Lancaster University
UCAS Code: CR84 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
A level Spanish, or if this is to be studied from beginners’ level, AS grade B or A level grade B in another foreign language, or GCSE grade A or 7 in a foreign language. Native Spanish speakers will not be accepted onto this scheme.
Access to HE Diploma
in a relevant subject alongside appropriate evidence of language ability
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including appropriate evidence of language ability
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
accepted alongside appropriate evidence of language ability
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Through this programme, you will develop a detailed understanding of psychology, while gaining the skills and knowledge to engage with the discipline in preparation for a placement year overseas in a Spanish speaking country. This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society and provides the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the Society.
You will learn and develop a solid grasp of Spanish language and culture, while studying the main themes of modern psychology:
- Brain and Behaviour: how neural disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease affect behaviour
- Cognitive Psychology: our reactions to colours, smells, speech and music
- Developmental Psychology: the ways in which infants perceive space, patterns, objects and events
- Social Psychology: how our thoughts, emotions and behaviours are shaped by the presence of others
In the first year, you will gain an in depth overview of the main study themes through our Understanding Psychology module. You will explore the theories underpinning these areas, learn to evaluate scientific journals, and develop your ability to construct formal arguments. You will also undertake the Investigating Psychology module, which will equip you with important practical skills for conducting research in psychology, such as data analysis and report writing. In addition, you will take language classes, determined by your current level of ability.
During the second year of your degree, you will develop upon the key themes introduced in Year 1. You will study specialist modules on topics such as cognitive, developmental and social psychology; deepening your understanding and testing your knowledge. You will also benefit from specialist Spanish modules.
In addition to these themes, Research Methods and Statistics modules will be covered this year. These will expand your knowledge of research methods, develop key skills and enable you to gain a detailed understanding of analysis and reporting.
Spending your third year - the International Placement Year - abroad in a Spanish-speaking country makes a major contribution to your command of the language, while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner university or conduct a work placement, while continuing to enhance your psychology skills and knowledge.
Returning to Lancaster for your fourth year, you will further develop your knowledge and understanding of the core aspects of modern psychology, taking modules in Brain and Behaviour; and Personality and Individual Differences. You will also carry out your own research project.
The optional modules available this year will allow you to expand your knowledge of Spanish culture and language.
**Structured Work Experience**
You will also have the opportunity to gain voluntary work experience through our Psychology Employability Programme, allowing you to develop invaluable skills for either a career in psychology or a graduate programme. You can choose between working part-time in the community with charities and organisations that support vulnerable people, or working alongside staff in the Psychology Department on their ground-breaking research projects. Crucially, every placement will provide you with experience and skills that are valuable to both psychology careers and more general graduate level occupations, strengthening your CV and enhancing your employability for life after graduation.
Voluntary work can be an enlightening and rewarding experience, enabling you to make a difference to the lives of others and is recommended by the BPS.
**Beginners Languages**
Studying a language from beginners level is somewhat intense in nature so we only allow students to study one language from beginners level. Please bear this in mind when looking at our first year module options. If you apply to study a degree with a language from beginners level, your optional modules will only include higher level languages and modules in other subject areas.
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Iberian studies
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section 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)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
20 years ago, this was a specialist degree for would-be psychologists but now it is the model of a modern, flexible degree subject. One of the UK's fastest-growing subject at degree level, and the second most popular subject overall (it recently overtook business studies), one in 23 of all graduates last year had psychology degrees. As you'd expect with figures like that, jobs in psychology itself are incredibly competitive, so to stand a chance of securing one, you need to get a postgraduate qualification (probably a doctorate in most fields, especially clinical psychology) and some relevant work experience. But even though there are so many psychology graduates — far more than there are jobs in psychology, and over 13,800 in total last year — this degree has a lower unemployment rate than average because its grads are so flexible and well-regarded by business and other industries across the economy. Everywhere there are good jobs in the UK economy, you'll find psychology graduates - and it's hardly surprising as the course helps you gain a mix of good people skills and excellent number and data handling skills. A psychology degree ticks most employers' boxes — but we'd suggest you don't drop your maths modules.
Iberian studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
It's often said there's a shortage of modern language graduates, and graduates from Spanish courses have a lot of options available to them when they complete their courses. In 2015, nearly 1300 UK graduates got degrees in Spanish and the subject is seeing its popularity increase. About one in five got jobs overseas — often as English teachers. If you want to put your degree to work in the UK, teacher training is a common option, and businesses see Spanish-speaking countries as important markets, leading to graduate opportunities in marketing, human resources, sales and project management. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
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.
£18k
£24k
£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.
Iberian studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£26k
£27k
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.
Explore these similar courses...
This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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