Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences

I loved Coventry University and everything that went along with being a student. The biggest thing for me is how I became a more mature and capable young adult through a mixture of living away from home and being responsible for my own education.

I was a student ambassador for psychology at the university and I also acted as a research assistant along with three of my friends - As Sport Psychology students we were looking into ‘coach to athlete communication’ with the goal of publishing our research.

The course itself had a great combination of PE and Psychology, which attracted me to the degree, the staff were always there to help me and they had a huge impact on how much I enjoyed the course.

There is a lot on offer outside your course so you can get involved in extracurricular activities on and off campus. There’s lots of potential work around and social opportunities too including: clubs, pubs, cinemas and I’d recommend going to see the Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey team.

Coventry is a brilliant place to live and work, the University offers a huge range of courses to suit pretty much everyone – do it and make the most of it!

I’ve always been interested in crime and trying to find out the reasons behind criminal activity. After reading the course content in the prospectus I started to take an interest in Coventry.

When I came to look around the lecturers were really helpful. I had a meeting with the course leader and she explained the course really well and it seemed to be exactly what I wanted to do as I have always been interested in going into the police.

My interest in crime set high expectations for the course and I definitely think Criminology has fulfilled that. I’m not one hundred percent sure what I want to do after my degree but the lecturers have always been there to help and talk about the options. I will probably do a Masters in Criminology because I thought so highly of the course.

I think the course will help me to get the job I want in the future and doing the masters will bring the competition right down – especially within the police because although you still have to do your two years on the beat, once you are in there you can work your way up the ranks more quickly with a degree. If you haven’t done the degree you don’t know about community safety and other topics that we have covered, so there is a definite advantage there.

I really enjoyed the course, the lecturers are always there to support you and you can go to them any time to go through your work or talk about any issues. I think it is very important in a degree to have lecturers that are supportive and encouraging and I definitely think the criminology staff are excellent at this.

My favourite aspect of the course has been the mental health related material. This year we have been studying people with mental health as victims and that is what got me interested in the topic area to cover it for my dissertation. We also studied prisons and the criminal justice system and had a daytrip to a local prison where we spent the whole day looking around the various cells and different units. The course covers a broad range of topics so there is always going to be something that you can engage with; there is something for everyone.

After a visit to West Midlands Police I became interested in joining in the police but was told I did not have enough experience. I decided to do a degree that would strengthen my application in a few years time. Unfortunately the police are not recruiting this year so I will now do a PGCE that will allow me to keep my options open and have something to fall back on if I don’t like the police.

I’m local to Coventry and wanted to stay at home so the Criminology course was an obvious choice for the career I had in mind. The course has exceeded my expectations and been even more enjoyable than I thought it would be. There is loads of discussion and they try to get you involved with activities that draw you in to the subject. I remember on the mental health module the lecturer got us to draw a stereotypical mental health sufferer to get us thinking about our perceptions of mental health against a true representation of reality.

The staff have are supportive and if you have any problems they are willing to help. This year in particular I have had a lot of help from lectures. When I struggled on a particular part of the work - I just sent them what my ideas were and they got back to me with plenty of help and advice.

I love working with offenders and wanted to go into that field of work. I thought Criminology would be a good degree to equip me to do that in the future.  I had already worked with young offenders on some estates in London last year when I was doing volunteer work with a Christian organisation, so after having tried it I knew I wanted to work in that area.

As a Christian I felt like Coventry was the right place to come. I can’t really explain why but it felt right. When I came for the open day, the course leader explained what the course was all about and it sounded interesting. It has really met the criteria of what I was looking for. There is a lot of research involved but I really enjoy doing that.

I particularly enjoy the workshops where we sit down in groups and discuss an issue. Like, we might talk about prisons, and whether prisons work and the implications and ethical issues behind that. There is a good balance between lectures and seminars but a lot of the work is done off your own back and going away and doing the reading - which I love doing.

As a first year I am looking forward to going into more depth with the work, which is scary but good at the same time as I like to be challenged.

The staff have got a lot of experience. Some of them have worked in serious organisations – like Tony (Colombo) has worked with the FBI and it is the same for the other lecturers. It is not just someone with a degree; they have actually got to a position where they can speak with authority in the classroom. They are all very, very good and I am not just saying that. They know what they are talking about.

I’d love to work with young offenders in the future as I have a real heart for that area but working with offenders in general is something I would want to do. I’m working with Victim Support at the moment and have just done training with them so even working with victims is something I could see myself doing. I don’t have a specific career in mind at the moment but just something in that area. Next year I will be able to pick what modules I want to do and that will allow me to specialise a bit more.

The course is quite specific but if you have a real want to work in the area of crime then I would say definitely do it.

Since I first moved to Coventry I have gained a lot of independence through living away from home. I have developed my understanding of Psychology through studying all areas in a lot more depth than was covered in previous education, I have developed my time management and planning skills for coursework and exams, and have increasingly become aware of deadlines and workloads.

I really wanted to study something I was passionate about, and so far I have really enjoyed the Psychology course. It is extremely interesting and there is always something to read up on in your spare time and plenty to keep your mind occupied! This is a really popular degree, there is always someone to talk to and it’s really easy to make friends.

One of the reasons I chose Coventry over the other universities I visited was the fact that all of the staff and students were so friendly and approachable from day one. At some universities the lecturers were on a higher level than the students, but here at Coventry the staff treat the students as friends and they are all so easy to talk to about anything from coursework to personal issues. They are always willing to help, and all lecturers have office hours where you can either drop in to ask a few questions, or book an appointment to talk about anything that you don’t understand.  The staff also provides a lot of support for students in terms of careers and future aspirations.

As a third year student at Coventry University I feel that I have developed a number of valuable skills which will put me at an advantage above others in the world of work. Throughout the course I feel that I have developed a mature approach to studying which has emphasised self motivation, time management and the ability to utilise resources effectively. I have also enhanced communication skills essential for conveying ideas clearly to both peers and members of the academic community. I feel that these skills will provide me with a competitive edge when seeking future employment.
Academic staff have made the University experience exciting, challenging and stimulating. The department is fortunate to have lecturers whom are extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate, this has the effect of enthusing you into sharing that passion and developing your own interests and ideas. Faculty staff are extremely approachable and can be reached in their office hours and by phone and email outside of them. Personal tutors are provided throughout the course which provides a support network which is invaluable at all times for anything specific which you may need to ask. This support has allowed me to become confident in my studies and any questions that I may have I know exactly where to go and whom to ask in order to get the answers.

As I approach the end of my final year at Coventry University I feel excited and confident in my ability to stand out in the graduate market.  My time at the university has given me skills both as an academic writer and a researcher.  I have gained a solid knowledge base across a range of approaches to Psychology and as I progressed through the course I was able to narrow my developing interests and choose from a wide range of module choices in third year.  The option of tailoring my own learning was extremely attractive as a prospective student and the reality did not disappoint.

The faculty staff members are all research active and continually update their teaching based upon what they observe changing in the field.  The faculty is a very friendly one and staff are keen to help students seeking work experience - I have been fortunate to be involved in a number of projects since my first year and I would highly recommend that all Psychology students take advantage of the opportunities available to them in terms of research experience.  I definitely feel that doing this was well worth the extra effort, especially in terms of helping me to apply taught theory with the reality of conducting research.  Furthermore these experiences have helped me to develop my own interests: I came to University with a keen interest in Counselling psychology which has now been supplemented by an additional interest in the biological explanations of psychology. 

My experience at Coventry University has been extremely positive both in terms of the knowledge that I have acquired, the skills that I have developed and the change of career that I now hope to achieve. Coming back in to education as a mature student I felt that I was able to build on my existing skill set whilst developing new skills alongside this. Whilst completing my 3 year BSc course in Psychology and Criminology and subsequent MSc in Forensic Psychology I was given the opportunity to advance my critical thinking, analytical ability and the skill to express this in written reports and assignment. Other skills that were developed included the aptitude to work within a group of individuals and to gain confidence presenting material to others. In addition the range and choice of modules that were available to study, particularly in my final year, offered not only the opportunity to investigate a variety of different areas but the chance to tailor the degree to cater for my individual interests and strengths. My positive experience at university and the academic learning that I achieved was accomplished because of the support of the staff within the faculty. They provided an excellent platform for learning due to the quality of their lecturing and because of the variety and depth of their specialist knowledge. Due to the approachability of the members of staff throughout the department there was plenty of opportunity to take advantage of their knowledge and skill base in order to develop my own academic aptitude. This was particularly valuable when completing my dissertations.

A lot of the psychology courses that I looked at were very focused towards a single perspective. At Coventry, the lecturers were from a variety of backgrounds, and I wanted to keep my mind and my options open. The staff were really good - both friendly and helpful.

The facilities at Coventry are great. There is a massive library, plenty of open access rooms, a well-equipped sports centre and a really good Students’ Union. Also within the Psychology Department we had access to labs, observation rooms and interview rooms whenever we needed them.

Travelling to university was really easy for me. I walked in most of the time, but there was usually parking available when I decided to drive. Living at home made it easier financially, and I didn’t feel like I was missing out socially.

Studying Psychology and undertaking the work placements involved has helped me to shape my career aspirations. Originally I wanted to work towards a career in clinical psychology, but I am now aiming for a career in health psychology.

University was a great experience. I met lots of different people, made some really good friends and took away a very valuable degree.

My chosen course was accredited by the British Psychological Society, and encompassed all elements of Psychology - which is bonus as not all universities offer this in Psychology.  During my course there were many opportunities for undergraduates relating to applied aspects of Psychology which, in the long term, aid securing a paid job in the subject.

I was taken aback by my course at Coventry University. The first few days of being there were sufficient to convince me I was in the perfect place to follow my career path. The facilities were everything and more required for a smooth and constructive three years of study.

I am currently studying for an MSc in Health Psychology as means of satisfying my passion for health research.  The University awarded me a scholarship to study my masters upon achieving a 1st class degree, which is a bonus. Alongside my MSc I am a lecturer in a college teaching mature students, which is an extremely rewarding experience.

My experience at Coventry University was fantastic, and the best 3 years of my life.  I was offered a place to study an MSc at the University of Warwick which is a highly competitive course, but I still chose Coventry. I wouldn’t change my university experience at Coventry for the world.