This Certificate will be of interest both to those who wish to pursue careers in psychology, and to those who are motivated by an interest in the area. It provides prerequisites for all modules of year 1 of the Higher Diploma in Psychology (although completion of the Certificate course does not guarantee entry to the H Dip). The course will provide students with a general introduction to the discipline of psychology. Students will be introduced to key domains of academic psychology, along with having exposure to research and analytic techniques. Students completing the Certificate course should have a good basic understanding of the fundamentals of academic psychology. 

This Certificate course is designed to map closely onto the first year of the BA (Hons.) in Applied Psychology. Thus it focuses on the key areas of psychology as identified by the Psychological Society of Ireland and the British Psychological Society – the accrediting professional bodies on these islands.

The areas addressed include

• Social Psychology: How the presence of others influences our thoughts and behaviours, and how we interact socially. Prejudice, discrimination, helping behaviour, obedience etc.
• Developmental Psychology: Particularly child development. How we develop from dependent infants through the various social and intellectual stages to becoming an adult.
• Biological Psychology: The physiological underpinnings of experience and behaviour. The brain, neurons, theory of evolution, genetics.
• Cognitive Psychology: How we think, perceive, learn, remember, learn and use language.
• History of Psychology: How the discipline began and developed. Introductions to such seminal thinkers as Freud and Skinner.
• Practice of Psychology: The different strands of professional psychology, and how different types of psychologist work.
• Research and data analysis: An introduction to how we expand and develop knowledge in the field.

Year 1 Modules:

• AP1601: Science and Practice of Psychology (5 credits)
  Psychology as a scientific discipline and as a domain of professional practice. Introduction to the history of psychology; Overviews and case studies of specialisms in Applied Psychology.
• AP1602: Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Perspectives on Psychology (5 credits)
  The brain as the organ of the mind. Biological bases of behaviour. An introduction to cognitive psychology which includes memory, perception, reasoning and language.
• AP1603: Introduction to Developmental and Social Perspectives on Psychology (5 credits)
  Major theories and research in cognitive, perceptual, social and emotional development in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. An introduction to social psychological theories and research, focusing on the areas of social influence (e.g. inter-group behaviour and conformity), social relations (e.g. group identity and prosocial behaviour) and social thinking (e.g. attitudes and attribution).
• AP1608: Introduction to Research and Statistical Analysis (5 credits)
  The scientific method. The concept of measurement in psychology. Basic principles and skills of data analysis (quantitative and qualitative). Evidence based practice. Ethical principles of human research.

End of module examination. Continuous assessment.

Staff and doctoral students from School of Applied Psychology

Dr Mike Murphy
e: mike.murphy@ucc.ie

ACE at UCC
e: ace@ucc.ie t: 021 4904700

Applications are currently closed