can psychology be morally or politically neutral; what can we learn from the history of psychology so far? In addition this course will address the issues involved in acquiring knowledge through various scientific methodologies, the critique of traditional methods in psychology, the relationship between facts and values and the significance of the standpoint from which values are understood. Finally, we will discuss ethical issues in psychology, their origins, the moral underpinnings of theory, research and practice and how psychologists construct ethically responsible practices within a social environment.	3	12
plus FOUR additional Psychology courses. At least THREE at Level 5 or higher OR THREE at Level 6	Minimum of 12	Minimum of 24
Minor Requirements	18	72

The University reserves the right to cancel or replace programmes and/or courses for which there is insufficient enrolment or concerns about academic standards, or for which the University cannot provide adequate teaching resources. Reasonable and appropriate effort is made to ensure that the content of courses corresponds with the descriptions in the University’s Programme and Course Listings.

For more detailed information on each of the course specifications, please visit our webpage here.

What is the Liberal Arts?

We understand that not everyone is familiar with the Liberal Arts education system. That is why we have produced a short guide explaining the structure at Richmond as well as the benefits.

THE LIBERAL ARTS

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What our students say

“The professors, the courses and the environment prepare students to go into any field of Psychology and the internship opportunities both in London and around the world are abundant and very hands-on!”

– Ben E Atzmon, BA Psychology

Careers & Internships

Although optional, the Internship Programme is an important element of our undergraduate and Master’s degrees.

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Accommodation

A great opportunity to experience what our new campus facility in the award-winning, state of the art Chiswick Park can offer you.

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Fees & Funding

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Student Life

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Minor in Psychology