Why study psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and experience. It will give you a better understanding of the way people think and why people behave in certain ways.

The mind is something intangible that exists within our brain but why is it that some people suffer from stress or mental illness? Why are some considered abnormal for deviating from social norms? Why do we forget things or react aggressively? What enables us to develop our gender identity and is nature or nurture more important in determining our personality traits? Psychology looks at questions like these and more. It is a fascinating science with cutting edge research that has real world applications.

Arguably it is difficult to see how any of us can hold down relationships, interact with others, raise children, work with other people at school and beyond without having an understanding of ‘what makes people tick’. An awareness of how our upbringing may shape us may make us more understanding of others’ behaviour and hence more tolerant of their differences.

What our students say

“I love the range of topics covered, from developmental psychology, through social psychology to more scientific topics such as why we sleep.” Roisin

“I like finding out why we do certain things and behave in certain ways.” Katie

“Psychology makes me look at the world differently.” Jess

“Psychology is amazing! Studying it at GSAL has informed my university choice – psychology.” Charlotte

Entry requirements

Grade 6 in GCSE science and maths. Grade 5 in English.