Psychology

The School of Psychology will have a School Induction session for new undergraduate students. This will help you prepare for the year ahead and provide you with useful advice on your course, as well as School contacts and information on getting the most out of your academic experience.

Your School Induction will be on your timetable.

You can also find details about your induction and course on MyAberdeen. 

School of Psychology Induction sessions

Art's Lecture Theatre, William Guild Building

Level 1
Tuesday 15 September 
Induction: 12.00pm - 1.00pm
Meet & Greet: 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Level 2
Wednesday 16 September
Induction: 10.00am - 11.00am
Meet & Greet: 11.00am - 11.30am

Level 3
Wednesday 16 September
Induction: 12.00pm - 1.30pm
Meet & Greet: 1.30pm - 2.00pm 

Level 4
Wednesday 16 September 
Induction: 2.30pm - 3.30pm
Meet & Greet: 3.30pm - 4.00pm

Director of Education
Dr Sandie Cleland
a.cleland@abdn.ac.uk

Undergraduate Programme Co-ordinator
Dr Heather Branigan
heather.branigan@abdn.ac.uk

Level 1

Level 1 Theory Coordinator
Dr Joost Rommers
joost.rommers@abdn.ac.uk

Level 1 Methods Coordinator
Dr Mirjam Brady-Van den Bos
mirjam.brady@abdn.ac.uk

Level 1 School Office Contact
Psychology Admin
psy-level1@abdn.ac.uk

Level 2

Level 2 Theory Coordinator
Devin Ray
d.ray@abdn.ac.uk

Level 2 Methods Coordinator
Dr Peidong Mei
peidong.mei@abdn.ac.uk

Level 2 School Office Contact
Psychology Admin
psy-level2@abdn.ac.uk

Level 3

Level 3 Theory Coordinator
Dr Eva Rubinova
eva.rubinova@abdn.ac.uk

Level 3 Methods Coordinator
Dr Bert Timmermans
bert.timmermans@abdn.ac.uk

Level 3 School Office Contact
Psychology Admin
psy-level3@abdn.ac.uk

Level 4

Level 4 Convener
Dr Brian Mathias
brian.mathias@abdn.ac.uk

Level 4 Thesis Coordinator
Dr Madge Jackson
m.jackson@abdn.ac.uk 

Level 4 School Office Contact
Psychology Admin
psych-level4@abdn.ac.uk 

The Reading List Service is the library's designated service designed to support you in finding and engaging with your course reading lists. Through Leganto, you can access reading lists that are relevant, interactive, and accessible through your course area or through our public interface.

Please visit the Library website to find out how to access your reading list.

Assessment

All psychology courses in the first term will be assessed through coursework and/or in-person exams. Coursework may include essays, reports, MCQs, presentations, discussion forums, and group projects among others. This will vary between courses, and there will be specific details in every course guide at the start of term alongside further advice from individual tutors/coordinators during the term. 

Thesis Supervision

For students who are due to start their thesis, you will have been allocated a thesis supervisor in Level 3. If you do not know your supervisor, please contact psych-level4@abdn.ac.uk.

You should email your supervisor during Welcome Week to arrange your first meeting with your supervisor. The thesis project will be developed via regular meetings with your supervisor. The thesis runs across both terms and students are expected to manage their time effectively and spread the work across both terms. Supervisors will be submitting interim reports on the progress of their thesis students at the end of the first term and then a further full supervisor report towards the end of the second term.

Completing a research-based thesis is a compulsory component of a BPS accredited degree. BPS regulations require students to demonstrate their methodological skills and knowledge by conducting and writing up an independent piece of research. To ensure you can do this you will get regular and supportive supervision meetings which will provide students with continuous feedback throughout the project. It is a requirement of the BPS that the thesis report element of your thesis must be passed (and students must obtain an overall degree classification of a 2:2 or above) in order to achieve an accredited degree.

The format and frequency of your supervisory meetings will be decided jointly by you and your supervisor, for example you may decide that you will meet in-person, or online using Microsoft Teams, or a mix of the two. Whatever format is used, your supervisor will be there for you and will guide and support you in your research.

Stay in regular contact with your supervisor and please refer to the thesis handbook for further guidelines and advice.

During Welcome Week, the School of Psychology will have a School Induction session for new postgraduate students. This will help you prepare for the year ahead and provide you with useful advice on your course, as well as School contacts and information on getting the most out of your academic experience.

Your School Induction will be on your timetable.

You can also find details about your induction and course on MyAberdeen.

School of Psychology Induction sessions

Tuesday 15 September, 2.30pm - 3.20pm

MRes Induction: Room F31, William Guild Building
MSc Induction: Room T1, William Guild Building
MSc Psychology of Mental Health Induction: Room S26, William Guild Building

After the Induction sessions, there will be a meet & greet session at 3.30pm in the Art's Lecture Theatre Foyer, William Guild Building.

Director of Postgraduate Education
Dr Sandie Cleland
a.cleland@abdn.ac.uk

Programme Coordinator for MSc Psychological Studies (on campus)
Dr Zeshu Shao
zeshu.shao@abdn.ac.uk

Programme Coordinator for MSc Psychological Studies (online)
Dr Clare Kirtley
clare.kirtley1@abdn.ac.uk 

Programme Coordinator for MSc Psychology
Dr Rachelle Ho
rachelle.ho@abdn.ac.uk

Programme Coordinator for MRes Psychology 
Dr Agnieszka Konopka
angieszka.konopka@abdn.ac.uk

Administration contact
Psychology Admin
psy-pg@abdn.ac.uk

The Reading List Service is the library's designated service designed to support you in finding and engaging with your course reading lists. Through Leganto, you can access reading lists that are relevant, interactive, and accessible through your course area or through our public interface.

Please visit the Library website to find out how to access your reading list.

All psychology courses in the first term will be assessed through coursework and/or in-person exams. Coursework may include essays, reports, MCQs, presentations, discussion forums, and group projects among others. This will vary between courses, and there will be specific details in every course guide at the start of term alongside further advice from individual tutors/coordinators during the term. 

MSc Psychological Studies

For students studying an MSc in Psychological Studies, you will select, or be allocated to, a thesis supervisor in spring term (February/March). Detailed information about the process will be provided in the thesis allocation lecture in week 2 of teaching by the MSc thesis coordinator.

Completing a research-based thesis is a compulsory component of a BPS accredited degree. BPS regulations require students to demonstrate their methodological skills and knowledge by conducting and writing up an independent piece of research. To ensure you can do this, you will get regular and supportive supervision meetings which will provide students with continuous feedback throughout the project. It is a requirement of the BPS that the thesis report element of your thesis must be passed (and students must obtain an overall GPA of 12 or above) in order to receive an accredited degree.

The format and frequency of these will be decided jointly by you and your supervisor, for example you may decide that you will meet in-person, or online using Microsoft Teams, or a mix of the two. Whatever format is used, your supervisor will be there for you and will guide and support you in your research. Stay in regular contact with your supervisor and please refer to the thesis handbook for further guidelines and advice.