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Psychology

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C-B,B,B

Please note, an A-level in General Studies is not accepted.

Access to Higher Education Diploma with a pass in a relevant subject.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE (or equivalent) at grade C or grade 4 or above in mathematics is required.

UCAS Tariff

96-120

The UCAS tariff score is applicable to you if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a tariff calculator for you to work out what your qualification is worth within the UCAS tariff.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Part-time | 2024

Subject

Psychology

Psychology is an exciting and dynamic field that is concerned with the scientific study of how people think, feel and behave. Our BSc Psychology is British Psychological Society accredited and introduces you to the various scientific theories, methods and models that help psychologists observe, interpret and explain human behaviour across the lifespan. We explore the theory and practice behind everything from behavioural experiments to brain imaging to clinical assessments, in both healthy and patient populations.

This psychology degree provides you with a deep understanding of the foundational subject areas and specialisms within psychology, including biological, cognitive, developmental and social psychology, through which you will learn to think, speak and write critically and learn to develop and conduct hands-on research. A key feature of this course is its final-year pathways:

- psychology

- psychology with neuroscience

- psychology with child development

- psychology in practice.

You will be taught by world-leading academics who are undertaking novel and impactful research. We are renowned for our research in neuroscience, cognition, development and lived experience - and the links between them.

Your Birkbeck BSc Psychology degree will provide you with the first steps towards professional chartership in psychology (e.g. clinical, counselling, educational, health, occupational, forensic, sports). Our degree also provides you with valuable transferable employability skills that are sought across a wide range of industries including: marketing, advertising, research, postgraduate study, teaching, human resources and IT, among others.

Teaching on this BSc Psychology is flexible to respond to the needs of our students. Birkbeck is known for its evening teaching. From autumn 2024, this programme has the option of daytime or evening study.

If you opt for the full-time Accelerated Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

**Highlights**

- The BSc degrees are accredited by the British Psychological Society and are the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

- This course has multiple entry routes, pathways and exit awards, to match the diverse educational and career needs of all of our students. Students returning to study or who would like extra support can opt for routes that provide extra support and guidance.

- Birkbeck is strongly oriented towards research in psychological sciences and we are home to the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, the Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues, the Birkbeck-UCL Centre for Neuroimaging and the Centre for Cognition, Computation and Modelling. We also recently became members of the Bloomsbury Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Statistics.

- We are consistently regarded as one of the top instititutions teaching psychological sciences in the UK. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, and for the third time, we were ranked in the top ten universities in the UK.

- Full-time students have the option of choosing daytime teaching that involves two to three days' attendance on campus with all classes taking place after midday. You will have access to high-quality online learning resources and can study and complete the course by attending during the day. Once you’ve applied through UCAS and have received your offer from us, we will contact you by email so you can let us know your afternoon or evening study preference.

**Careers and employability**

Graduates can pursue career paths in psychology, human relations, education or marketing. Possible professions include:

- clinical psychologist

- further education lecturer

- human resources officer

- market researcher.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment methods

Currently some modules are assessed by written examinations taken during the day in mid-May to mid-June. Some modules include coursework. Coursework deadlines are throughout the year and vary from module to module.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
International
£17,620
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Birkbeck, University of London

Department:

School of Psychological Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

86%
Psychology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Psychology (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

84%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
69%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

78%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
82%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

91%
UK students
9%
International students
24%
Male students
76%
Female students
80%
2:1 or above
21%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Psychology (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£23k

£23k

£26k

£26k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here