Psychology students at Aberdeen University are worried that sudden changes to the course offerings have put their careers in jeopardy.
And some students who are here studying internationally said they might have to stay on for an extra year.
The confusion started when Aberdeen dropped three courses from the listing just weeks before classes were due to start.
A group of fourth-year students have said these courses – described as practical or clinical courses mostly – are only available to fourth-years.
They’ve written to the British Psychological Society (BPS) for help, saying that students are considering transferring or deferring.
The university has said that they cancelled the courses because of unforeseen staffing issues. They maintain that none of the dropped courses are necessary for the degree programme.
Students say that, necessary or not, the courses provide experience that often proves to be a difference maker in job and postgraduate applications.
But only if they have the credits to back it up.
Students are ‘desperately’ considering other options
In a letter to BPS, seen by the P&J, students voiced concerns about having to alter their graduation timelines. Otherwise, they might end up filling their time with courses that don’t meet their needs.
“Many students also fear that being forced to choose courses that are not of interest and subjects that they may be weaker in, will have a devastating effect on their overall GPA and degree classification,” they wrote.
They added that this could “affect future prospects of further study in an extremely competitive field.”
The three courses in question are:
- Counselling Psychology
- Clinical Psychology in Action
- Emotion and Ageing in Social Cognition
Students said that, even though other courses touch on these subjects, they need clear proof of expertise on their transcripts.
Staff departures blamed for changes
In a letter to Level Four Psychology students sent on 7 September, Aberdeen University acknowledged that these courses were “mistakenly available for a short time” on the university’s registration portal.
Students were especially concerned by the removal of Counselling Psychology and Clinical Psychology in Action.
One student said that these courses typically provide practical experience and training, which can provide a competitive advantage when applying for jobs and further degrees.
Another student, who is studying internationally and plans to return home to Germany after completing her degree, said that she faces an even more difficult position.
Without some of these courses, professionals and universities back home aren’t guaranteed to recognise her degree from Aberdeen. She said that clinical psychology training is an essential part of the German Psychological Association’s requirements.
Although other courses touch on clinical theory, she may now need to justify how her experiences can satisfy the requirements set by the German association.
She said that she would have tried transferring to another university, or otherwise fulfilling the requirements elsewhere.
But transfer windows were closed by the time Aberdeen cancelled the classes.
‘No changes’ to degree requirements
The university’s website states that courses might change for a variety of reasons. One is changes in staffing, such as “staff illness or staff departures where the specialist nature of teaching means it is not possible to cover from existing resources and alternative courses are not available.”
A University spokesperson said that courses can change each year, subject to a review process. But they added that the four missing courses don’t affect Aberdeen University’s degree requirements for psychology.
“There have been no changes to the degree programme that would prevent students from pursuing post-graduate study or a career in psychology.
“We understand that some students are disappointed that some courses are not available this year, however the topics within them are taught within the curriculum so students do still learn about these subjects.”
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