Psychology
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Psychology Summer Courses
Explore the science behind how people think, feel and behave with Atlas Summer Courses. Our two-week Psychology summer courses, available for students aged 13–15, 16–17 and 18–24, give you the opportunity to investigate human behaviour, thought and emotion from an academic perspective.
Through discussion, analysis and independent study, you'll explore psychological ideas and research while developing your ability to evaluate evidence, question assumptions and think critically about why people behave the way they do.
What's Included?
Your residential Psychology summer course includes academic teaching, accommodation, meals, a certificate on completion, airport transfer from Heathrow and insurance.
Choose from Plus, Superior and Premier packages, with accommodation and additional benefits varying by package.
What Is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. It explores how people think, learn, remember, make decisions, experience emotions and interact with others.
The subject draws on scientific research to investigate questions about individuals and groups. Psychologists may examine everything from memory and perception to development, social behaviour and the relationship between the brain and behaviour.
Studying psychology also means learning how evidence is gathered and evaluated. Rather than relying on assumptions about why people behave in certain ways, you'll consider how researchers develop theories, design studies and use evidence to investigate psychological questions.
A Psychology summer course gives you the opportunity to explore these ideas beyond your usual studies and discover the breadth of a subject that connects science with questions about human experience.
What Will You Study on a Psychology Summer Course?
There is no prescribed syllabus that every student follows. Atlas Summer Courses tutors create their own syllabi, drawing on their expertise while taking the interests, abilities and learning needs of their students into account.
Depending on your course and age group, you could explore areas such as memory, learning, perception, decision-making, development, social psychology or the relationship between the brain and behaviour.
You might consider questions such as:
- How reliable is human memory?
- Why do people behave differently in groups?
- How do we learn and develop throughout our lives?
- What influences the decisions we make?
- How does the brain relate to behaviour?
- How can psychologists investigate human thought and behaviour scientifically?
The depth and approach will reflect the age group you're studying with. Tutors can also develop the course around their own areas of expertise and the interests of their students.
Any syllabus shown on our website is an example from a previous course rather than a guarantee of the exact topics you'll study.
How You'll Learn on a Psychology Summer Course
How you'll study Psychology depends on your age group, with each programme designed to provide an appropriate level of academic challenge and independence.
Ages 13–15
24 hours of small-group seminars
You'll take part in eight seminars where you'll explore psychological ideas through interactive discussion, case studies and activities. You'll be encouraged to ask questions, examine evidence and develop your own explanations.
12 hours of private study
Between seminars, you'll complete independent work that could involve reading, researching a psychological question, analysing information or preparing a presentation.
Ages 16–17 and 18–24
18 hours of small-group seminars
You'll take part in six three-hour seminars, exploring psychological theories, research and questions through discussion, case studies and activities.
2 hours of tutorials
You'll have one tutorial each week, providing a focused environment in which to discuss the essay or problem sheet you've been working on and receive detailed feedback.
Around 20 hours of private study
You'll complete reading in preparation for seminars and work independently on an essay or problem sheet for each tutorial.
Across all age groups, you'll be encouraged to participate actively, engage critically with evidence and develop the confidence to form and communicate your own arguments.
Who Are Our Psychology Summer Courses For?
Our Psychology summer courses are designed for students who are curious about people and want to understand more about the science behind human thought and behaviour.
You don't need to have studied Psychology before. The course may particularly appeal to you if you're interested in why people behave differently, how the mind works or how researchers investigate questions about thought, emotion and behaviour.
You'll develop transferable skills including critical thinking, analysing evidence, evaluating research, independent study and communicating complex ideas clearly.
Learn from Expert Tutors
Atlas Summer Courses tutors are experienced educators and subject specialists active across academia, industry and education.
They bring their own academic expertise and interests into their teaching and have the freedom to shape their syllabus around both their specialism and the students in their group. This allows each Psychology summer course to explore different areas of the subject while maintaining an appropriate level of academic challenge.
Tutors are confirmed closer to the summer, so profiles on our website are examples of tutors who have previously taught with us rather than confirmation of who will teach your course.
Where Can Psychology Take You?
Psychology connects with a wide range of subjects across the sciences and social sciences.
Students interested in the field may go on to study Psychology itself or related subjects such as neuroscience, cognitive science, behavioural science, education or other social and biological sciences.
Psychology can also lead towards a wide range of fields, including psychological research, education, business, behavioural science and other roles where understanding people, evidence and decision-making is valuable.
A Psychology summer course gives you the opportunity to explore the subject before making longer-term academic decisions and discover which areas of psychology interest you most.
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FAQs about Our Summer Courses
No. You don't usually need to have studied your chosen subject before joining an Atlas Summer Courses summer course. Courses are designed for the relevant age group, and tutors can adapt their approach to the abilities, interests and experience of the students in their group.
There is no fixed curriculum that every student follows. Our tutors create their own syllabi based on their academic expertise and the interests and learning needs of their students.
This means the exact topics can vary between courses and years. Any syllabus or topics shown on our website are examples from previous courses and shouldn't be taken as a guarantee of exactly what you'll study.
Teaching depends on your age group. Students aged 9–12 and Scholars aged 12–14 learn through structured, interactive small-group classes. Students aged 13–15 combine small-group seminars with private study, while students aged 16–17 and 18–24 experience seminars, tutorials and independent study.
Across our programmes, teaching is designed to encourage active participation, questioning and independent thinking rather than simply listening to lectures.
Your course includes your academic programme, accommodation, meals and a certificate on completion, alongside the activities and experiences included within your programme.
What's included can vary depending on the programme, age group and package you choose, so we recommend checking the individual course details for the full inclusions before applying.
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Choose from over 40 subjects taught through flexible, age-appropriate programmes. Our tutors adapt their teaching methodologies to different age groups and shape course content around students’ interests, rather than following a fixed curriculum.
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