Combining knowledge with hands-on experience

For us, it’s vitally important for students’ professional development for them to gain practical experience using lab equipment from early on in their degree, rather than restricting its use to those conducting postgraduate research or academic staff.

The University has invested significantly in a state-of-the-art lab and an experienced Teaching and Learning Technician who's also a practitioner, so our students will have the chance to work with anatomage tables, eye trackers and EEG caps at both an observation suite and a VR suite. We really want our students to embrace the newest technology but also learn how to apply it in the real world.

It has also been important to consider the skills students will need when working locally, regionally or internationally. Social psychology theories are incorporated through a module called Working With Diverse Communities, and as part of that, we've been engaging with employers, the council, and with practising psychologists to look at the skills they want our graduates to have. Knowing what they need and where there are shortages means we can embed these skills from the very beginning.

Work-based learning to help build a successful career

Our emphasis on practical skills isn’t confined to the lab. We've developed a mental health module that includes training in Mental Health First Aid, giving students a qualification they can use in employment and while volunteering.

Incorporating work-based learning means we're teaching students how to do the kinds of things they're going to need to do when they're working in the real world, in the diverse range of roles they might go into.

Birmingham as a city is at the heart of what we do. Students from across the country will find UCB has significant links with industry and the wider community, and our students are able to work on placements in mental health units and forensic service, or volunteer with charities that work around food.

Our curriculum is co-written with students and with employers – we even recently spoke with Birmingham City FC about employment opportunities for students who haven't yet started their degrees.

We want our students to emerge as highly skilled and knowledgeable graduates, set on the path to a career they can be proud of.