Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
Why study PBS at Emmanuel College?
Studying Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (PBS) offers a strong combination of a leading academic course and supportive college life.
PBS is an interdisciplinary degree covering cognitive, social, developmental and biological psychology, alongside areas like neuroscience, sociology, philosophy and anthropology. This broad approach helps you understand human behaviour from multiple scientific and social perspectives.
At Emmanuel, you benefit from close academic support through small-group supervisions, which are especially valuable for developing skills in statistics, research methods and psychological theory. The college environment provides a strong sense of community and academic guidance throughout your studies.
The course is structured to build progressively: the first year introduces core concepts and methods, the second year deepens theoretical and research understanding while allowing specialisation, and the third year includes an independent research project plus advanced optional topics.
Overall, studying PBS at Emmanuel combines academic flexibility, strong scientific training, and personalised support within a world-class university setting.
What might a typical week be like studying PBS at Emmanuel?
A typical week studying PBS includes a mixture of lectures, labs, supervisions and independent study.
You’ll usually attend lectures on topics like cognitive psychology, neuroscience and developmental psychology, and read research papers and write essays in your own time. Supervisions at Emmanuel are small-group sessions where you discuss your work in depth and get feedback.
Much of your time is independent study: reading, writing essays, revising material and working on statistics or research projects. In the final year, this includes lab work and a research project.
Overall, the schedule is varied: structured teaching during the day, with plenty of independent work and college life alongside it.
What qualities do successful students have?
Strong analytical/mathematical skills are important, especially for understanding statistics, research methods and scientific evidence. Curiosity about human behaviour -why and how people think, feel, and act the way they do - is also key.
Successful students are usually comfortable with reading complex material and writing clearly structured essays. They don’t need to know everything in advance, but they are willing to engage with unfamiliar ideas and develop them critically.
Good time management and self-motivation matter too, because a large part of the course is independent study alongside lectures and supervisions.
Where could my degree lead?
A PBS degree at University of Cambridge opens up a wide range of career paths because it builds strong skills in statistics, analysis, research and understanding human behaviour.
Many graduates go into psychology-related fields such as clinical psychology (usually after further postgraduate study), educational psychology or mental health and wellbeing roles. Others move into research, either in academia or organisations working in neuroscience, data science or behavioural science.
Beyond psychology, PBS graduates are also well suited to careers in areas like management consulting, marketing, human resources, public policy and tech, especially roles involving data analysis or understanding user behaviour.
Some also go into journalism, law (after conversion courses) or finance, where critical thinking and analytical skills are highly valued.