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BSc (Hons) Psychology
BSc (Hons) Psychology
Overview:
We believe that open minds open doors which is why our innovative BPS-accredited BSc Psychology degree combines hands-on learning with a rich variety of placement opportunities and real-life projects to give our Psychology graduates the experience they really need to kickstart their careers.
Our Psychology programme powers up your prospects through partnership. You will be challenged to apply your learning to real life practical issues and provide reviews and reports to update partners on your findings.
Our aim is to produce career-ready graduates with the skills to succeed in a variety of work environments. Whether you’re interested in traditional psychology careers, working in the social and welfare profession, or analysing human behaviours, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to enhance your prospects and be well equipped to make an impression on a future employer.
Typical A-Level Offer
CCC to exclude General Studies (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
Typical Welsh BACC Offer
Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and CC at A Level to exclude General Studies (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
Typical BTEC Offer
BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
Typical Access to HE Offer
Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points
Additional Requirements
GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances
Online application form
Information requested on this form should be completed in as much detail in order to process your application successfully. All fields marked * must be completed.
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Entry Requirements
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions. USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy.
Other qualifications and experience
We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.
To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.
If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us here
WHAT YOU WILL STUDY
Year One: Psychology Degree
We consider questions such as why we remember some things and forget others, how different areas of our brain influence behaviour, and how we develop language. You will also acquire hands-on research skills, conducting experiments in your research methods classes and experiencing research assistant work during cutting edge staff research activities. Modules include:
Investigating Methods and Evidence in Psychology*
How is psychological research conducted? We’ll look at the methods of quantitative and qualitative research and analysis and explore research ethics and their effect on psychology.
Thinking Psychologically
The core concepts that frame contemporary psychology and the concomitant ethical issues and questions: start to develop the skills that will underpin your psychological literacy.
Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology
A broad overview of the key concepts, theories, and research that make up biological and cognitive psychology.
Psychological Development in the Social World
Study key research in social and developmental psychology and develop an understanding of the core, underpinning theoretical principles of this area.
*This module is available to study fully in Welsh
Year Two: Psychology Degree
Focusing on investigative psychology, you will have the opportunity to understand and practice quantitative methods such as ANOVA and ANCOVA, as well as qualitative methods like grounded theory and discourse analysis. You will also have the opportunity for paid or voluntary placement activities, helping you strengthen your abilities as a psychologist and develop transferable skills for your future.
Finding Things Out: Approaches to Psychological Investigation
Develop a critical understanding of the methodological skills necessary for psychological investigation.
Professional Practice and Employability
Gain sector-specific work-related experience and/or transferable employability skills linked to psychological theory and research, and address and reflect on some of the ethical and practical issues associated with this.
Advanced Methods and Evidence in Psychology
Expand your knowledge of research methodology, statistics and ethics, along with your ability to critically assess the efficacy of different approaches.
Current Research in Biological and Cognitive Psychology
An overview of some key biological, cognitive and neuroscience research: you will be encouraged to critically evaluate the current research in these areas.
Developmental and Social Perspectives on Identity
Develop a deep critical appreciation of the current debates in social and developmental psychology.
Year Three: Psychology Degree
You will complete an Advanced Research Methods project (i.e., dissertation) on a topic that interests you, taking responsibility for the design, execution, analysis, and reporting. You will also learn to apply your knowledge of psychology to specific practice and real-life contexts, and choose from a range of further specialist modules that match your interests and career aspirations.
Psychology Dissertation
An original piece of research where you will have the opportunity to collect and analyse data, assess the ethical issues of research, explore research methods, and report your findings.
Using Psychology
Examine the use of Psychology in practice whilst exploring real-life contexts as well as current national and international debates.
The Psychology of Education and Work (Optional)
Learn to critically reflect on the theoretical and research perspectives that underpin educational and occupational psychology.
Health Psychology across the Lifespan (Optional)
Develop a systematic knowledge and critical understanding of a range of topics and issues in Health Psychology, placed in the context of lifespan development.
Psychological Disorders and Therapeutic Interventions (Optional)
Evaluate theoretical models of psychological disorders and critically assess the efficacy of different therapeutic interventions.
Applications of Social Psychology (Optional)
Develop a systematic critical appreciation of how social psychology can be applied in the real world; including the role that social identity plays in this process.
Cognitive Neuropsychology and Neuroscience (Optional)
Understand the cognitive consequences of brain damage and disease and explore the current methods of investigating the structure and function of brain systems and regions.
Forensic Psychology (Optional)
Critically appraise the role that Psychology plays in all aspects of the criminal and civil justice systems.
Foundation Year
The BSc (Hons) Psychology degree is also available as a four-year course including an integrated Foundation Year, and is designed for students who do not currently meet admissions criteria for direct entry onto the degree. You will start by completing a foundation year, which provides well-structured support, allowing you to develop your skills and knowledge before continuing onto the three year degree programme.
Teaching
Our BSc Psychology course provides you with an engaging and immersive learning environment through lectures, workshops, tutorials, projects, group activities, placements, podcasts, and simulation learning in the Hydra Simulation Suite. We also arrange guest lectures throughout the year delivered by academics from other institutions and practising psychologists from various fields.
Assessment
We want you to have the opportunity to learn about psychology in new ways, with no two modules being delivered or assessed in the same way: one of our most exciting features is how varied the learning is on our course! Coursework will include essays, practical reports, oral presentations, and case studies.
COURSE DETAILS
Accreditations
Our single Honours and major psychology degrees are fully accredited by the British Psychological Society for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist and will enhance your CV.
Placements
Work-based learning plays a critical aspect of the course, helping you become career-ready.
You will have specific opportunities throughout the course to apply and understand psychological theory to the workplace, with additional focus for these opportunities in the Professional Practice and Employability module as part of your second year. You can also opt to volunteer for longer than the required hours in your allocated placement setting, or volunteer to support a range of activities across different settings.
We want to help you enhance your skillset to open as may doors as possible for your future career, and you can also find a range of options for this through our Psychology Plus scheme, including volunteering, internships and short courses.
Facilities
The Psychology facilities at USW are invaluable in helping us understand human behaviour and helping you to develop your practical psychology skills.
Our purpose-built psychology lab is filled with industry standard equipment that you will use throughout your studies, as well as interview and observation rooms that allow you, as a researcher, to observe human behaviour in a natural manner through a one-way screen.
Some of the equipment that you will use includes eye-tracking equipment, Electroencephalography (EEG) machines, and BIOPAC systems. As part of our dedicated Psychology space, you will also be able to book a space for quiet study and access the dedicated social learning space with computers and psychology textbooks.
Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
CAREERS
A Psychology degree can take you into a range of interesting careers when you graduate. We will provide you with exciting opportunities to enhance your skills that look great on your CV and give you a cutting edge when looking for a job. Whether you are interested in traditional psychology careers, working in the social and welfare profession, or analysing human behaviours, you will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your future career prospects and equip yourself to make an impression on a future employer. You could also progress onto a psychology research degree such as a PhD or Masters by Research.
Possible Career Paths
Optional modules in your final year allow you to focus your career aspirations and interests with specialist psychology knowledge and experience and you can access plenty of additional free training through our Psychology Plus scheme that can help boost your employability within your chosen specialism. You could also choose to progress onto postgraduate study or professional psychology training. Some possible career paths include clinical psychology, forensic psychology, occupational psychology, and educational psychology.
You will also develop transferable skills throughout the course that are valuable to a range of employers really value in fields such as human resource management, teaching, social work, journalism, marketing, and police work.
Our Careers and Employability Service
As a USW psychology student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.
This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the “Ask a Question” service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.
Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.
Fees
Full time
- 12 to 18 months
Complete your degree in the shortest possible time and study flexibly – when and where suits you!
£7,250
You’ll study 9 modules in total (approx. 37 hrs/week).
Part time option one
- 12 to 18 months
Study for a degree whilst fitting it around your work, care and other life commitments.
£4,250
You’ll study 6 modules per year (approx. 25 hrs/week).
Part time option two
- 12 to 18 months
Take time to study and spread the tuition fees over a longer period – at no extra cost.
£5,500
You’ll study 4–5 modules per year (approx. 19 hrs/week).
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Call us
- +44 (0) 203 771 5653
- admissions@westfieldcollege.co.uk
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