One of the top Psychology departments in the UK

We are consistently ranked in the top 10 for student satisfaction out of around 100 UK Psychology departments in the National Student Survey, and also rank near the top of independent surveys of teaching quality such as newspaper league tables (Independent, Guardian, Times).    

High quality teaching

We offer high quality teaching with small tutorial groups, a minimum of 12 contact hours a week in the first year, and the opportunity to undertake dissertations and research projects under the supervision of experts in the field. The Department is dynamic, friendly and engaging, and students appreciate the accessibility of our staff. We also have won college-wide teaching prizes consistently every year over the past few years.

World-class research

You will study and have the chance to contribute to topics at the cutting-edge of psychological investigation – our research is rated as internationally excellent and we were ranked within the top 10 UK Psychology departments in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Find out more about our research here|.

State-of the-art facilities

We are one of the best-equipped Psychology departments in the country. Our facilities include: a research-dedicated magnetic resonance scanner for measuring brain activity during various tasks, instruments for recording electrical changes in the brain (EEG), apparatus to stimulate focal areas in the brain (TMS), technology for tracking eye movements, the ability to create virtual reality environments, closed circuit TV for discreet observation of adult, child and infant behaviour and a dedicated ‘baby lab’ for studying the behaviour of young infants.

Excellent career prospects

You will be able to gain a wide variety of transferable skills such as critical reading, report writing, interviewing, survey research, observation, measurement, experimentation, and the ability to use statistical methods to assess research findings. Our graduates progress to a range of successful careers internationally, in and out of psychology-related fields, as well as to further study.  

See what our students think of the department.

Our degree in Psychology focuses upon experimental Psychology, where students learn about how research is conducted in different psychological domains. In the final year, students work closely with members of academic staff to carry out research projects of their own on topics at the cutting edge of contemporary research. The first two years of the Psychology course cover a central core of knowledge in a range of key areas such as Research Methods, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and aspects of Clinical Psychology. Students in the final year can continue to cover a broad range of fields of Psychology, or can choose to focus on areas of Psychology that particularly interest them.

We also participate in joint and combined degrees which are not accredited by BPS: BSc Mathematics and Psychology|; BSc Biology with Psychology|; BA Music with Psychology

The Department of Psychology supports a thriving research culture, and was ranked 7th out 75 among UK psychology departments in the most recent RAE.

Principal Investigators and their group are supported by state-of-the-art facilities (please see below), and the department also provides a supportive environment for the scientific training of doctoral students through regular training events and student-led seminars and journal clubs. Research in the department falls broadly into three main groupings:

• Adult and Child Cognition
• Brain and Behaviour
• Clinical, Health and Social Psychology

More about research

Past success

The latest National Student Survey  reports that 92% of our students were employed or had gone on to further study within 6 months of graduation, with 64% in graduate positions. Read here about some examples of our graduates' careers.

Volunteering and work experience

We host a departmental interactive forum and website for work experience and volunteering opportunities and provide students with a set of placement opportunities arranged by the department. We have close links with companies and charities in the area and over the years have helped place volunteers with organizations such as Tulip Mental Health Group and Bishop Creighton House and have an internship programme with Mercedes-Benz . We take an active part in helping student find work experience by approaching organizations and providing students with contacts and helping them through the application process.

Careers support

The department provides a series of talks with invited speakers from professions open to Psychology undergraduates and from the careers service. The Royal Holloway careers service supports students during their degree and after, providing training and employment opportunities and practical such as CV and cover letter writing. Our students can also make use of The Careers Group, London service.

Meet Our Grads  

Our popular annual 'Meet Our Grads' event is always well attended and provides our finalists with a chance to network with out past graduates from various professional backgrounds, such as teachers, educational psychologists, and management consultants.

Graduate destinations

Here is a sample of areas entered by our 2010 graduates:

• directly Psychology related jobs such clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, psychotherapists, therapists and counsellors
• secondary and special needs education: teaching or support jobs such as youth and community workers
• personnel and  recruitment
• local government
• finance: actuaries, accountants, finance managers, investment/merchant bankers, business analysts
• marketing and advertising
• public relations officers and exhibition and events management