Psychology Programme - The British University in Egypt

Faculty of Arts & Humanities

Academic Overview

Psychology Careers

Aims of the Programme

Programme Overview

Why study at the Department of Psychology at the BUE?

The BUE programme of Basic and Applied Psychology offers students comprehensive specialisations that incorporate basic and applied practices. This includes an awareness of regional and international media context, cultural sensitivity, exposure to international communication perspectives and familiarity with ethical and managerial frameworks. The BUE is one of the few universities in the region that offers a final year project module which seeks to develop students’ research skills and their abilities to manage a major project independently. This requires students to submit a substantial product, which they will work on over a period of two semesters under the supervision of a faculty member.

And now, what can we learn from psychology?

Psychology can help you better understand yourself.

Studying psychology can give you a better understanding of the people around you.

Psychology can help you become a better communicator

Studying psychology can also give you greater insight into mental illness.

Psychology can help you better understand yourself.

How development occurs, how personality forms, and how factors like society and culture impact behavior, you might find yourself, gaining a deeper understanding of the many influences that have impacted your own life.

What are benefits of self-understanding?

Knowing exactly what is bothering you instead of feeling bad without knowing why. This in turn will allow you to take the first step towards happiness.

Not feeling lost because you will know exactly where you fit in life. Whether it’s a career or a relationship; you will be able to know where you should go.

A solid understanding of others, the more you understand yourself the more will you understand others. For example if you understood where self confidence comes from you will know how lack of confidence feels like and you will be able to understand shyness even more.

Fewer bad moods, I am not saying that self understanding will solve your problems but it will help you feel better instead of feeling that you are fighting an enemy that you don’t know.

Studying psychology can give you a better understanding of the people around you.

By learning about aspects of human behaviour that will help you in daily life, including your interactions with others.

What are the factors that affect someone’s behaviour?

The factors are: his personality, his background and his values. If you were able to determine some of these variables at your first meeting with someone then you will not only be able to understand him but you will even be able to predict his next move.

The music that you listen to, the way you walk, the way you talk, your body language, your face features, your doodling, your hand writing and everything else that is related to you reflects hidden parts of your personality. By learning how to look for those clues and how to interpret them you will get this superior self-understanding of others and of yourself.

Psychology can help you become a better communicator.

Simply talking doesn’t make anyone a good communicator just like hearing someone doesn’t make us good listeners.In fact, being a good communicator means being a good listener.It also means being mindful of your words and tone, and not taking someone else’s tone personally, he said. Studying subjects such as emotion, language, and body language can help you fine tune your interpersonal communication skills. By learning more about these things, you can gain a greater understanding of other people and what they are trying to say. Good communicators “choose to ask questions to gain understanding, rather than give explanations to force agreement. They choose to make the implied feelings explicit by responding to the emotions behind the words.”

Studying psychology can also give you greater insight into mental illness.

Mental illnesses can take many forms, just as physical illnesses do. Mental illnesses are still feared and misunderstood by many people, but the fear will disappear as people learn more about them. If you, or someone you know, has a mental illness, there is good news: all mental illnesses can be treated. Besides, studying psychology can help you better understand how psychological conditions are diagnosed and treated. You can also discover how mental wellness can be enhanced, how to reduce stress, how to boost memory, and how to live a happier, healthier life.

Psychology Careers

What about Basic and Applied Psychology?

There are plenty of exciting careers in psychology that you might want to explore, but studying the subject can help you in many other professions as well. For example, if you want to become a business manager, understanding human behavior can improve your ability to manage and interact with your employees.Also there are careers in law, family court, private clinical practice, life coaching, Addiction Treatment,social services, education, Intellectual Education Schools and business (HR).

What are the career requirements of the psychologist in the Family Court?

Solve dissolution of a marriage: many of the problems that led to the dissolution of the marital relationship are now manifested in the decision-making for the children and how the children’s relationship with their parents will be maintained. These are the cases that end up in the Family Court system and often require the input of a single expert witness. And this is where psychologists often become involved in Family Court matters.

Psychologists also have the training and experience to provide important recommendations that can help these fractured families to achieve positive relationships post-divorce.

This is also one of the main functions of psychological assessments for child custody – to develop parenting plans that allow children to have positive and meaningful relationships with their parents.

What are the career requirements of the clinical psychologist?

A clinical psychologist’s primary tasks are the assessment and treatment of mental health issues, including emotional or social disorders. The APA’s Society of Clinical Psychology indicates that clinical psychologists may use a variety of methods for treatment including psychotherapy, marriage and family counseling, behavioral analysis and biofeedback. A clinical psychologist’s job responsibilities may also include development and supervision of mental health programs. Clinical psychologists can work in private practices, mental health organizations and hospitals, with individuals, families, couples or groups of all ages and socioeconomic statuses.

Skills Required

Clinical psychologists must have outstanding communication skills, reporting Skills and interpersonal skills. They should demonstrate self awareness, objectivity, a strong desire to help others and thorough knowledge of psychology and treatment options available to patients. The ability to collaborate with other medical professionals is also very important.

Psychological Affairs Armed Force Centre

You can also work a psychologist in Psychological Affairs Armed Forces Center responsible for:

Prepare psychological and mental questionnaires and scales to assess Students applying for the Military College.

Developing abilities for leaders and staff in the Military field.

Design programs for improving personal, leadership and mental for leaders at higher levels

Political analysis for events from psychological perspective.

Aims of the Programme

Our Mission

To provide an intellectually stimulating experience of learning and studying.

To promote the understanding of human cognition, emotion and behaviour in different settings, including clinical, educational and organisational, and across the life span.

To help students to implement research methods and statistical measurements with consideration to the ethical code of practice.

provide students with the opportunity for an internship to introduce them to employment and to give them the required practical experience to pursue their careers after graduation.

To guarantee validation by a UK university and award of a UK degree on successful graduation.

Department Philosophy

The BUE delivers Basic and Applied Psychology programme based on a British philosophy of education that implies:

Creativity and Problem Solving

Independence

Team work

Professionalism

Diligent and ethical working practices

Practicality

Studying at the Department of Psychology does not solely focus on the acquisition of relevant academic skills because the Department is inspired by the important role of scientific psychology in both academic and applied fields. It emphasises the scientist-practitioner model of education by engaging students in an integrated curriculum of basic and applied courses. Thus, our goals are

to provide students with solid knowledge of subject field,

to offer training in the field of psychology,

to present historical and contemporary research issues on human behaviour, and

to help students think logically and critically about the mind and behaviour.

Programme Features

What will I study?

What will I study?

Preparatory Year

You will be introduced to basic psychology topics, and most importantly, to a wide range of study skills necessary for the higher level of your undergraduate education. You will also have the opportunity to develop your Arabic and English language skills required for successful undergraduate study.Degree

Year 1

This provides the foundation for the study of basic and applied psychology generally. Furthermore, you will be introduced to basic research techniques and statistical analysis so that you know where and how to source and use information.Degree

Year 2

You will get a deeper perspective on the human behaviour through a range of core modules that cover personality, human cognition, emotions and motivation along with more sophisticated assessment and research skills.Degree

Year 3

You will get the opportunity to apply the wide range of skills that you have acquired in two 20-credit internships in one of the following fields of application: clinical, organizational or educational psychology.

How will I learn and be assessed?

The key characteristic of our teaching and learning method is enhancing students’ experiential learning through developing their competencies in self-discovery and leadership. We support our students with access to a variety of computing and experimental equipment to bring top-notch national and international standards together. The main focus of our curriculum is to lead students towards a path of creation, innovation and critical thinking. Our teaching methods include lectures, tutorials, group work, private study, field trips, practical classes, workshops and experimental work conducted in the labs to help students gain fundamental research skills and hands-on experiences. This will be facilitated by our full-time academics, teachers, and support staff who supports students’ experiences in all disciplines. Since our learning and teaching strategies promote collaboration and mutual exchange of ideas, assessment involves coursework exams, final exams, presentations, seminars and projects.

What career and further opportunities are open to me when I graduate?

Psychology is a specific-subject area focusing on the human cognition, emotion and behaviour, the relationship between thought, feelings and behaviours and the variety of social and cultural situations and contexts. In addition, students of Psychology are engaged in multiple forms of research methods and statistical measurements; they are also trained on using theories to reflect critically on their own learning and thinking. Students of Psychology also learn to communicate well, use statistical software, initiate and take responsibility of their own work and evaluate the work of others. The programme is designed to provide a solid foundation to those who are looking for a future career in a wide range of roles in:

teaching, publishing and research,
clinical interventions in clinics, hospitals, and special needs centers,
school interventions,
consultation and organisational interventions
military, intelligence and police institutions
legislation system especially in family court and forensic psychology in addition to
human development and non-governmental organizations

The programme is tailored to suit the demands of the job market which opens for our graduates a range of opportunities in renowned local and international organisations and institutions. Our graduates have a solid foundation of analytical, methodological and communication skills which enables them to employ the skills and expertise gained through the years of study. Thus, they can proactively contribute to the development of the society.

Curriculum

BA Degree: Basic and Applied Psychology

Preparatory Year – Introductory Modules. Semester 1: (Total modular weight 60)

Code	Title	Credit	Level	Semester
ENGL01	English for Academic Purposes	10	S	1
PSYC01P	Introduction to Psychology	10	S	1
PSYC02P	Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence	10	S	1
PSYC03P	Introduction to Computing/ICT-1/	10	S	1
PSYC11P	Cross-cultural Psychology	10	S	1
PSYC05P	Study Skills	10	S	1
ENGL02	English and Academic Writing	10	S	2
PSYC06P	Social Psychology	10	S	2
PSYC07P	Psychology of Adjustment	10	S	2
PSYC08P	Introduction to Sociology	10	S	2
PSYC09P	Biological Psychology	10	S	2
PSYC10P	Basics of Statistics	10	S	2

Level 4: Foundation Modules – Semester 1: (Total modular weight 60)

Code	Title	Credit	Level	Semester
PSYC01C	Experimental Psychology	10	4	1
PSYC02C	Descriptive Statistics in Psychology	10	4	1
PSYC03C	The Psychology of Adulthood and Aging	10	4	1
PSYC04C	The Psychology of Learning	10	4	1
PSYC05C	Physiological Psychology	10	4	1
PSYC06C	Psychological Research Methods	10	4	1
PSYC07C	Family Psychology	10	4	2
PSYC08C	Cognitive Psychology	10	4	2
PSYC09C	The Psychology of Women	10	4	2
PSYC10C	Motivation and Learning	10	4	2
PSYC11C	The Psychology of Violence	10	4	2
PSYC12C	Group Dynamics and Leadership	10	4	2

Level 5 Core Modules – Semester 1: (Total modular weight 60)

Core Modules

Code	Title	Credit	Level	Semester
PSYC01I	Psychological Testing (1)	10	5	1
PSYC02I	Theories of Personality	10	5	1
PSYC03I	Inferential Statistics in Psychology	10	5	1
PSYC04I	Selective topics in Psychology	10	5	1
PSYC05I	Reasoning and Decision Making	10	5	1
Optional Modules: 15BHRM02C 15POLS07P ALNG041	Personal Effectiveness Introduction to Political Psychology Sociolinguistics and Psycholinguistics	10	5	1

Students select one of the optional modules above to complete the 60 credits for Semester 1.

Second Semester

Code	Title	Credit	Level	Semester
PSYC07I	Psychological Testing (2)	10	5	2
PSYC08I	Educational Psychology	10	5	2
PSYC09I	Abnormal Psychology	10	5	2
PSYC10I	Organisational Psychology	10	5	2
PSYC11I	Counselling Psychology	10	5	2
PSYC12I	Laboratory Practice	10	5	2

Level 6 Applied Modules

Applied Modules

Code	Title	Credit	Level	Semester
PSYC01H	Clinical Psychology (1) (Diagnostics)	10	6	1
PSYC02H	Psychological Assessment	10	6	1
PSYC03H	Health Psychology	10	6	1
PSYC04H	Neuropsychology	10	6	1
PSYC05H	Internship1	10	6	1
PSYC06H	Clinical Psychology (2) (Therapeutic)	10	6	2
PSYC07H	The Psychology of Children with Special Needs	10	6	2
PSYC08H	Integrations of the Exceptional Child	10	6	2
PSYC9H	Community Psychology	10	6	2
PSYC10H	Internship 2	20	6	2

FAQs

1. What is Psychology?

Psychology is usually defined as a field of science which studies human behavior and cognitive processes. Being a psychologist means that you join a huge group of researchers and practitioners around the globe who try to answer the following questions (among others):

a. Why do people behave the way they do as individuals or in groups?

b. How do people perceive the world, save information in memory, and make decisions?

c. How do we get emotionally involved? And how do we develop motivation towards a goal?

d. What are the major forms of abnormal behavior? Why do people behave abnormally sometimes and how can we help them?

e. How do people interact and affect each other? And how different social institutions and social agencies can affect people’s behavior?

f. Why are people different in their physical and mental attributes? And what makes some people smarter and/or more successful than others?

g. What are the bodily (physiological, neurological, biological) bases of human behavior?

h. How can we apply psychological knowledge to help people and improve different aspects of life?

Although psychologists are passionate to know human nature, psychology is a science and you need to abide by measures of scientific research methods.

2. Why should I study Psychology?

There are many reasons to study psychology, for example:

• To have better understanding of human behavior and its implications.

• To be able to help people with psychological disorders and/or any kind of abnormality.

• To contribute in building healthy social relations in your community and in the society in general.

• To develop skills of critical thinking.

3. Why would I choose the Department of Basic and Applied Psychology at the BUE over other institutions?

The Department of Basic and Applied Psychology at the BUE has an outstanding programme that allows students to benefit from our nationally and internationally recognised scholars, follows British education philosophy and offers graduates two degrees, one validated from Egypt, and one from the UK. This programme is also the only one in Egypt to offer an internship component with its degree in order to better prepare students for their future careers.

4. How many students are admitted each year to the Department of Basic and Applied Psychology?

5. Where do I go if I need further help?

6. Where are the offices of my module leaders?

Please check the profile of your module leader, and you will find his/her office number and exact location.

7. How many years does it take to complete any given specialism at the Department?

It takes you 4 years to complete your degree.

8. Can I fail the Preparatory year and still go on to the degree?

No. If you fail the Preparatory year, you must repeat the year. If you fail it a second time, you have to leave the University.

10. Will my degree be accepted inside and outside Egypt?

All degrees at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities are subject to validation by London South Bank University, the BUE’s partner University in the UK.

11. How many modules do I have to study?

Each semester you will study six modules, with a total of 60 credits per semester. Each module is worth either 10 or 20 credits.

12. Can I apply for a Master's degree anywhere if I get my BUE degree?

Definitely. Once the Faculty is fully validated by a UK University, you graduate with two degree certificates -one from the BUE and one from the UK University. The UK certificate is accepted throughout the world.

12. Will I be taught by British staff at the Department of Basic and Applied Psychology?

The degree is taught by staff from Egypt, Britain and other countries. All staff are fully acquainted with the UK system of higher education.

14. If I have problems during my studies what help is available to me?

Every student is allocated a personal tutor who they can talk to about any issues. He/she will try to solve any problems that you face in relation to your studies. Moreover, of course you can talk to your module leader(s), and the head of department.

14. Is there a lot of coursework and exams that I have to do?

The number of assessments for 20 and 20 credit modules are in the range of 3 to 4 assessments per module.