Pre-arrival information for new undergraduate students

We know it’s a busy and exciting time for you, and we want to make preparing for starting your degree as straightforward as possible.  

You’ll be receiving lots of information about how to register as a student at Sheffield, and all the exciting university-wide activities that all students can get involved with once you arrive.

This pre-arrival page is just for new psychology students where you’ll find information and tasks to complete, specific to you and your course.

School of Psychology

You may have already noticed some changes to how we’re referring to ourselves - from September we’ll be the School of Psychology! This is only a name change and there won’t be any changes to your course.

Welcome Week timetable

There are lots of events taking place across the University during Welcome Week. Here’s a list of the events that are specifically for Psychology students. These are compulsory and will ensure you get the best start to your time at Sheffield.

Please note that this timetable might change before you arrive so make sure you keep checking back!

Tuesday 24 September, 11am - 12pm
Level 1 Introduction Talk
Location: Diamond LT1

In this talk, you’ll be given key information that you’ll need to navigate your first few weeks of university. We’ll introduce you to key departmental contacts including the Head of School (Dr Chris Martin), the Director of Undergraduate Programmes (Dr Tim Riley) and the Senior Tutor (Dr Merve Mollaahmetoglu). We’ll introduce you to what studying at Sheffield is like, give you an overview of our undergraduate psychology course, and discuss key support services that are available to students. 

Thursday 26 September, 1pm - 2pm
Personal Tutor System, Student Voice, Q&A
Location: SU auditorium

At this event we’ll introduce you to our personal tutoring system. Your personal tutor will be your main point of contact over the next three years. You’ll also be introduced to our Student Voice Coordinator (Dr Rhianan Ellis) who’ll explain how you can make your voice heard during your time at Sheffield. A Q&A will follow this session, so please bring along any questions that you may have!

Friday 27 September, 1pm - 2pm
Employability and Placements Information
Location: Diamond LT1

Graduation might seem like a long way off but it’s never too early to start thinking about your future! In our final Welcome Week event we’ll give you an overview of employability initiatives and events that are taking place this year, and share key information on how to apply for a placement. This talk will be given by our Employability Lead (Dr Emma Morgan) and our Placements Coordinator (Dr Chris Athanasiadis).

We strongly recommend that you attend these events but if you’re unable to make one for any reason, these talks will be recorded and available online later.

Your course handbook

View your Psychology Undergraduate Handbook hereYour course handbook is packed with information about your undergraduate course and is the place where you’ll be able to find answers to most of the questions you have.

We recommend that you spend some time having a read through the handbook before you start your course. This is a live document and we do update this from time to time, but we’ll always alert you to any significant changes.

Please note that you won't be able to access this until you’ve completed registration and signed in with your University of Sheffield account.

Choose your modules

From 1st September 2024

Your first year (level 1) at Sheffield is made up of a number of modules. Some are compulsory (or core), and some you can choose (optional) from a specific list.

Psychology students study 100 compulsory credits. The remaining 20 credits are for optional modules of your choice.

At the beginning of September, you’ll receive an email asking you to select your optional modules using online module selection as part of your pre-registration tasks. A link to the Online Module Choice system will also appear within the pre-registration system.

Don’t worry if you’re undecided about what modules you want to take as you can change your optional modules at any time during the first two weeks of each semester. The important thing is that you’re enrolled with 120 credits of modules - this will enable you to complete your registration.

Optional modules

Semester 1

EDU104 Education, Power and Society: Introduction to the Sociology of Education (20 credits)

This module explores the relationship between educational institutions/cultures/systems and social inequalities. We focus on class, gender, ethnicity and disability and look at the ways in which education systems serve to tackle or reproduce patterns of inequality and relations of power. The module also evaluates different policy frameworks and goals. For example, whether the focus of education policy should be placed on nurturing active citizenship (and what this would look like) or whether the main priority should be to serve the needs of the economy (and how this might be achieved).

EDU105 Critical Curriculum Study (20 credits)

The curriculum is often taken for granted by those who experience it, such as parents, students and teachers. This module poses questions about curriculum - what is it and who is it for? Different perspectives on curriculum are explored to establish a framework for critical curriculum study. After examining school curriculum reform both in England and in international contexts, the module will focus in depth on a single case study curriculum in England. This focused study will be carried out from the perspective of curriculum history, policy reform, analysis and implementation through research involving classroom-based curriculum development.

EDU108 Social and Historical Constructions of Childhood (20 credits)

In this module students will explore how childhood has been portrayed across different societies and at different times, and will examine how childhoods are shaped and influenced by the societies in which children live, learn and are cared for. Through a series of lectures, group work and individual study tasks, students will think about the ways in which childhood has changed over time and how different views and perspectives on childhood create different expectations of children. Through the study of historical and social constructions of childhood, students will develop a fuller understanding of how ways of working with children can be shaped by external influences.

MUS129 Music Psychology (10 credits)

In this module you will engage with some of the most provocative questions about musical thought and behaviour: What are the characteristics of the musical mind? Why do we feel emotions when listening to or performing music? How does music and music therapy influence our health and wellbeing? Can music make you smarter? The module is designed such that no prior formal musical or psychological training is necessary. You will develop knowledge of the scientific methods used to study music from a psychological perspective, and how findings can inform applications in education, healthcare, and the creative industries.

PHI107 Philosophy of Religion (10 credits)

This course will pose and try to answer philosophical questions about religion. These include questions about the nature of religion. For instance does being religious necessarily involve believing in the existence of a God or Gods? And is religious faith compatible with adherence to the scientific method? Other questions that the course will cover include questions about the theistic notion of God. Does the idea of an all-powerful being make sense? Is an all-knowing God compatible with human freedom? And is an all-powerful, all-knowing and perfectly good creator of the universe compatible with the existence of evil? Further questions concern God and morality. Is it true that if there is no God, then there is no right and wrong? The course will examine philosophical arguments for the existence of God, and question whether these arguments are sound.

PHI118 Ethics in Antiquity: East and West (10 credits)

How should we live? What are the right values and principles by which we should guide our lives? What weight should we give to considerations of morality and justice? Are there fixed truths about these matters or are they just determined by choice or convention? Ethics is concerned with questions such as these. This course will engage with such questions by examining some important and influential texts from the ancient world, both Western and Eastern, including key writings by the Greek philosopher Plato and the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi.

PHI132 Death (10 credits)

This module is mainly about death itself. What is death? What happens to us when we die? Could there be an afterlife? Would it be a good thing if there were? What is it about death that we dislike so much, or that makes it bad? Is it rational, or even possible to fear death? What is the right attitude towards our own death? Do we have moral duties towards the dead? The course will clarify these questions and attempt to answer them. Readings will be taken from both historical and contemporary sources.

SCS1007 Introducing Criminology (10 credits)

Crime is a major social problem in virtually all societies. In this module, sociological understandings of crime are discussed, often with reference to their implications for policy. The module will introduce you to major research about crime in contemporary Britain and help you to understand the contribution of sociology to its analysis. This module will be of value to anyone thinking about a career in the criminal justice services, journalism, public service, the voluntary sector and anyone interested in understanding the significance of crime in contemporary British society.

Semester 2

BIS116 Introduction to Neuroscience (20 credits)

This module aims to provide students with an introduction to neuroscience. It will introduce the fundamental principles of cellular and molecular neuroscience that govern neuronal excitability and neurotransmission. Building on these principles, it will introduce theories relating to how sensory information is processed, and how motor output and aspects of behaviour are controlled by the central nervous system. How the normal functioning of the nervous system is affected by disease and drugs will be examined. It will also provide an opportunity to perform neuroscience experiments and interpret the data. Although focussed on the understanding of human neuroscience, the module will demonstrate how the study of model organisms has contributed to this understanding.

EDU106 Histories of Education (20 credits)

This unit introduces students to a range of historical perspectives on education. It takes a critical historical approach to understanding the development of educational ideas, systems and practices by drawing attention to different cultural and historical contexts. In helping students question and challenge dominant ideas about education and its purposes, it will engage with and critique the philosophy of history to explore possible links between historical investigation and present day understandings of education. Topics include: the nature of history, early conceptions of education, education in pre-modern and modern contexts, development of mass schooling, histories of education, social justice and meritocracy.

EDU107 Child Psychology (20 credits)

This module explores the relationship between psychological theory and educational policy and practice, considering some of the ways in which Education and Local Authority services have been influenced by ideas about children developed in psychological research. Some of the core concepts of Psychology are introduced such as cognitive psychology (intelligence, language and learning), behaviourism (including modification techniques), social and emotional development (including family and attachment, trauma) as well as the study of individual differences (with reference to psychopathologies such as autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

EDU111 Making Sense of Education: Facts, Fiction and Data (20 credits)

Politics, practices and media discourses related to Education, frequently invoke 'evidence' or statistical reasoning in an attempt to persuade. These approaches can be deliberately misused or accidentally misleading. This module will equip you with the knowledge you need to become a discerning data user and critic through a mix of active learning, seminars and computer workshops. You will develop practical skills to support your engagement with 'evidence' throughout your studies, explore a range of issues in qualitative and quantitative research design, and create a foundation for your future development as a critical researcher.

PHI123 Philosophy of Science - Why Trust Science? (10 credits)

Science plays an important role in modern society. We trust science on a day to day basis as we navigate our worlds. What is it about science that makes it so trustworthy? Why is science a good guide for understanding the world? The aim of this half-module is to introduce some of the philosophical issues that arise in science and through reflecting on science. Most of the questions considered concern the epistemology of scientific knowledge and methodology: what are scientific theories, what counts as evidence for these theories, what is the relationship between observation and theory, is there a scientific method, what distinguishes science from other ways of understanding the world, and how does the social structure of science help or hinder science in studying the world. This module aims to introduce these questions as philosophical issues in their own right and within the context of the history of the philosophy of science.

PHI134 History of Philosophical Ideas (10 credits)

The history of philosophy is made up of a series of debates between competing philosophical traditions and schools: for example, idealists argue with realists, rationalists with empiricists. And at different times, distinctive philosophical movements have dominated the discussion, such as pragmatism, existentialism, phenomenology, analytic philosophy, and critical theory. This module will introduce you to some of these central movements and traditions in the history of philosophy from Plato onwards, and the key philosophical concepts and issues that they have brought in to western thought.

PHI137 Truth, Reality & Virtual Reality (10 credits)

This module examines the idea that there is an objective reality to which the things we say and believe are answerable, which makes some claims true and others false. The emphasis is not so much on the question of whether and how we know things, but on metaphysical questions concerning truth and reality. 'What is Truth?' is one of these questions. Different attempts to define truth - including the Correspondence Theory of truth and the Pragmatic Theory of truth will be examined. Another question the course will tackle is the question of whether relativism about reality can be successfully refuted. And the module will address arguments relating to virtual reality, including arguments to the conclusion that what we think of as the real world is in fact a simulation, and arguments that call into question the supposed difference between reality and virtual reality. There are political and moral questions that hinge on answers to our metaphysical questions. The aim of the module is to introduce theories, concepts and frameworks that will be helpful to attempts to grapple with the metaphysical questions and further questions that hinge on them.

PHI158 Philosophy of Sex (10 credits)

Sex is one of the most basic human motivators, of fundamental importance in many people's lives, and a topic of enormous moral, religious, and political contention. No surprise, then, that it turns out to be of great philosophical interest. We will discuss moral issues related to sex' asking when we might be right to judge a particular sex act to be morally problematic; and what political significance (if any) sex has. We will also discuss metaphysical issues, such as the surprisingly difficult questions of what exactly sex is and what a sexual orientation is. Throughout our study, we will draw both on philosophical sources and on up-to-date contemporary information.

SCS1005 Gender, Sexuality and Society (10 credits)

This unit intends to address the following questions regarding gender and sexuality and their interaction with society: What do we mean by gender and sexuality? How do we do gender and sexuality? How do we see gender and sexuality? How do we control gender and sexuality?

SCS11001 Introduction to Media and Communication in Society (10 credits)

This module examines the relationship between media and society. It examines the nature of influence and persuasion, representation, ownership, and identity in contemporary media environments.

Recommended reading

You’ll find our list of recommended texts in your undergraduate handbook, here.

We appreciate the financial pressures on new students and most of these texts are available as paper copies and ebooks through the University’s libraries so you won’t need to buy them. 

However, if you want your own copy of key textbooks, many students buy them second-hand from level three students or charity shops in Sheffield.

Student societies

Our Students’ Union (which has been voted number 1 in the UK since 2017!) is home to over 350 societies and sports clubs. One of those is our School student society, PsySoc. It’s a great way to get to know other psychology students and take part in volunteering, fundraising, trips, socials and sports.

The society will put you in touch with lots of likeminded students from all levels of the BSc so you can get additional academic guidance, find volunteering opportunities, improve your teamwork skills by joining the School sports teams, or take part in regular activities including academic events, nights out, and the annual summer ball and trip abroad.

There are lots of ways to get involved with the society, whether that's through applying for a role on the committee, signing up as a member, or just going along to a few socials.

PsySoc - find out more

Your transition to university life

We’ve put together a handy guide to support your transition to University life and study. It highlights some of the key differences between study expectations at A Level (or equivalent) and University.

Read the presentation (Google Slides)

Student guide to the hidden curriculum

When you start university, you’ll discover that we sometimes use certain terminology and have ways of working that might be unfamiliar to you. To help with this, we recommend you read through the ‘Student Guide to the Hidden Curriculum’. This has been developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education to help inform new students and demystify lots of things about how universities operate, the systems we use, who does what, and the particular terminology that you’ll come across.

Read the guide (PDF)

Contact us

If you have any problems working through these pre-arrival tasks or you know that you’ll be arriving late to Sheffield in September, please let us know.

Email our team: psychology@sheffield.ac.uk

Please include your name, programme of study and registration number (if you know it).