BA (Honours) Philosophy and Psychological Studies
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Degree
- Code
- B43
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Made up of
- 360 credit points
Description
If you’re awarded this degree you’ll understand key concepts, theories, methods and debates in selected areas of philosophy and psychology. You’ll be able to exercise critical judgement in the understanding and interpretation of philosophical texts and arguments, and appreciate different perspectives within psychology and be able to evaluate them critically. You’ll also have a range of generic skills, including numerical and IT skills, and you’ll have developed as an independent learner.
Planning your studies
If you’re new to study or to the OU, we strongly recommend that you start with a course at Level 1. For this degree that would mean starting with either The arts past and present (AA100) or one of our Level 1 courses in the social sciences Introducing the social sciences (DD101) (or Introducing the social sciences - part one (DD131) and either Introducing the social sciences - part two (DD132) or Discovering psychology (DSE141)). If you complete 60 points from these courses successfully you’ll have a firm foundation for future studies as well as credit points to count towards your degree.
You can register your intention to study for this degree when you reserve your place on individual courses, or you can ask us at any time to link courses that you have already studied towards the degree. This gives you the flexibility to delay your decision or to change your mind as your studies progress. There is no time limit for obtaining the required credit points for this qualification. You must include at least 120 points from OU courses that have not been counted in any other OU qualification you have been awarded. If you have graduated with an OU BA degree without honours the requirement is reduced to 60 points.
Career relevance and employability
By studying philosophy and psychology in combination, you will develop skills that are relevant to a broad range of careers opportunities, including advertising and marketing, social services, administration and management. You will have learned to read and understand complex texts; to construct and analyse arguments; to understand and analyse statistical information; to express your ideas clearly and logically; and to study independently. These skills are recognised by employers in all fields who value people who can communicate clearly, analyse complex information, and show initiative in formulating and investigating questions of their own. You may need to undertake further training or study to enter a new career area. Ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for the careers publication OU study and your career if you want to find out more about the process of career development and about sources of careers information and guidance.
For planning your next career steps, visit the OU Careers Advisory Service.
Completion of this degree will not make you eligible for recognition for Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) by the British Psychological Society.
Courses
For this 360-point honours degree you require:
60 points from the following optional courses:
| Level 1 optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
60 | Oct 2010 |
| or | ||
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | Nov 2010 |
| or | ||
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | Nov 2010 |
|
60 | Oct 2010 |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses A103, AZX103, DD100, DD121, DD122
And 180 points from the following compulsory courses:
| Level 2 compulsory courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
60 | Oct 2010 |
|
60 | Feb 2011 FINAL |
| Level 3 compulsory course | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
60 | Jan 2011 |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued course DSE202
And 60 points from the following optional courses:
| Level 3 optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
60 | Jan 2011 |
|
60 | Jan 2011 |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses D307, D309, D317
To complete the 360 points needed for an honours degree, the remaining points up to a maximum of 60 points can be from any OU undergraduate courses. You must ensure that you have the required number of points at each level.
We very strongly recommend that you include the residential school course Doing philosophy (AXR271). Other courses that we particularly recommend to make up the points for your degree are Child development (ED209); Biological psychology: exploring the brain (SD226); Exploring psychology on-line project (DZX222) or Exploring psychology project (DXR222); Sociology and society (DD201); Religion today: tradition, modernity and change (AD317); Living political ideas (DD306) or any of the courses mentioned above.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of courses so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Credit transfer details for this qualification:
Classification of your degree
On successful completion of the required number and type of courses you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Philosophy and Psychological Studies degree. Your honours degree will be classified as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours. The class of degree is determined by the best grades you achieve in A211, DSE212 (or DSE202), AA308 and the best grades you achieve in either DD303 (or D309) or DD307 (or D317 or D307). You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.
Award Regulations
- Introduction to the Award Regulations
- General Award Regulations
- BA (Honours) Philosophy and Psychological Studies
- Schedule A to the Award Regulations
Student Regulations
The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.
How to register
To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the course you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that course.
About this page
An undergraduate qualification in Arts and Humanities, Psychology and Social Sciences.
Study explained
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
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Contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service
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