Psychology and Publishing

This course will help you understand how today's publishing industry works and gain the skills you need to get your work — or the work of others — to market. 

You will study an intellectually challenging and inspiring degree to become an effective, skilled and forward-thinking psychologist whilst exploring the creative and dynamic world of publishing. 

Combining publishing expertise with psychological theories means you will have an advantage in understanding the human mind and behaviour. You will have the opportunity to take your business and creative skills to the next level by applying your psychology knowledge to commercial-focused problems and ideas. 

With a team of enthusiastic and experienced lecturers, your learning will be underpinned by internationally renowned research activities and your modules will feature the latest thinking and contemporary materials. 

Publishing blends the creative and the commercial 

The world needs writers and publishers. The UK market for written information and creative content is significant to cultural and political life, as well as economic growth. We live in a fast-changing society where carefully curated and diverse content is more important than ever. The publishing industry is rapidly adapting to this evolving digital marketplace – it is a resilient, creative and global industry that relies on commercially and digitally aware professionals. 

In today's publishing industry, authors, editors, literary agents and other professionals need to collaborate with each other to an unprecedented degree. If they have an understanding of each other’s roles and priorities, they can do this well. That’s why this course looks at the industry from both the perspective of the writer and the perspective of the publishing professional. 

 Specialist facilities  

Our Psychology facilities are used for both teaching and research. They include computing labs with specialist software for designing experiments and research. You'll use a range of psychological recording equipment such as the latest eye-tracker equipment for analysing eye movement and our Babylab for ethical research with babies and young children.   

Accredited course* 

British Psychological Society accreditation means we're delivering a high standard of psychology education. It shows we've met BPS standards for course content and design, and student development. It also means you can apply for BPS student membership. This provides:  

• Access to networking opportunities  
• The BPS student online community  
• Discounts on books  
• Events and e-learning  
• Academic journals  
• The chance to transfer to graduate membership free of charge after completing your degree  

And you will have the opportunity to progress to accredited postgraduate qualifications and training to gain chartered membership of the BPS.  

For students to receive the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS), students need to do the following:  

• Choose a Psychology major pathway with all prescribed modules  
• Obtain at least a 40% overall for the Independent Study in Psychology  
• Obtain at least a lower second-class degree 

What is a Joint Honours degree?

A Joint Honours degree offers students the opportunity to study two subjects.

A Joint Honours degree is a great option if:

• You want to study two subjects you’re passionate about
• You’ve got a specific career in mind and want to create a tailored degree to prepare you for the future
• You want to study a new subject alongside one you’re already familiar with

The modules below indicate the range of modules you may study as part of this combination, however prescribed and optional modules will vary depending on whether you choose to study both subjects equally, or choose to major or minor in a subject. To find out exactly which modules you would study as part of your chosen combination please contact jhs@derby.ac.uk.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

For Psychology modules, you will learn from lecturers and tutors who are carrying out research designed to offer fresh perspectives on issues that are significant at every stage of life. Your lecturers bring their latest thinking to your studies. And, in some cases, you’ll have opportunities to get involved in research projects yourself. Quality inspectors have commended us for being “at the forefront of technology-enhanced learning” in Psychology. 

For Publishing modules, you will learn through a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials, creative writing workshops, project work, technology-enhanced learning, peer reviews and presentations. We also arrange visits to literary festivals, local and national museums, cultural heritage sites and other areas of interest for 'location writing' exercises. 

How you are assessed 

For Publishing modules you will mostly be assessed by coursework which could include written work such as stories, poetry, scripts, blogs and press articles, traditional essays and presentations. 

For Psychology modules, you’ll be assessed mainly through assignments, via essays, posters, presentations, and reports. You may also have to take some exams. These can include essay questions, multiple choice and short answer questions. 

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skills area)

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

You will typically study your two subjects equally at stage one, before choosing whether you want to major in one subject at stages two and three.

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

Other courses you might like

• English BA (Hons)
• Psychology BSc (Hons)
• Creative Writing and Publishing BA (Hons)
• Psychology and Business Management BA/BSc (Hons)