External summary

Both Psychology and economics are social sciences, centred on human activity. It is increasingly recognised that behaviour is determined jointly by internal processes (such as cognitive ability, and delay sensitivity) and external processes, many of which are economic in nature (income, wealth, incentives etc.). This degree meets the need to bring these two causes of human behaviour together in a single programme.

From Psychology, we are world leaders in individual differences as well as cognition, Economics similarly leads in economic theory, and both departments have strong links to historic factors underlying the (often shared) development of the two sciences in the 18th to 19th centuries (e.g. Adam Smith).

Students should be fluent both in scientifically informed models of human nature and skill acquisition, as well as economic choice, and the interaction of these factors in production, consumption, and well-being.

Educational aims of programme

The specific educational aim of the programme is to provide students with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate:

A broad knowledge and understanding of key economic and psychological issues, principles, theories, along with applications and policy implications of these, and a deeper understanding of recent research activity in some more specialised areas.

Skill in mathematical and statistical techniques as well experimental design

Research and investigative skills such as problem framing and solving and the ability to assemble and evaluate complex evidence and arguments.

Personal and intellectual autonomy through independent learning, self-evaluation and self improvement and through the application of core principles to key contexts.

Communication skills in order to critique, create and communicate understanding and to collaborate with and relate to others

Personal effectiveness through task-management, time-management, teamwork and group interaction, dealing with uncertainty and adapting to new situations.

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

Graduates in Psychology and Economics from the University of Edinburgh will have had the opportunity to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

A1. Core psychological concepts (e.g. personality, cognition, affect).

A2. Core economic concepts (e.g. opportunity cost, incentives, strategic thinking, marginal considerations, expectations and surprises).

A3. Applications of core psychological and economic theory to applied topics and policy issues.

A4. Key mathematical and statistical/econometric techniques. The ability to understand these techniques and to use them as problem solving tools or for data analysis.

A5. Major modern developments in psychology and in economic analysis, with a deeper understanding and appreciation of ongoing research activity in some more specialised areas.

A6. Knowledge and understanding of different disciplines up to the 2nd year level.

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

A1 and A2 are developed progressively in the core courses in years 1 to 3 of the programme through lectures, literature review, small-group tutorials, on-line learning (via Learn), learning-by-doing (working through problem sets and guided independent study). Additional support in years 1 and 2 is provided in economics by help desks staffed by selected final year students.

A3 and A5 are also developed in the core required courses, with more in-depth treatment in option courses taken in years 3 and 4 of the programme. Option courses employ a variety of teaching methods including: lectures, seminars, teamwork projects and debates. Regular class contact is supplemented by more informal, student-driven, office hours.

A4 is developed as an integral part of the core courses in years 1 through 3 of the programme. The core courses in years 1 and 2 have an innovative structure, in that rather than being taught and assessed in a separate module on quantitative techniques, these key techniques are developed and applied in a variety of subject-specific contexts, reinforcing understanding of the techniques and their usefulness in analysis. Additional support for learning is provided by on-line learning tools (via Learn) and a drop-in economics help desk staffed by maths honours students. A3 is further developed in the core courses in year 3, including courses in statistics and econometrics, and a variety of option courses in years 4. The core econometrics courses include lectures and small-group exercise classes, many of which are held in computer laboratories utilizing statistical/econometric packages. Independent study, both to broaden knowledge and understanding and to learn-by-doing, is important throughout the programme and is progressively emphasised in later years, culminating in a substantive Honours dissertation. Co-operative learning, with fellow students, is also encouraged. Formal instances of co-operative learning exist through the use of study groups in Economics 1a and Economics 2.

A6 is developed through ‘outside’ courses taken in years 1 and 2. Outside courses may be chosen from the very broad range of 1st and 2nd level courses offered by the University of Edinburgh. This enables students to pursue genuine outside interests in a wide diversity of subjects, as well as disciplines such as Sociology, Biology, Economic History, Politics, Philosophy and Mathematics.

Skills and abilities relating to research and enquiry are central to the mastery of psychology and economics and are emphasized and developed progressively throughout the programme. While all teaching/learning modes play an important role in developing these capabilities, they are particularly emphasised in: small-group classes and tutorials; feedback and guidance on exercises and essays; seminars and project work; discussions in informal lectures; guidance for independent study, e.g. dissertation supervision; and student-driven office-hour consultations. Exercises, essays, and other assignments, throughout the programme, develop these capabilities by challenging students to apply, adapt, question and extend knowledge and understanding in novel contexts. The programme structure enables students to develop an appreciation of differing approaches to analysing psychological and economic phenomena ranging from more literary and discursive modes to more technical and formal modes. Honours option courses, taken in the third and fourth year of the programme, and the dissertation provide opportunities for critical appraisal of existing understanding at, or close to, the research frontier and scope to extend knowledge and understanding of economic and social phenomena.

Assessment

All forms of assessment (outlined above) place great emphasis on research and enquiry. Examinations (including multiple choice exams) are designed to test the ability to analyse psychological and economic questions and evaluate understanding of psychological and economic phenomena, by challenging students to adapt and apply their knowledge and understanding, rather than rewarding memorization and regurgitation. Essays, project work and the dissertation also emphasize skills and abilities relating to research and enquiry.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

Graduates in Psychology and Economics from the University of Edinburgh will have had the opportunity to develop and demonstrate skills and abilities relating to the process of research and enquiry including:

B1. The ability to identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied problems and identify or devise approaches to investigate and solve these problems.

B2. The ability to search for, evaluate and use information to develop their knowledge and understanding of economic and psychological phenomena and the methods and techniques used to analyse these.

B3. The ability to critically assess existing understanding of economic and psychological issues, the limitations of that understanding and the limitations of their own knowledge and understanding of those issues.

B4. The ability to question the principles, methods, standards and boundaries of economic knowledge.

B5. The ability to understand psychological, economic, legal, and environmental issues in the use of information.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

Graduates in Psychology and Economics from the University of Edinburgh will have had the opportunity to develop and demonstrate skills and abilities relating to personal and intellectual autonomy including:

C1. The ability to be independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning, and are committed to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement.

C2. The ability to make decisions on the basis of rigorous and independent thought, taking into account ethical and professional issues.

C3. The ability to work towards personal goals in an independent manner.

C4. The ability to collaborate and debate effectively to test, modify and strengthen their own views.

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

Skills and abilities relating to personal and intellectual autonomy are emphasized and developed throughout the programme. They are encouraged and reinforced by feedback on course-work essays, guided exercises and project reports throughout the programme. The emphasis on these skills increases throughout the programme, culminating in the Honours dissertation. Learning opportunities, such as the economics help desk and office hours, require the use of independent action and initiative. Core psychological and economic principles and concepts are transferable to most decision contexts and foster C2. Teamwork projects and presentations, interaction in seminars and small-group classes and cooperative learning, develop C4. More generally, degree programme choices up until the end of year 2, choices of ‘outside’ courses in years 1 and 2, and of honours options in years 3 and 4, the dissertation topic, taken by the student, possibly following consultation with their Director of Studies foster C1-C4. Provision of different levels of academic and pastoral support at different stages in the programme fosters the development of personal and intellectual autonomy.

Assessment

This group of skills plays an important part in all forms of assessment. C1-C3 is emphasized, in particular, in essays, project reports and the dissertation. C4 is emphasised by assessed teamwork projects and presentations.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

Graduates in Psychology and Economics from the University of Edinburgh will have had the opportunity to develop and demonstrate skills and abilities in communication including:

D1. The ability to make effective use of oral, written and visual means to critique, create and communicate understanding.

D2. The ability to further their own learning through effective use of feedback.

D3. The ability to use communication as a tool for collaborating and relating to others.

D4. The ability to communicate relevant information succinctly and precisely.

D5. The ability to communicate both qualitative and quantitative reasoning

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

D1 and D2 are encouraged and reinforced by feedback on course-work essays, guided exercises and project reports throughout the programme. Psychology and Economics emphasise succinct communication through the use of devices such as figures, modeling, and abstraction. This emphasis increases throughout the programme, culminating in the Honours dissertation. Interaction with staff and other students in group projects, literature reviews, and tutorials helps develop communications and interpersonal skills. Teamwork projects and presentations, interaction in seminars and small-group classes, cooperative learning, and regular day-to-day contacts (such as obtaining information and advice from busy lecturing, service or administrative staff) develop D3. Both the diverse set of phenomena and the range of modes of analysis embodied in the taught programme enable students to develop an ability to understand communicate both qualitative and quantitative reasoning. The wide range of extra-curricular activities available at the University of Edinburgh, together with vacation employment and internship opportunities, also play an important role in developing and enhancing these skills.

Assessment

This group of skills plays an important part in all forms of assessment. D1, D2, D4 and D5 are emphasized, in particular, in essays, project reports, the dissertation and by written examinations; D3 by assessed teamwork projects and presentations.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

Graduates in Psychology and Economics from the University of Edinburgh will have had the opportunity to develop and demonstrate skills and abilities in relation to personal effectiveness such as:

E1. The ability to manage tasks and skills in time-management.

E2. The ability to cope with uncertainty and to adapt to new situations

E3. The ability to adapt to new situations make decisions based on their understanding.

E4. The ability to work effectively with others, capitalising on their different thinking.

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

Course handbooks, and other department and university resources, provide guidance on E1. The time- pressures of student life involve balancing the demands of non-academic and academic pursuits: keeping up-to-date with studies, course-work deadlines (which involve some deadline bunching), exam preparation, and longer-term projects, such as the dissertation, reinforce these skills through learning- by-doing. In conjunction with the increased emphasis on independent action, time-management skills are more important in later stages of the programme. Course-work deadlines, examinations and class presentations are potentially stressful, encouraging students to learn to cope with stress, with guidance and advice on stress-management provided by an extensive network of university and department resources. Teamwork projects and presentations, interaction in seminars and small-group classes, cooperative learning, and regular day-to-day contacts (such as obtaining information and advice from busy lecturing, service or administrative staff) develop E4. Core economics principles and concepts (e.g. opportunity cost, incentives, strategic thinking, marginal considerations, expectations and surprises) are transferable to most decision contexts and hark back to outcomes A1 through A6 (as well as relating to C2). Provision of different levels of academic and pastoral support at different stages in the programme fosters the development of personal effectiveness.

Assessment

This group of skills plays an important part in all forms of assessment. E1 is emphasized, in particular, in essays and project reports.

The dissertation, the work for which is staged over a period of 14 months, places particular emphasis on E1.

Examinations (including multiple choice exams) are designed to test E2, by challenging students to adapt and apply their knowledge and understanding, rather than rewarding memorization and regurgitation. The wide variety of assessment modes in use throughout the programme encourages adaptability.

E3 is emphasized by examination and deadline pressures, and E4 by assessed teamwork projects and presentations

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

Graduates in Psychology and Economics from the University of Edinburgh will have had the opportunity to develop and demonstrate the following advanced technical and or practical skills and abilities:

F1. High level language programming ability in SPSS, R, Stata and/or other statistical packages

F2. General computer IT Literacy

F3. Skills in modeling and theorising : abstraction, logic, succinctness, quantitative analysis (mathematics and statistics)

F4. Qualitative analysis

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

Extensive use, linked to learning-by-doing. This includes: writing essays, reviewing literature, planning and executing experiments, presenting to classmates, using computer assisted learning; culminating in dissertation presentation. Skills of data analysis are developed alongside the ability to access information and to communicated via modern media. In analysing issues students are encouraged to understand and use formal models that specify the mechanisms proposed to be at work. Thus students have extensive opportunities to develop the ability to abstract from irrelevant details and focus on the heart of problems in ways that allow the discovery of causal effects. Use of theory and models is encouraged as a tool for testing reality, rather than escaping from it. Logical skills are polished, with opportunities to develop the succinctness of their analytical arguments via feedback on written work. Frequent use of written assessments throughout the programme also encourages students to develop their skills of qualitative or discursive analysis: argumentation, strength of internal logic, sharpness of structure, use of relevant examples etc.

Assessment

Assessment of F1 and F2 is primarily through course-work – essays, project reports - and the dissertation. F3 and F4 are assessed both through coursework and examination.

Programme structure and features

The MA Honours programme is a full-time 4 year programme. In years 1 and 2 of the programme students take ‘ordinary level’ courses. A satisfactory performance in these courses is required for progression into Honours, in years 3 and 4.

The wide variety of outside courses that can be taken in years 1 and 2 of the programme provides an opportunity for a broad-based learning experience. An appropriate choice of ordinary courses can also make it possible to transfer to and from other programmes within the College of Humanities and Social Science, providing flexibility to accommodate evolving interests.

Guidance and advice on choice of ordinary courses is provided by Personal Tutors. In the Honours years (years 3 and 4) students take a mix of required courses, and a selection from a wide range of option courses. At the Honours level in particular, courses are closely linked to the research interests of teaching staff. In addition all Honours students research and write a dissertation.

Knowledge and understanding, and the skills and other attributes listed in section 10 above are developed progressively throughout the programme.

Issues related to sustainability, social responsibility and equality and diversity are embedded in the normal curriculum; to some extent they relate to the core psychological and economic concepts outlined in 11. A. above.

Courses are a mix of 40 credits (normally 2 semesters, 22 teaching weeks, in length), 20 credits (normally one semester, 11 teaching weeks, in length) and 10 credits. A ‘normal’ year comprises 120 credits. Students should expect to undertake approximately 200 hours of efficient learning per 20 credits. This includes formal class time, which for ordinary and required honours courses, is 3-5 hours per week per course. Honours option courses have less formal class time (normally 2 hours per week) and place more emphasis on guided independent study.

The normal mode of study is through coursework and examination, the only exception being the Honours dissertation, which does not include a final examination. The normal programme structure, with entry, progression and exit points, is outlined below. With appropriate prior approval some variations to this normal structure may be permissible, in particular: Year 3 may comprise Study Abroad, either on a University of Edinburgh exchange programme, or an ERASMUS programme.

Year 1

Courses:

Economics 1A (SCQF credit points: 40; SCQF Level: 8)

Psychology1 (SCQF credit points: 40; SCQF Level: 8)

Further courses (SCQF credit points: 40; SCQF Level: 8)

Progression requirements:

Minimum: a pass in Economics 1A and the equivalent of one other full-course.

Exit options:

Transfer into another Honours programme or Ordinary programme, linked to outside courses taken in Year 1. Undergraduate Certificate in Higher Education (requires 120 credits)

Year 2

Courses:

Psychology 2 SCQF credit points: 40; SCQF Level: 8);

(Economics 2 (SCQF credit points: 40; SCQF Level: 8)

Issues in Global Economics (SCQF credit points: 20; SCQF Level: 8)

Further courses (SCQF credit points: 20; SCQF Level: 8)

Progression requirements:

Entry into third year honours normally requires (i) passes in all courses (240 credits) in the first two years, and (ii) a mark of 50% or above in Psychology 2, and (iii) a mark of 50% or above in Economics 2 at the first attempt, including a mark of 40% or above in specific components of the degree examination (as detailed in the Economics 2 Handbook), and (iv) a pass in Issues in Global Economics.

Exit options:

Transfer into another Honours programme, where the relevant progression requirements are met by performance in outside courses taken in years 1 and 2. Transfer into an Ordinary programme Undergraduate Diploma in Higher Education (requires 240 credits)

Year 3

Courses:

Five Compulsory Courses:

ECNM10050 Topics in Economic Analysis 1 Semester 1 20

ECNM10053 Applications of Economic Analysis Semester 2 20 ECNM10052 Essentials of Econometrics Semester 2 20

PSYL100354 Psychology Methodology 1 10

PSYL10035 Psychology Methodology 2 10

40 credits from

Select exactly 40 credits from the following list of courses, as available

PSYL10009 Differential Psychology 10

PSYL10010 Social Psychology 10

PSYL10002 Biological Psychology 10

PSYL10011 Psychology of Thinking and Language 10

PSYL10012 Developmental Psychology 10

PSYL10013 Memory and Perception 10

Progression requirements:

Notes: PSYL 10035 Psychology Methodology 2 must be taken if it was not taken in Year 3

Year 4

Courses:

No compulsory courses Select exactly 40 credits from the following list of courses, as available

Code Course Name Credits

ECNM10030 Economics Honours Dissertation 40

PSYL10004 Dissertation in Psychology 40

Notes: Students who wish to be eligible for the British Psychological Society's Graduate Basis for Registration must take the Dissertation in Psychology. (MUST be taken in Final Year)

Select exactly 40 credits from each of Psychology and Economics Level 10 courses as available

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

• Freshers’ week induction programme for general orientation and introduction to study skills and learning resources.

• Extensive library and related IT and data resources in the nearby University Library.

• Computing resources are available in extensive open access labs run by the University Information Services, located in the Central Area as well as at the Pollock Halls of Residence.

• All students have e-mail, which facilitates easy communication with academic and administrative staff. Generous office-hour provision allows easy personal contact with teaching staff outside formal classes.

• Economics maintain a help desk staffed by selected Senior Honours students. Psychology have a parenting program, mentoring freshers by pairing them with 3rd and 4th year students.

• All students on the programme are allocated to a Personal Tutor, whose role is to provide advice and guidance on academic and personal matters. They are assisted by Student Support Officers who are able to assist students with routine queries, such as confirmation of attendance and course enrolments, and can provide factual references (for tenancies, bank accounts etc). Student Support Officers are available during normal office hours and are usually a student's first port of call.

• University support services include the Advice Place (run by the Students’ Association), the Student Counselling Service, Chaplaincy Centre, the Disability Office, Accommodation Services, International Office.

• Active student societies including, the Economic Society, AIESEC (an international business society), and the Trading and Investment Club, provide valuable social fora and opportunities for further developing important career-related skills and links.

• Careers’ advice is provided by the well-regarded University Careers Service. In addition to general services and courses, the Careers Service also participates in programme-related guidance sessions organised by the School.

Assessment methods and strategies

All forms of assessment place great emphasis on research and enquiry. Examinations (including multiple choice exams) are designed to test the ability to analyse psychological and economic questions and evaluate understanding of psychological and economic phenomena, by challenging students to adapt and apply their knowledge and understanding, rather than rewarding memorization and regurgitation. Essays, project work and the dissertation also emphasize skills and abilities relating to research and enquiry.

Career opportunities

Graduates in Psychology and Economics from the University of Edinburgh will developed and demonstrated skills and abilities in research and enquiry relating multiple career opportunities including: Clinical psychology, Counseling psychology, educational psychology, HR, Health psychology.

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