Overview

This three-year BA (Hons) programme focuses on the study of Applied Psychology and is recognised for graduate membership by the Psychological Society of Ireland.

To be eligible for the award of the BA (Hons) degree a student will be required to have achieved 180 credits by obtaining 60 credits in each of First, Second, and Third Arts (Applied Psychology). A student may not register for more than 60 credits in one academic year.

First Year - Arts (Applied Psychology)

Students study prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits.

Second Year - Arts (Applied Psychology)

No student may register for Second (Applied Psychology) until he/she has passed the First University Examination in Arts (Applied Psychology).

Third Year - Arts (Applied Psychology)

No student may register for Third Arts (Applied Psychology) until he/she has passed the Second University Examination in Arts (Applied Psychology). Students may not select modules which involve a timetable clash.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Year 1
Students take 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
AP1026	Professional and Critical Skills for Psychologists	10
AP1031	Biological Psychology	5
AP1032	Lifespan Development	5
AP1033	Individual Differences	5
AP1035	Introduction to Neuroscience, Perception and Attention	5
AP1036	Learning and Behaviour	5
AP1037	Social Psychology	5
AP1038	Digital Literacy for Psychologists	5
AP1039	Research Methods in Psychology	10
AP1040	Research Design and Statistical Analyses I	5
Year 2
Students take 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
AP2041	Critical Skills for Applied Psychologists	5
AP2042	Introduction to Clinical Psychology	5
AP2043	Biological Psychology II	5
AP2044	Applied Cognition	5
AP2045	Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence	5
AP2046	Research Design and Statistical Analyses II	5
AP2047	Social and Organisational Psychology	5
AP2048	Psychology and Everyday Life	5
AP2049	Applied Developmental Psychology: The Psychology of Aging	5
AP2050	Research Methods in Psychology II	15
Year 3
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (45 credits) and 15 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
AP3112	Conceptual and Historical Issues	5
AP3116	Applied Psychology Seminars	5
AP3117	Research Project	20
AP3118	Psychological Measurement	5
AP3119	Psychological Therapies	5
AP3120	Personal and Career Development	5
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 15 credits from the following:		15
AN4009	Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience (5)
AN4012	Medical Imaging and Biomedical Devices in the Neurosciences (5)
AP3121	Forensic Psychology (5)
AP3122	Special Educational Needs: Aetiology, Assessment and Intervention (5)
AP3123	Positive Psychology (5)
AP3125	Cognitive Psychology: New Perspectives (5)
AP3126	Health Psychology: Models and Applications (5)
Total Credits		180

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for BA (Applied Psychology)  (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

1
28-1
Understand the scientific approach towards the study of human beings.
2
28-2
Understand the real-world applications of theoretical knowledge within the discipline.
28-3
3
Work within and implement best-practices in real-world professional psychology settings.
28-4
4
Synthesise different areas and allow for the cross-pollination of ideas within the discipline.
28-5
5
Translate theoretical knowledge into applications within psychological contexts.
28-6
6
Evaluate, critically appraise and interpret all types of research techniques and data.
28-7
7
Employ data analytic skills using the spectrum of qualitative and quantitative techniques.
28-8
8
Employ skills using bespoke software to assist in the analyses of both qualitative and quantitative data.
28-9
9
Employ professional psychology skills applicable and transferable to real-world contexts including but not limited to NGOs, private industry, private practice, Governmental parastatal bodies and academic research settings.
10
28-10
Engage via oral and written communication of ideas and presentation skills.

*** Only for Incoming First Years and Repeat First Years 2024/2025 ***
*** Click here for Marks and Standards for all other years ***

Marks and Standards

These Marks and Standards should be read in conjunction with the Programme Requirements and the Book of Modules.

Fitness to Practise

All students on programmes subject to Fitness to Practise in UCC will be required to comply with the Fitness to Practise Policy and meet the relevant Fitness to Practise standards, in order to progress to the next year of his/her/their programme. Click here for a list of programmes subject to the Fitness to Practise Policy.

Marks and Credits

Students are required to take modules to the value of 60 credits.
Total Marks for year: 1200.

First Year - Pass and Progression Criteria

To pass first year and progress to second year, students must achieve:

1. An aggregate mark of 40% across all modules,
2. A pass mark in modules to the value of at least 50 credits, and
3. A module mark of at least 30% in any remaining modules.

Pass by Compensation: Students who satisfy each of the above criteria are allowed to compensate in modules to the value of 10 credits and pass the year overall.

Award of Honours in the Degree Award

An honours classification is awarded for the final degree using the final year examination results and marks carried forward from the penultimate year. The aggregate of 33.33% of the penultimate year marks plus 66.67% of the final year marks will be used to calculate the final degree award.

Honours will be awarded as follows:

1. First Class Honours: ≥ 70%
2. Second Class Honours, Grade I: ≥ 60% and <70%
3. Second Class Honours, Grade II: ≥ 50% and <60%
4. Pass: ≥ 40% and <50%

Award of Honours when a student undertakes Study Abroad
When students study abroad as part of his/her/their degree programme, the calculation of the final degree award is based on modules in the Book of Modules only.

Examination Boards

• Provisional marks for Semester 1 examinations are released in January/February of each year. These marks are subject to approval at the University Examination Board.
• Marks for all modules taken in Semester 1 and 2, including those wholly assessed by Continuous Assessment, will be presented to the University Examination Board at the end of Semester 2.

Supplemental Examinations and Assessment

• Students who fail to achieve the progression standard for the year at the Summer Examination Board must complete Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment for those specific module(s), where there is provision to do so.
• Please refer to the Book of Modules for requirements governing the Supplemental Examination and Assessment for individual modules. Note: For some modules there is no Supplemental Examination and Assessment.
• The marks achieved in the Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment of a repeat module are considered at the Autumn Examination Board.
• The actual mark achieved by the candidate in the Supplemental or Repeat Year Examination will be recorded on the student record (Academic Transcript).
• The maximum mark that will be taken into account for aggregation and progression purposes is a pass level, unless the student has been granted a cap waiver or deferral by the University Mitigation Committee, or a University Examination Board, or has been approved to defer the previous attempt by the University Mitigation Committee.
• At the Autumn Examination Board, marks from all passed modules approved at the Summer Examination Board are carried forward and are combined with the marks achieved in Supplemental Examinations and/or Assessments. The pass and progression criteria are applied to the aggregate mark achieved.

Note: The mark achieved at the last examination/assessment attempt is the mark that is included in the calculation of the aggregate mark for pass and progression purposes.

Study Abroad

• When students study abroad as part of his/her/their degree programme, they will be assessed by his/her/their host university.
• To pass the study abroad period and progress to the subsequent year, a student must achieve a pass standard as applied by the host institution.
• A Pass/Fail judgement will be presented to the UCC Examination Boards:
  • At the Summer Examination Board for students spending Semester 1 abroad.
  • At the Autumn/Winter Examination Board for students spending the full academic year abroad or Semester 2 only.
• For students failing to achieve a pass mark, Supplemental Assessment will be prescribed by the School in UCC, and these results will be presented at a Winter Examination Board.

Exemptions

All passed modules carry an exemption, which is limited to a period of five academic years (or two in the case of Computer Science modules) subsequent to the award of the exemption.

Repeat Year Examinations

Students repeating the year may do so choosing one of the following mechanisms:

1. Students retain module exemptions, if any, and must repeat all failed/absent modules, including those modules where the failing mark previously achieved was greater than the level of compensation (≥ 30%) but who failed to achieve the progression standard for the year (see above). The pass and progression criteria are then applied to the combination of full marks achieved in modules passed at the first attempt, plus capped marks achieved in modules in the Repeat Year Examinations.​

Note: For students selecting different modules not previously taken, there are no restrictions on the marks awarded for those modules at the first attempt in a repeat year. The selection of different modules by the student means that the student foregoes any previous marks achieved in the original modules (including previously passed modules).

2. Students may forego all module exemptions achieved and repeat the year choosing modules to the value of the full 60 credits. In determining pass and progression, there is no restriction on the marks awarded for modules taken at the first attempt of the Repeat Year. Modules taken at the subsequent Supplemental Examination and Assessment are capped at the pass mark.

Subject to capacity, all students - whether they have failed or passed - are allowed to choose this second option, in an attempt to improve his/her/their grade.

Students repeating the final year are eligible for the award of Honours in the first Repeat Year only. Final year students wishing to repeat the year with a view to improving his/her/their degree result may do so only if they have not been conferred.

Three Year Rule

Students must pass/progress within three academic years of the date of first registration for a year, otherwise they cannot continue in the programme.

Terms and Definitions

Programme Description

• The programme description is outlined in the Programme Requirements tab.

Module Descriptions/Assessment

• Module descriptions, including the pass standard for a module, special requirements to pass a module, and assessment elements and their weightings, are contained in the Book of Modules.

Marks and Credits

• A maximum of 100 marks may be awarded for every five credits of a programme.
• Some modules are assessed on a Pass/Fail basis only, i.e. marks are not awarded.

Pass and Progression

• Progression is defined as the permission granted to a student to register in the subsequent academic year for the next set of modules within his/her/their programme of study.
• Compensation is defined as the process by which a student, who fails to satisfy some of the regulations for credit in a specific module, is nevertheless recommended for credit to be awarded on the grounds that the failure is offset by his/her/their performance in the other modules on his/her/their programme of study.