Undergraduate study

Unravel the complexities of human behaviour

To truly make positive contributions to communities and the wider world, we first need to understand what drives people to think, feel and act in the ways they do. This understanding is even more important when our society faces increasing uncertainty and challenge. Psychological science can provide innovative insights on every topic imaginable from social inequality and climate change to our romantic relationships and healthy living.

Studying Psychology at Essex means embarking on a journey into the thoughts, feelings and actions of individuals. Our research and teaching spans three overlapping areas: thinking about the world, interacting with the world, and experiencing the world. These three themes feed through in to our modules. You can study areas such as memory and attention, emotional behaviour, or the impact of culture on ourselves and on group behaviour.

Satisfy your curiosity by learning from researchers at the cutting edge of psychological science – discover how fascinating techniques and intriguing theories allow us to answer questions such as:

• Why don’t some people comply with health interventions or engage with recycling schemes – can we change that?
• Why are social relationships so important – how do we make and break them – and what can we do to improve our relationships?
• What can neuroscience tell us about the function of consciousness and our sense of self – how can we use these insights to understand disorders such as autism and schizophrenia?
• How do parenting choices in the earliest weeks of a baby’s life impact them for years to come?
• How does our cultural background affect thinking, motivations, personality, interpersonal behaviours and group processes?

Join us to learn from world-renowned experts, benefit from our state-of-the-art facilities, and pursue your intellectual passion. By studying your degree in our Department of Psychology, you will take the first steps towards understanding yourself and the people around you. Whatever the future holds, we will give you the experience and skills needed to flourish.