General Information

Lancaster students graduating

The Psychology Department at Lancaster was founded in 1972 and is now ranked among the top psychology departments in the country for its teaching.

We are a large and growing department. There are currently over 30 academic staff as well as over 10 technical and support staff. There are currently over 100 students who are in their final year studying for an honours degree in Psychology. There should be plenty of opportunities to meet friends and fellow students that you can work with!

▼ Recognised for quality

The Department is popular with undergraduate applicants and our degree scheme has been rated above the average by our current students in the National Student Satisfaction survey. A recent evaluation carried out by external professionals (the "Periodic Quality Review" process) confirmed out teaching strength with a report of "full confidence in Psychology teaching" at Lancaster. After the last accreditation visit by the British Psychology Society, we were praised for our use of resources such as the virtual learning environment to enhance student learning, and also for the availability of our staff. Our strengths in teaching and research are closely related and we have been commended for integrating excellence in research into our teaching programme.

We are committed to teaching students in the most effective ways. We are aware of the importance of individual growth, and undergraduates experience small-group teaching at all stages of the degree programme. Students can also benefit from numerous layers of personal and academic support to ensure they make the most of their time at Lancaster

▼ A stepping stone on your career path

The Lancaster course qualifies students for graduate registration with the British Psychology Society, a vital requirement for students who wish the charter as professional psychologists (e.g. to develop a career as clinical, educational, occupational or forensic psychologists). The breadth and depth of our degree programme, the long established strengths in teaching and research in the department, and the proximity of the University to the city of Lancaster and the Lake District, make it an ideal place for students to study psychology.

The latest national data on the graduate prospects of psychology students shows that Lancaster is a great place to learn. We rank* more highly than all the "1994 Universities" and are ranked 5th when set against "Russell Group" Universities when it comes to employment/successful applications to graduate courses etc. A Psychology degree from Lancaster really is a fantastic stepping stone towards a future career!

(*source data from HESA with aggregation of 2007 and 2008 graduates).

▼ Facilities

The Department occupies two floors of Fylde College and offers an extensive range of facilities for teaching and research. Rooms designated for the exclusive use of our students are equipped with fleets of personal computers. Students can use these to prepare essays, analyze data and access network-based resources. The Department has a dedicated research methods teaching space, the Levy Laboratory, designed to facilitate students' practical training in psychology.

There are also cutting-edge research facilities maintained in the department. This is relevant to undergraduate students because they may use these resources, either when doing research projects or taking up work experience opportunities in the department. For example, the Department houses important laboratories for studies of infants and young children, computer-based laboratories for cognitive and applied studies, auditory research and brain imaging. We also have sophisticated video and audio recording facilities.

These are just some of the facilities specifically available in the Psychology Department. Of course, the University also provides many computing and learning resources to enhance the student experience!

The University student learning zone