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Psychology

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

A-level: AAA to include one or more of: psychology, geography, mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, geology, economics, statistics, environmental science or computing. A-levels in critical thinking, citizenship studies and general studies do not typically form part of our offer but we welcome them as a fourth A-level. The Extended Project is welcomed but is not included as part of our offer. We do not accept any vocational qualifications. We do not accept Applied A-levels with the exception of Applied Science. We accept only one performance based A-level (eg photography, drama, art/design, music, media studies or PE), as we don't believe they give you the academic training and skills you need to become a successful student in the School of Psychology. GCSE: 5 GCSEs or equivalent: English language at grade 4 (C) and mathematics at grade 5 (B) + one of the following at grade 5 (B): physics, biology and chemistry, science, additional science or science dual award.

We accept science-based Access qualifications with 60 credits, including 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at distinction and 15 at merit, plus GCSE Maths and Science at grade B and English Language at grade C. Depending on the science content of this qualification, we may accept GCSE Science at grade C.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,D3

D3D3D3, or mixture of these and A-levels, including a science as indicated above.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

35

35 points overall with a higher level science subject at grade 6 or above. You must also satisfy the English and Maths GCSE or equivalent requirement.

We accept science-based BTECs at Distinction. Where a non-science BTEC is taken alongside A levels, your A levels must include a relevant science subject (see above).

AAA, including maths and science, in Advanced Highers. In some circumstances we would consider a mixture of Highers and Advanced Highers.

UCAS Tariff

144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

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 | Full-time with year in industry | 2024

4 years | Full-time with time abroad | 2024

Subject

Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, covering a wide range of human thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The field of psychology has the potential for profound beneficial impacts on people and societies, such as how we make decisions about our medical care, how technology influences our lives or why many of us suffer with poor mental health. There are many unanswered questions and the need for new psychological research and knowledge is extensive.

By studying psychology at Leeds you will be engaged in a scientific approach to learning about human behaviour and the thoughts, feelings and motivations behind it. You’ll become absorbed by major psychological issues such as healthy living, childhood development, ageing, memory, and the practical applications of research-derived knowledge to real world problems.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Leeds

Department:

School of Psychology

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.

71%
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

76%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
75%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
62%
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

75%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
91%
Course specific equipment and facilities
60%
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?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
11%
Male students
89%
Female students
95%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
68%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

13%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
13%
Caring personal services
12%
Childcare and related personal services

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 (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.

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

£31k

£31k

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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Lower entry requirements
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Nearby University
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Same University
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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?

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