Mind, Brain and Behaviour
Expand your psychology knowledge, specifically about the complexity of mind, brain and behaviour with our online short course.
Mind, Brain and Behaviour is an online standalone module that will give you the skills needed to understand the interactions between our minds, brains, environments, and experiences. You will learn how these influence human behaviours by applying the biopsychosocial model to complex questions and behavioural trends.
The module explores individual differences, conceptual and historical issues in psychology, and research methods, as specified in the British Psychological Society’s curriculum.
You will be encouraged to integrate different viewpoints and develop the ability to critically evaluate psychological theory and research findings on the topic. You will also learn how to incorporate ethics, reflexivity, and professionalism as core values in your practice.
This module is your gateway to a full master’s degree and upon successful completion, you will be eligible to progress onto our Mental Health Psychology or Organisational and Business Psychology programmes.
What will I study?
The following topics are covered in Mind, Brain, and Behaviour:
- Psychology and The Scientific Study of Human Behaviour
- Examining the Scientific Status of Psychology
- Critically Analysing Conceptual and Historical Paradigms in Psychology
- The Biopsychosocial Model: Theories and Perspectives
- The Biopsychosocial Model: Applying Theory to Practice
- Ethics, Professional Practice and Regulation in Psychology
- The Social and Cultural Construction of Psychology: Political and Cross-Cultural Issues
- The Social and Cultural Construction of Psychology: Cross-Cultural Psychology
Mind, Brain and Behaviour is the ideal gateway to a master’s degree. On successful completion you will be eligible to progress to our Mental Health Psychology or Organisational and Business Psychology programmes.
You do not require any previous qualifications or work experience to undertake this module, but any relevant professional experience will benefit your study experience.
You must provide evidence that you have an English language ability equivalent to an IELTS (academic) score of 6.5. If you do not have an IELTS or equivalent certificate, you can take our free online English test to assess your proficiency. You do not need to prove your English ability if you are a national of, or have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree within the last two years in any of these countries.
Fees for the academic year 2025/26
£1,447
These fees* are fully inclusive of all costs, including all teaching materials, core textbooks, assessments and resits.
*All tuition fees shown are net of any applicable sales tax payable by you in your country of residence. Where we are required to add sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the tuition fees shown and confirmed.
Teaching and assessment
The learning, teaching, and assessment strategies for all online programmes are aligned with the three University of Liverpool Hallmarks of research-connected teaching, active learning and authentic assessment – as well as the three University of Liverpool Graduate Attributes of confidence, digital fluency and global citizenship.
Teaching methods
Studying online allows you to study in your own time and from wherever works best for you – whether that is from your home, during your lunch hour or anywhere else you have internet access.
All our online programmes are delivered through a specially designed online learning platform. This allows 24/7 access to your study materials, which includes:
- innovative lecturecasts consisting of audio recordings, infographics, videos, animation, short tasks, and written content
- a comprehensive eLibrary of ebooks and academic journals
- forums for you to discuss programme content with peers
- support from academic staff and a dedicated Student Support team
Assessments
Online programmes are assessed based on work carried out in the virtual classroom. Reflecting the hallmark of authentic assessment, this may include report writing, reflective practice, research projects, and individual or group presentations that represent the kinds of tasks you would be expected to undertake in a professional setting.
We are committed to:
- providing frequent and transparent feedback
- ensuring our assessment criteria are simple and clear
- making it easy for you to clearly view your marks in your gradebook when you log into the learning platform
- delivering provisional marks and feedback of assessed work usually within seven days for taught modules
- ensuring academic support through weekly lecturer office hours
- providing access to our Student Support team, with whom you can discuss any concerns or issues
Online learning experience
We will support your online learning experience with high-quality learning materials and resources, which can all be found on our state-of-the-art virtual learning platform.
Typically, your learning experience will include the following:
- directed learning – including participation in virtual discussions with peers, led by the lecturer, working through relevant and specially prepared videos and lecturecasts; completing interactive exercises on the learning platform; appointments with your lecturer during office hours
- self-directed learning – including wider reading and research in your subject area to further develop your knowledge and understanding
- assessment – time taken to prepare and complete assignments and activities which contribute to your overall assessment
Study duration
Our Mind, brain and behaviour online short course has an approximate study duration of 10 weeks, studied online and part-time.
Academic staff
We are committed to delivering an enriching online study experience, and all our lecturers are experienced subject specialists with demonstrated learning and teaching proficiency.
They play an integral part in ensuring the latest theories and research feature in our programmes and are dedicated to providing a high level of support throughout your studies.
All lecturers and supervisors are honorary faculty at the University of Liverpool.
Discover more about our key academic staff and their experience.
Quality and assurance
As one of the Russell Group’s 24 members, the University of Liverpool is recognised as a world-class, research-intensive institution, that adheres to strict quality standards.
The University is registered with the Office for Students and an established member of the Quality Assurance for Higher Education.
Apply for Mind, Brain and Behaviour by completing a simple online application form.
You will also need to provide evidence of your English language ability, equivalent to an IELTS (academic) score of 6.5.
If you do not have an IELTS or equivalent certificate, you can take our free online English test to assess your proficiency. Please note, you do not need to prove your English ability if you are a national of, or have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree within the last two years in any of these countries.
You must also submit an official form of photo ID with your application (e.g. your passport, driving licence or government ID).
Students with disabilities
We welcome applications from students with disabilities and consider them on the same academic grounds as those of other students. If you have a disability, medical condition and/or support needs it is important that you inform us so that you receive appropriate support.
Deadlines
We have regular start dates throughout the year with regular application deadlines. Applicants are encouraged to apply in good time, particularly if they have special requirements.
A background in psychology is useful for a wide range of careers, particularly for roles in mental health and wellbeing.
After successful completion of the online short course, you can progress onto one of the following psychology master’s programmes: Organisational and Business Psychology or Mental Health Psychology programmes.
Please note, additional entry requirements are needed to progress onto our BPS-accredited Psycholgy (Conversion) programme.
The Department of Psychology at the University of Liverpool is one of the UK’s oldest academic psychology departments, having been established in 1947. We are known for our world-class research, which is focused on improving the health, wellbeing, and lives of societies across the globe. Today we are one of the UK’s leading psychology departments. The latest Research Excellence Framework 2021 placed us joint 1st in the UK for our world-leading (4*) environment and ranked top 10 in the UK for Research Power.
By studying online with Liverpool, you can gain a highly regarded qualification from a prestigious redbrick university and a member of the Russell Group, a group of 24 research-led UK universities committed to maintaining the highest possible standards of research and education. You will acquire new skills and knowledge, all while continuing to work in your current role.
The University of Liverpool has been offering online programmes since 2000. We are recognised as one of Europe’s leading providers of wholly online postgraduate degrees. All our programmes are designed for online delivery, and our state-of-the-art learning platform encourages collaboration with fellow professionals from around the world.
