- An undergraduate course
in
Psychology and Counselling.
Applying psychology
- On this page
Applying psychological knowledge to real-world problems has driven theory and research throughout the history of psychology. This course explores how psychological theories and methods are used to address such problems, and how they provide a basis for interventions in practice. You will be introduced to the role psychology plays in clinical, health, occupational and forensic fields – with the opportunity to specialise, depending on your personal and professional interests. This course is particularly suitable for study after Exploring psychology (DSE212), though this is not a requirement.
Modules at Level 2 assume that you are suitably prepared for study at this level. If you want to take a single module to satisfy your career development needs or pursue particular interests, you don’t need to start at Level 1 but you do need to have adequately prepared yourself for OU study in some other way. Check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service to make sure that you are sufficiently prepared.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | DSE232 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | 2 |
| SCQF level | 9 |
| FHEQ level | 5 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 1 Tutor-marked assignment (TMA) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
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What you will study
The different psychological approaches that can be brought to bear on ’real life’ issues are covered in the course text book Applying Psychology, and also as part of the teaching and learning support you’ll receive. You will consider explanations, examples and illustrations throughout as well as critical discussion of contemporary issues in the four applied areas. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop skills in applying your knowledge to the situations described in case study material.
The course book was written for The Open University by experts in their fields. It’s written in a readily accessible style that does not require you to have any special knowledge of psychology, though you may find it useful to have studied Exploring psychology (DSE212).
The course is delivered online, with teaching and learning materials supplied via the internet. As the course progresses, you’ll also be provided with a number of learning activities that involve working independently allowing you to develop your knowledge. You’ll be given plenty of guidance throughout the course on managing your study, which parts of the text to read, and when to undertake the various learning activities. A series of online quizzes allow you to check your progress and test your knowledge for each chapter.
Communication is one of the most important aspects of applied psychology, since ‘doing’ psychology involves people and their networks. You’ll learn the conventions of presenting psychological information in a format appropriate to the intended audience. At the end of the course you’ll be required to write a professional-style report choosing one from a number of psychological scenarios. This will develop your skills in professional-level writing (also referred to as transactional writing). It will also provide you with the conceptual knowledge and skill required for solving problems. The choice of scenarios will allow you to focus on the area of applied psychology that best suits your personal or professional interests.
Entry
As this is a Level 2 course, a certain level of study skills is required, such as the ability to follow an argument; to relate information from tables and graphs to text discussions; and to formulate a reasoned case in discussion and written work. You’re expected to have basic knowledge of how to use a computer, so that you can, for instance, use the mouse or keyboard to open a document or program, navigate around a standard screen and windows on a PC, browse the internet, print a document and use a word processor.
Although it is not a requirement, you may find it very useful to have studied Exploring psychology (DSE212) before studying this course. (We recommend you study DSE232 in September after you have completed DSE212 – you should not study both at the same time).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
When you register, you will receive preparatory information prior to the course start.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, DVD, and DVD-ROM, website.
You will need
The ability to view DVDs.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course. It includes online activities – you can only access using a web browser with Flash and Java – and some course software provided on disk.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer running Windows since 2006 you should have no problems completing the computer-based activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you have an Apple Mac or Linux computer – please note that you can only use it for this course by running Windows on it using Boot Camp or a similar dual-boot system.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You can contact your tutor through email and the online forum. Your tutor will mark and comment on your assignments. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignment (TMA) and end-of-module assessment (EMA).
For the TMA you’ll produce short answers on a series of short scenarios, in preparation for a more substantial report in the EMA. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in September 2012 when it will be available for the last time
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Student Reviews
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Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | DSE232 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | 2 |
| SCQF level | 9 |
| FHEQ level | 5 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 1 Tutor-marked assignment (TMA) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
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