Social Sciences
Psychology
The scientific study of mind and behaviour. A broad degree covering cognition, development, social behaviour and mental health, with a strong emphasis on research methods and statistics.
What it is and what you'd build
What you'll study
Every core area of the discipline plus the methods that underpin it — experimental design, statistics and critical appraisal — leading to an independent empirical project.
- Qualification
- BSc (Hons)
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Duration
- 3 years
- Placement year
- Available — 4 years in total
- Subject area
- Social Sciences
Skills you'll build
- Research methods
- Statistics
- Critical appraisal
- Report writing
- Ethical reasoning
Found the course you were looking for?
Start your application and Psychology is already on it. You choose the universities next — with an Ignition advisor to tell you which ones you realistically meet.
Free to start. An Ignition advisor reviews your profile before anything is sent to a university.
Typical modules
A representative structure for a course of this kind. Module names, the balance between compulsory and optional, and the order they run in are set by each university — two courses with the same title can be taught very differently.
Year 1
- Introduction to psychology
- Research methods
- Biological psychology
- Developmental psychology
Year 2
- Cognitive psychology
- Social psychology
- Statistics
- Individual differences
Year 3
- Clinical psychology
- Forensic or health options
- Advanced methods
- Empirical project
What you need to get in
Requirements are set per course, per intake, by each university. The figures below are placeholders showing the shape of a typical offer for a course of this kind, not an offer from anyone.
A typical offer
Example data- Academic
- AAB–BBC at A-level, or an equivalent international qualification
- Subjects
- A science or mathematics subject is often preferred
- English
- IELTS 6.5 overall with no component below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent
What each university asks for
The same course, at the universities that teach it. The spread is normal — it is why applying to a range rather than to one level of offer is the standard advice.
Example Kingsford University
AAB–BBB at A-level or an equivalent international qualification
IELTS 6.5–7.0 depending on the course
Example Metropolitan University
BBB–BBC at A-level or an equivalent international qualification
IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5
Example Harbourside University
BBC–CCC at A-level or an equivalent international qualification
IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5
What this course costs
Across the universities that teach it, tuition runs from £15,000 to £32,000 a year. Tuition is the largest single line and the one you have least control over once you have accepted an offer — accommodation and the city are where a year actually gets cheaper or dearer.
Tuition, by university
Example Kingsford University
Edinburgh · about £1,150 a month to live
£20,000–£32,000
Example Metropolitan University
Manchester · about £1,050 a month to live
£16,500–£21,000
Example Harbourside University
Cardiff · about £950 a month to live
£15,000–£19,500
Funding available where it is taught
Full scholarships are rare and competitive. Partial awards and fee reductions are far more common, are often assessed automatically at the point of offer, and a surprising number go unclaimed.
Example Kingsford University
- Kingsford International Award — £4,500. Competitive award across all undergraduate programmes.
- Access to Law Bursary — £3,000. For students who would be first in their family to study law.
Example Metropolitan University
- International Merit Award — £3,000. Automatic for applicants exceeding the standard offer.
- Placement Year Bursary — £1,000. For students taking an assessed industry placement.
Example Harbourside University
- Harbourside International Bursary — £2,500. Automatic fee reduction for international undergraduates.
- Healthcare Commitment Award — £2,000. For students entering nursing and allied health programmes.
Build your own number
Averages are useless here. The only figure worth planning against is one built from the city, the accommodation and the course you are actually considering.
Where it leads
Graduates of courses like this commonly move into the areas below. None of them is a fixed track — a degree opens doors rather than choosing one for you.
- Postgraduate clinical, educational or forensic training
- Research
- People-focused roles across sectors
Career guides for this course
Each one covers what the work actually involves, the skills it needs, and the other degrees that lead there.
Where you can study it
3 universities teach this course in the example catalogue. The course is the decision; the university is the setting you make it in — so compare them on the city, the cost and the support rather than on reputation alone.
Example Kingsford University
Edinburgh · Scotland
£20,000–£32,000 a year
View universityExample Metropolitan University
Manchester · England — North
£16,500–£21,000 a year · placement year available
View universityExample Harbourside University
Cardiff · Wales
£15,000–£19,500 a year · placement year available
View university