Curious about studying Psychology, Social and Applied Psychologyat Royal Holloway, University of London? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Main Site
Full Time
Sep 2026
3 Year
Applied psychology at Royal Holloway University of London takes the study of the human experience and applies it to real-world issues, creating a broader social and occupational context for your academic studies.You’ll join a department ranked 3rd in the UK for research (THE, REF Institutions ranked by subject, 2022) contributing to this cutting-edge research culture with a final year research project. This flexible course lets you tailor your learning with a range of optional modules in your final year, including Occupational & Organisational Psychology, Human Performance: Work, Sport, & Medicine and The Ageing Brain.You’ll study in one of the best-equipped psychology departments in the country, enjoying access to an on-site magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner for studying brain structure and activity, instruments for recording electrical changes in the brain (EEG), technology for tracking eye movements and more cutting-edge facilities and equipment. This friendly, inclusive department earned a 96% student satisfaction rating in the NSS 2015, and has been awarded the Athena SWAN Silver Award for its efforts to promote equality and women in science.Duration: 3 years full time
This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.
The aim of this module is to give students the core skills and knowledge needed to be successful as an academic psychologist. The module is divided into three components. First, students will develop a strong understanding of the academic skills needed within undergraduate studies for psychology, including finding and reading research journal articles, thinking critically, and writing about psychology. Second, they will be introduced to the typical career paths for psychology graduates, and they will be introduced to resources to allow them to develop their employability through their degree. Third, they will learn about the conceptual and historical issues underpinning current psychological research.
This course provides an introduction to developmental psychology, which seeks to understand and explain changes in an individual's physical, cognitive, and social capacities across the lifespan. The overarching themes are to describe changes in an individual's observed behaviour over time, and to uncover the processes that underlie these changes. The course begins by introducing the historical and conceptual issues underlying developmental psychology and the research methods used for studying individuals at different ages. It then proceeds to address physical development in the prenatal period, followed by cognitive and social development during infancy. The course then examines change during childhood by introducing major theories of cognitive development and addressing the social contexts of development (parents, peers, and social relationships; morality, altruism, and aggression). The course concludes by addressing the physical, cognitive, and social changes of adulthood and ageing.
This course aims to introduce students to the basics of personality and social psychology. The course will start with an introduction to key dynamic personality theories of Freud, followed by Jung. Students will then learn about theories and research on aggression, pro-social behaviour and conformity. In addition, key fundamental topics in social psychology, attitudes and values, will be introduced, as well as cross-cultural psychology and leadership.
This module provides an introduction to the concept of abnormal psychology. The course starts with developing an understanding and knowledge about how we define abnormality in psychology and how this has developed and changed throughout history. Different approaches to understanding abnormal psychology are covered, starting with the biomedical model of abnormality. Following this, social and cultural approaches to abnormality are covered, followed by the philosophy of abnormality. Psychodynamic, behavioural and cognitive approaches to abnormality are also covered in detail. There is a focus on psychological disorders as we currently classify them in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The hierarchy of evidence in clinical psychology research is also covered.
The module provides an introduction to the key neuroscience concepts and research techniques relevant to Psychology. Topics include the basics of neural function, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, sensorimotor processing, and research methods used.
This module will provide an introduction to the key theories and research findings regarding Perception and Cognition. This may include topics within perception such as sensory perception as gateway to the world; attentional modulation of perception; illusions as key to reality, brightness, perception of colour, time, motion and depth; auditory perception, touch, taste and smell; the control of eye and head movements as a link between perception and action; and memory processes (both experimental and applied).
This module provides an introduction to core aspects of psychological research. This includes how to find and read psychological papers, and thinking critically about research. General aspects of research covered include ethics in psychological research, designs and variables in research, reliability and validity, designing psychological research studies (correlational and experimental), and qualitative methods. Students are introduced to different types of data and distributions, and to describing data. In addition, the use of statistical tests in psychological research and how to choose the right test are introduced. Statistics covered may include inferential statistics, chi-squared test, independent and repeated t test, one-way independent ANOVA, correlation, linear regression, and non-parametric statistics. This course encompasses a Psychology Toolkit component; teaching sessions combined with self-study for the preparation of a portfolio.
In this module you will develop an understanding of why modern psychology requires an understanding of neuroscience. You will look at neuronal structure, function and information transmission, and the organisation of the nervous system and how this reflects the principles of information processing. You will examine the methods used to study structure and information processing in the brain, becoming familiar with the brain's functional architectures and the neural basis of learning. You will also consider brain evolution, and the biology and psychopharmacology of reward, reinforcement and psychological disorders.
This module will provide you with an overview of the key theoretical and empirical issues in cognitive psychology, including selective attention, multisensory perception and problem solving. You will look at reasoning, judgement and blindsight, and examine the impact of unilateral neglect and attention for action.
In this module you will develop an understanding of cognitive development, including intelligence across the lifespan, language development, and number representation, and the development of social understanding, including social cognition, emotional development, prejudice, and adolescence. You will look in depth at the research techniques used in developmental psychology, as well as enhancing your ability to conduct critical analyses.
This module provides an overview to some of the ways in which applied and developmental perspectives in Psychology can be used to improve society. Students will obtain an appreciation regarding some of the conceptual issues regarding applied psychology, as well as an introduction to various ways that these perspectives can apply to societal issues/advancements.
This module provides an overview to some of the ways in which clinical and neuroscientific perspectives in Psychology can be used to improve society. Students will obtain an appreciation regarding some of the conceptual issues regarding clinical and neuroscience ethics, as well as an introduction to various ways that these perspectives can apply to societal issues/advancements.
In this module you will examine theory and research in key areas of personality and individual differences. You will explore the difference between these two areas of study, and become equipped with methods of evaluating theories of personality. You will review key topics in personality and individual differences, with consideration for the relations between them in order to develop your integrative understanding of personality.
In this module you will learn about how to use SPSS to analyse, interpret and graph data, one way ANOVA (independent and repeated), factorial ANOVA (independent, repeated and mixed), ANCOVA, complex correlations, linear regression (multiple, categorical predictors, stepwise and hierarchical), logistic regression and factor analysis. You will also study research methods topics including advanced experimental design (factorial and quasi-experimental designs), questionnaire design and validation, and qualitative analyses.
In this module, you will develop an understanding of the key topics in social psychology, with a particular focus on topics that highlight over-arching debates within this area of study. You will look at how social psychology can be applied to real-world issues, examining the social psychology of relationships, the self-concept, prejudice and group conflict, attribution theory, group decision-making, situational perspectives on evil, and non-verbal behaviour and social cognition.
In this module, you will carry out a piece of research as part of a small group, closely supervised by a member of academic staff. You will develop teamwork, presentation and analytical skills, and produce a substantial, independently written, report of your study.
Founder’s - Accommodation Type - Catered, Single and Shared Rooms Shared Bathroom and Kitchen, Single Gender Corridors- From £5,196.65
3.9Royal Holloway, University of London, was founded over 170 years ago. It has been at the forefront of social change sinc...
