Educational Psychology

Our Educational Psychology degree is informed by our Centre for Research in Early Childhood and the Psychology Centre for Health and Cognition, and builds on our externally funded projects on neuroscience in education.

Within this course you'll discover the science of learning in groups and individuals, and gain the research skills you need to investigate and generate new knowledge in the field.

You'll also explore your professional identity through a work placement opportunity in your second year, and use the lens of psychology to explore local, national and international policy and practice in order to transform lives.

Year one
You'll learn the foundational concepts of education and psychology, including human development, the influence of social interactions, the importance of individual differences, how we learn, as well as how, why, and where we educate.

Year two
Deep-dive into scientific ways of knowing, the mind and brain, social influences, and supporting learners with diverse needs. In addition, you'll embark on an embedded professional practice placement through which you'll explore your professional identity.

Year three
Advance your understanding of human development and cognition, apply your knowledge from years one and two to professional contexts. You'll engage with an in-depth research project exploring areas within the intersection of education and psychology, such as health and wellbeing.

Assessments vary and can include essays, group presentations, debates, examinations, research reports, portfolios, as well as more authentic forms of assessments (e.g. case studies and policy reports).

We’ll provide you with regular feedback on how you're doing and give you regular guidance on how to improve your skills, knowledge and understanding.

Teaching is through a mix of lectures, seminars, individual tutorials and practical lessons.

Seminars are usually more informal than lectures – they're opportunities for you to discuss, ask questions and get involved in activities and debates. Bookable tutorials enable you to have one-to-one discussions with staff.

You’ll be taught by experienced and respected University staff. Throughout the course they’ll introduce you to their specialisms and research interests.

You’ll also benefit from visiting speakers – these include early childhood setting leaders, play therapists, children’s services, educational advisers, specialist researchers and international visitors.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

We encourage you to undertake placement opportunities, especially in your second year. We offer an embedded placement within the Professional Practice in Education module during the second year.

Students who take advantage of the Global Citizenship programme can use their scholarship to support the option of undertaking an international placement.

Our students also make use of part-funded Santander internship and placement opportunities.

Previous students have worked with charities, youth centres, local authorities, and third-sector organisations such as museums, as well as schools and early years settings.

This degree will prepare you to work in a number of different sectors or further study/training. 

After completing your degree, you may choose to work in:

• Mainstream and/or Special Education settings
• Local government and community organisations
• Charities and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)
• Research
• Prison services.

Those with backgrounds in educational psychology may undertake further study/training to become:

• Professional psychologists (e.g. educational psychologists)
• Counsellors
• Community, social and public service teachers.

With the skills gained on our educational psychology degree, you’ll be well suited to undertake postgraduate education at Master's and PhD levels, and be able to apply for PGCE courses.

You'll be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartership with the British Psychological Society (provided you achieve a 2.2 overall and pass the final year dissertation), allowing you to apply directly for postgraduate training in order to work towards becoming a professional psychologist.

At the end of the academic year, we award prizes to recognise achievements in academic success and reward effort and excellence. Prizes specific to Psychology are:

• Oxford University Press Prize for best dissertation.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

Aiming to make work experience more accessible, we have introduced the PPY Bursary. Students undertaking a PPY can receive between £500 and £1,500 to be used towards placement costs such as travel, food, workwear or accommodation.

For more information and details of eligibility criteria, please visit the PPY Bursary webpage.

This Psychology course is taught at our Newton Park campus. You'll have access to a wide range of excellent facilities including:

• Commons building
• Newton Park library
• Virtual Learning Environment.

You’ll benefit from the multiple research hubs dedicated to the study and advancement of knowledge in areas across educational psychology including:

• The Research Centre for Transnational Creativity and Education (TRACE), which looks to innovate ways of thinking and making across the cultures of creativity and education;
• The Centre for Research in Early Childhood, which is concerned with issues of social justice, participation and voice in early childhood;
• The Centre for Research in Scientific and Technological Learning and Education (CRSTLE), which aims to inform and improve scientific and technological engagement across educational settings.

Teaching resources include:

• EBSCO (online access to over 400 Psychology-related journals)
• SPSS (statistical computer software for analysing quantitative data)
• NVivo (for qualitative data analysis).

You can hire out equipment using SISO, Bath Spa University’s free equipment loan service. We provide a huge variety of equipment, from cameras to laptops.