Psychologists conduct experiments to study human perceptions, decisions, prejudices, motivations, friendships and memory. Psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists aim to map how brain and behaviour are related. This contemporary area of psychology investigates areas ranging from vision, hearing and touch to the mechanisms underlying language, action, attention, emotion and social processes. Essex's Centre for Brain Science allows students to discover the neurophysiological processes that take place in our bodies and brains.
Essex gives students the freedom and facilities to study and experiment, explore and research the human mind. Students cover core areas in psychology and cognitive neuroscience including: brain and behaviour, methods in cognitive neuroscience, applied psychology, language, memory, and perception, and developmental psychology.
Essex provides one of the most immersive and exciting experience of studying the human mind in the UK. Students learn from the researchers, and can work together in the same space via their Research Experience Scheme (RES) which gives students the opportunity to work one-on-one with a psychologist as their research assistant.
Education extends beyond the university campus. Essex supports students in expanding their education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of their partner universities. The four-year version of the degree allows students to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course. Studying abroad allows students to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden their degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that they are mature, adaptable, and organized.
Psychology now influences an increasing range of fields, from working with clinical disorders, to managing education and training. Today, it is widely used in industry, sport and employment to improve performance, as well as affecting legal and health matters.
Essex's students go on to follow diverse career paths. This degree helps many to pursue careers as clinical, forensic, educational, or occupational psychologists. Others work in related fields such as special educational needs, social work, or mental health care. However, many graduates pursue successful careers further afield, working in areas like management, human resources, financial services, the media, information technology, and market research.
