Types of degrees
Single Honours
Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Joint Honours
Psychology with Sociology
Psychology and Education
Psychology and Business
Psychology and Neuroscience
SOURCE: COMMON DEGREE TITLES FROM WHATUNI
Alternative options
Foundation years A foundation year offers a pathway into psychology for those who may not meet standard entry requirements. It can also help with improving study skills and subject knowledge before progressing to an undergraduate degree.
Sandwich degree Extending your undergraduate degree by a year, usually taken between Years 2 and 3, can give you valuable practical experience in psychology-related fields, providing professional insights and enhancing employability upon graduation.
Integrated Master’s An integrated Master's degree allows students to dive deeper into specialised areas of psychology and gain a postgraduate qualification by extending their undergraduate degree by an extra year. This enhances long term career prospects, and costs much less than completing a traditional Master’s degree.
Degree apprenticeships Earn while you learn, while your employer covers your tuition fees. Sound good? A degree apprenticeship is a great way for you to add professional qualifications to your CV, as you gain practical work experience. Courses usually last three to six years.
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Average entry requirements
UALIFICATION | REQUIREMENTS |
---|---|
UCAS points | 104 – 156 |
A-levels | A*A*A* – BCC |
BTECs | DDD – MMM |
Scottish Highers | AAAAA – CCCCC (Advanced Highers: AAA) |
International Baccalaureate | 42 – 30 |
SOURCE: WHATUNI
What subjects do you need?
Psychology typically requires A-levels (or equivalent) in sciences or humanities, with subjects such as psychology, biology, chemistry, mathematics, or sociology often preferred. Entry requirements vary, but strong analytical and research skills are highly desirable.
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Psychology specialisations
The human mind is a complex network of elements, which requires a multitude of approaches to understand, covering interdisciplinary fields like biology, chemistry, sociology, behavioural science, and much more. There are many applications for this work, and therefore there are just as many specialisms to pursue within the field. Some of these include:
Forensic psychology In this field, psychological principles are applied within legal and criminal justice settings, to evaluate the mental state of offenders, assess witness credibility, and provide expert testimony to inform court proceedings. Forensic psychologists also help law enforcement in criminal profiling, victim support, and rehabilitation programs.
Neuropsychology Neuropsychology explores the relationship between brain function and behaviour, studying how neurological disorders and injuries affect cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning. Neuropsychologists use specialised assessments to diagnose and treat conditions such as dementia, traumatic brain injury and development disorders.
Developmental psychology Developmental psychology examines human growth and maturation across the whole lifespan, from infancy to old age. It looks at various factors that influence who we are as individuals, from cognitive developmental milestones or topics like attachment, identity formation, and socialisation.
Clinical psychology This specialism is particularly prevalent in psychology’s application within public health. It focuses on diagnosing and treating mental health disorders in individuals, and delivering therapies and treatments to help people cope with psychological issues, enabling them to manage symptoms and improve their overall well-being.
Educational psychology Educational psychology applies psychological principles across a diversity of educational settings, studying the process of learning itself, while building effective instructional strategies to support student motivation. Educational psychologists assess differences in learning styles and abilities, designing interventions to support academic success.
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Typical topics in psychology
Research methods in psychology
Developmental psychology
Psychopathology
Cognitive processes
Personality and individual differences
Evolutionary psychology
Psychological therapies
Behavioural psychology
What will you learn studying psychology?
You can expect to gain a broad understanding of human behaviour, mental processes, and the principles of psychological research. In doing so, you’ll develop the ability to handle and critically analyse data, as well as being able to set up and conduct psychological experiments. You’ll gain a working knowledge of personality types, counselling techniques, and be able to apply psychological theories to real-world scenarios, in preparation for clinical work and professional practice.
While studying psychology at university, you’ll encounter coursework, practical experiments, and research projects, which will allow you to develop key critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills essential for building a career in psychology and its related fields.
More general, transferable skills you’ll pick up include:
Research
Attention to detail
Data management
Analysing trends
Observation and analysis
Professional accreditations in psychology
In the UK, psychology courses may be accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), meaning graduates may be eligible to become a member of the BPS on completion of their degree. This accreditation ensures high standards of education and training.
What alternatives are there to a psychology degree?
If you’re fascinated by the human mind, and wish to study it at degree level, then psychology is a great place to start. If you’re not sure that it’s the right choice for you, then you might benefit from looking into the following alternatives to a psychology degree, which allow for a greater focus on areas that you may be more interested in:
Sociology
Counselling
Criminology
Neuroscience
Education
Social work
Careers
Psychology is relevant wherever there are human minds involved, and this means that you’ll find thousands of opportunities to apply your degree professionally. You can build a career in a wide range of workplaces, including clinical settings, education institutions, government agencies, research organisations, private practice, and many more.
A psychology degree opens doors to diverse career opportunities that can include working directly in the field of psychology or applying it within the context of a team of colleagues operating in just about any business organisation you can imagine.
“You’ll develop in-depth specialist knowledge, but also acquire transferable skills that will benefit you in a variety of roles: you’ll think like a researcher (critically and analytically), be able to assess claims based on data, and most importantly be able to communicate your evidence-based insights.”
DR S GARETH EDWARDS, SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY DIRECTOR OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS AT UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA
Some career roles available to you include:
Clinical psychologist
Brand consultant
Drug and alcohol recovery practitioner
Educational psychologist
Sport and exercise coach
Forensic psychologist
Consumer researcher
Occupational therapist
Mental health worker
School counsellor
These are just a few of the most common job roles. You'll find plenty of other options available to you, and you can also continue your studies by completing a postgraduate degree in psychology or a related subject.