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Psychological and Behavioural Sciences

Welcome to the Psychological and Behavioural Sciences subject page at King’s. Here you will find an overview of the Cambridge course, information about studying PBS at King's, the teaching, and what will happen when you apply.

PBS at Cambridge

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences is a three-year course covering social, developmental, biological and behavioural psychology within the broader context of the behavioural sciences. It will appeal to students interested in the development of social behaviour, psychopathology, cognitive psychology, language, brain mechanisms, gender, family relationships and influences, personality and group social behaviour amongst many other topics.

In the first year (Part I), students take two compulsory papers introducing them to psychology and psychological inquiry and methods, and two optional papers selected from Humans in Biological Perspective; Language, Communication and Literacy; Evolution and Behaviour; Analysis of Politics; British Economic History; and an introduction to Computer Science.

In the second year (Part IIA) all students take four papers. Everybody studies social psychology plus a specialist paper chosen from a range of about nineteen options including biological or social anthropology, sociology, criminology, the sociology of education etc. For the two remaining papers students can either take Biological and Cognitive Psychology and a second specialist topic, or choose Experimental Psychology and undertake a research project (assessed by a 5,000 word essay).

In the final year (Part IIB) all students undertake a research dissertation (6,000 - 10,000 words) on a psychology topic of their choice as well as three further papers which may be selected from the Part IIA specialist list which includes Development and Psychopathology, Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, or additional psychology papers.

Further details of the course and options are available on the PBS course website.

PBS at King's

King's has always admitted a particularly large number of students in Psychology and related disciplines and provides a stimulating and supportive intellectual environment both inside and outside of the formal course curricula.

PBS students would normally attend two lectures a week for each paper as well as one or two college supervisions where they discuss written work and develop their reasoning and ideas. You may like to read further details of how teaching works.

When doing research for essays and dissertations, students have access to library resources and many welcoming places to work in King's. A virtual tour of King's College Library is available. Electronic resources are also excellent with high speed internet connections in student rooms and wi-fi in the library and public areas of college. Some papers include a practical element, which is carried out in Faculty laboratories. King's is conveniently situated just a few minutes walk from the Psychology laboratories, specialist libraries and lecture theatres, as well as the University Library.

After the course, many students pursue further study and research. PBS graduates are eligible for admission to professional courses in clinical, educational, forensic, or applied psychology. Other King's students have opted for alternative careers: the skills and knowledge you acquire on the PBS course could lead to careers in the media, management, government administration, finance or business, for example.

King's PBS Fellows

Mirjana Bozic

Mirjana Bozic is a lecturer in the Department of Experimental Psychology. Her research focuses on language as a cognitive and neural system. She investigates the neural processes that support language comprehension, trying to understand how the underlying brain architecture supports the processing of linguistic information, and the nature of mental computations required for successful comprehension. 

David Good

David Good is a lecturer in the Department of Social and Developmental Psychology. Hs is interested in how our understanding of human communication can contribute to the design and use of new informational and communication technologies, as well as the role of social factors in the evolution of language and intelligence.

Applying to study PBS

We welcome applications for King's PBS from a wide range of academic backgrounds in the UK and beyond. Candidates are assessed strictly on the basis of their academic promise. 

There are no particular subject requirements: Mathematics, science subjects such as Biology, Chemistry or Physics, and humanities subjects will all be useful preparation for this course and Psychology is not a requirement. King's standard offer levels for a range of qualifications are listed on the entrance requirements page and general subject advice is available in our Subject Matters leaflet.

Please read the how to apply page thoroughly for detailed information about the application process and timetable. After applying through UCAS, candidates for PBS are asked to submit three pieces of written work. Most candidates are invited for interviews in early December. King's candidates are asked to collect a text to read and think about in the half hour before your interview. You will then discuss the text with the interviewers.

Reading and resources

Further information

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