Open University

Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology

Knowledge and understanding

When you have completed this certificate you will have a basic awareness of:

• The core domains within psychology as specified by the relevant professional bodies
• The types of evidence and research methods used in psychology
• Ethical issues in psychology
• How psychology is relevant to everyday experience.

Cognitive skills

When you have completed this certificate you will be able to:

• Interpret and use appropriately selected key terms and concepts in psychology
• Evaluate types of evidence and methods, and identify some of their strengths and weaknesses
• Read and interpret some different forms of data, including engaging with descriptive statistics and recognising the relevance of inferential statistics
• Form and argument based on psychological research findings or illustrative cases.

Practical and/or professional skills

When you have completed this certificate you will be able to:

• Reflect on the process of learning and engage with feedback received from previous work
• Demonstrate an awareness of how psychology, and the skills acquired when studying psychology, can be useful in the workplace
• Plan study and manage a sequence of work that meets a deadline.

Key skills

When you have completed this certificate you will be able to:

• Write a well structured essay and a brief report that summarise effectively and concisely, and recognise the importance of acknowledging sources
• Communicate information accurately and appropriately to the subject, purpose and audience, using a variety of forms including essays and reports
• Recognise the importance of acknowledging sources
• Interpret information from basic tables, graphs, charts and diagrams
• Demonstrate basic skills in the use of ICT including accessing and searching web pages and using ICT tools appropriate to support distance learning (accessing email and learning from online-based study materials).

This certificate of higher education has one stage comprising 120 credits.

You’ll begin by choosing between a 60-credit introduction to the social sciences or childhood studies, followed by a compulsory 60-credit core psychology module.

Stage 1 (120 credits)

You’ll choose one from:

• Exploring psychological worlds: thinking, feeling, doing (D110)
• Introducing the social sciences (DD102)
• Introduction to childhood studies and child psychology (E104)

You'll complete your certificate with:

• Encountering psychology in context (D120)

Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

• Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

• You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.
• They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.
• Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

• The final, marked piece of work on most modules.
• Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

• Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.
• You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.
• Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or at an alternative location.
• If a module requires you to take a face-to-face exam, this will be made clear in the module description, and you will be required to take your exam in person at one of our exam centres.

Skills for career development

Studying this qualification introduces the fundamental conceptual issues in psychology and the different ways in which psychological knowledge can be constructed. You'll learn how to use, evaluate and present evidence and data, and appreciate how psychologists use evidence-based research to contribute to debates on ageing, crime, education, employment, forensic science, mental health and relationships. You'll also develop many transferable and work-related skills that are highly valued by employers.

These include:

• Communication
• Numeracy
• Accessing and interpreting information
• Constructing arguments
• Presenting and communicating information.
• IT and Data handling
• Application of learning to real-world problems and situations
• Time management
• Independent learning.

Career relevance

Psychology students gain an impressive breadth of knowledge and skills that make them highly employable in a wide range of careers, such as:

• Advertising
• Marketing
• Career counselling
• Education
• The health professions
• Human resources
• Management
• Police and Social Services.

With our unique approach to distance learning, you can study from home, work or on the move.

You’ll have some assessment deadlines to meet, but otherwise, you’ll be free to study at the times that suit you, fitting your learning around work, family, and social life.

For each of your modules, you’ll use either just online resources or a mix of online and printed materials.

Each module you study will have a module website with

• A week-by-week study planner, giving you a step-by-step guide through your studies
• Course materials such as reading, videos, recordings, and self-assessed activities
• Module forums for discussions and collaborative activities with other students
• Details of each assignment and their due dates
• A tutorial booking system, online tutorial rooms, and your tutor’s contact details
• Online versions of some printed module materials and resources.