Psychology BSc (Hons) - DMU Dubai

Key details

Award: Undergraduate BSc (Hons)
Duration: Three years full-time
Location: DMU Dubai campus

Course overview

Psychology is the scientific study of how the mind shapes and influences our behaviour. In this course, we explore human behaviour using sound scientific methodology—observation, measurement, and testing—to understand how and why people function as they do.

You'll study core areas, including biological, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology, and you'll cover personality and intelligence, research methods, and historical perspectives. We offer excellent facilities, including dedicated computer laboratories with the latest analysis software, individual research cubicles, interview rooms, and an observation suite, all supported by our psychology technicians.

Studying for a Psychology degree will equip you with a range of skills that are transferable and desired by employers, including critical thinking, analysing data, communicating ideas (written, oral, and visual), numerical reasoning skills, computer literacy, effective teamwork, project management, and being self-directed in meeting deadlines. These are the kinds of skills that make Psychology graduates attractive to employers and competitive in the job market.

Gaining a psychology degree is an essential first step to a career as a psychologist or to moving on to postgraduate study. A Psychology degree allows you to access further training for specialist Psychology careers such as Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Educational Psychology, and Forensic psychology.

Psychology graduates are valued across various fields and thrive in careers where an understanding of societal issues is critical—healthcare, criminal justice, education, social work, market research, social research, UX research, policy-making, advertising, and human resources. 

Key features

• Benefit from Block teaching, where a simplified 'block learning' timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback, and enjoy a better study-life balance.
• Your programme will be delivered in teaching blocks, which means you will predominantly focus on one 30-credit module at a time in your first and second years (apart from two 15-credit modules delivered in year 2).
• The programme leaders are experienced professionals dedicated to ensuring students receive a high-quality education. They are readily available to answer any questions or concerns students may have regarding the accreditation process or the course content. 
•  Our staff's talent spans four main research clusters: Health Psychology, Cognition and Neuroscience, Psychology and Technology, and Self and Identity.
• Graduate careers include healthcare, research, social work, marketing, police services, teaching, and human resources.
• DMU Dubai students can now benefit from the Industry Advisory Board, which comprises leading experts and professionals at the enterprise level. The board provides valuable insights and guidance to ensure the curriculum remains relevant and current with industry trends and demands.

Entry requirements

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Our block teaching approach has been designed to be inclusive to make learning and teaching accessible to all. It has been designed using the Universal Design for Learning principles, which means there is a lot of variety in teaching, learning and assessment.

Teaching will be in the form of:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Tutorials

Lectures are primarily presentation-based. Some lectures may have only 10-20 students, whereas others may have up to 100-300 students.  Seminars and workshops typically involve more interactive or practical exercises and demonstrations and commonly have 10-20 students. Tutorials may be one-to-one or in small groups. In addition to timetabled teaching, you are expected to engage in approximately 20-25 hours of self-directed study, including library research, group work and report or essay writing.

Assessment combines various methods, including:

• Essays
• Written exams
• Multiple choice exams
• Presentations
• Portfolios
• Critical reviews

You will also complete a 6,000-8,000 word dissertation in your final year.

Teaching contact hours

Contact hours in a typical week will depend on your year of study and the optional modules chosen. However, typically you will have between 7-12 contact hours of teaching per week. As an example, within the second year of your studies, you might typically have:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: approx. 1-2 hours of tutorials per block, and as per request

Medium group teaching: approx. 4-5 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week

Large group teaching: approx. 3-5 hours of lectures each week

Personal study: approx. 20-25 hours each week

Graduate careers

Graduates from this course gain a range of transferable skills employers desire, including critical thinking, communication skills, project management and data analysis. Graduates also develop a strong understanding of problem-solving techniques and the ability to work effectively in teams. The programme prepares students towards the competitive job market with career option in fields including police services, teaching, social work, human resources, healthcare, research, and advertising. Many graduates progress into further postgraduate study in specialist areas of Psychology.