Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Must pass all 60 credits, 45 at level 3
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
UCAS Tariff
About this course
If you have an enquiring mind and enjoy investigating and debating ideas, this Psychology course is for you. You will explore human experience across a vast range of contexts and lifespans - from understanding the biological basis of behaviour to questioning contemporary issues such as the impact of social media on child development.
Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), BSc (Hons) Psychology will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need for a successful career in Psychology. Plus, a degree in psychology will provide you with a broad range of transferable skills that are valuable in the workplace.
You can use this degree to pursue careers in research, within legal, social and welfare settings, business, HR, childcare, health and education professions.
**Why Choose University of Cumbria**
You'll study humans' natural curiosities and you will do it innovatively with our course, this is so that you get every chance to boost your employability skills.
Backing up your theory with practical skills is an important part of the course. You will develop and hone skills, such as; research techniques, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods; data handling and analysis skills, laboratory reports and communication skills.
- Eligible to apply for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) on graduation
- Flexible module choices so you can carve your degree to suit your interests
- Taught by academic tutors with forensics, counselling and clinical backgrounds
- Tutors carry out pioneering research, which enhances your learning. Plus, it gives you the chance to take part in current research
- We have a great reputation nationally for research methodology
- Our excellent links with regional and national charities, not-for-profit and penal institutions offers great work experience and job prospects
- There's an opportunity for you to study some zoology modules, which prepares you for a wide range of careers including teaching and research
- You may have the opportunity to participate in field and research trips
- Our course offers a full range of extra-curricular activities
- Small class sizes mean we get to know you well and support you throughout your studies
You will be based in the bustling town of Carlisle which is within 20 minutes of Scotland in one direction and the stunning Lake District National Park - now a UNESCO World Heritage site - in the other. You'll also be close to the spectacular North West coastline, so you will never be stuck for something to do.
Our programme aims to give students an overview of the theory and practice within psychology, whilst also allowing you to advanced skills in research and an in-depth understanding of the mind and human behaviour.
**Year 1** - You will build knowledge in the foundations of psychology as a discipline and develop key skills through lectures, workshops and problem-based learning. You will build knowledge of the history of the discipline, research methods and analytical techniques and learn about the key theories and Psychologists.
**Year 2** - You will start to develop a more in-depth understanding of research, theory and practice and develop important research and practical skills. In addition to your compulsory modules, you will be able to select two options to begin exploring the topics you are really interested in. Options include Animal Behaviour, Contemporary Issues in Human Development and Cross-Cultural Psychology.
**Year 3** - You will undertake an independent research project that will allow you to explore a topic of interest and pursue your own research question. You will also be able to further advance your knowledge in your chosen areas of interest with option modules offered such as Understanding Memory Disorders, and Preparing for a Career in Research and Teaching.
Modules
Year One; All Modules at this level are compulsory, Psychology in Action, Introduction to Psychological Research Methods, Introduction to Data Analysis, Perspectives in Psychology, Professional & Academic Skills, Experimental Methods. Year Two: Compulsory Modules, Social and Community Psychology, Research Methods Statistics, Development, Brain and Cognition. In addition to the compulsory modules listed above you may select 2 modules from a range of options including: Mental Health and Well-being, Animal behaviour, Evolutionary psychology, Independent Study, Psychology of Eating Behaviour and Disorders. Level 6: Compulsory Modules: Critical Psychology, Individual Differences: Abilities, Personalities and measuring differences Dissertation. At level 6 in addition to the compulsory modules listed above you may select 2 modules from a range of options including: Neuropsychology, Independent Study, Trauma and Resilience, Psychology of Violent Behaviour, Cognition and emotion
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Carlisle - Fusehill Street
Health, Psychology and Social Studies
What students say
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
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
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.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Psychology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£14k
£18k
£21k
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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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?
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