Psychology
University of York
UCAS Code: C800 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
University of York
UCAS Code: C800 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Essential Subjects: Science (or equivalent) is essential. A second science subject is desirable but is not essential. We include Biology, Chemistry, Further Mathematics, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology as science subjects.
Access to HE Diploma
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 39 credits at Distinction including at least 12 in Science-related units and 6 at Merit or higher.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Cambridge Pre-U Science or Mathematics is essential. A second science subject is desirable but is not essential.
Extended Project
If you achieve A or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A Level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
With 6 in Higher Level Science or Mathematics. A second science subject is desirable but is not essential.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
We consider a range of OCR qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications. A Level in Science (or equivalent qualification) at grade A is essential. We may also consider relevant units in your OCR Cambridge Technical as A Level Science equivalent.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We consider a range of BTEC qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications. A Level in Science (or equivalent qualification) at grade A is essential. We may also consider relevant units in your BTEC as A Level Science equivalent.
Please use the course link below for more details on Scottish entry requirements.
Please use the course link below for more details on Scottish entry requirements.
We consider a range of T Level qualifications, in combination with an A Level in Science (or equivalent qualification). Please contact us to discuss your qualifications.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
We will consider this qualification alongside or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications, as equivalent to one A Level.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Psychology is the scientific study of mind, brain and behaviour. Here at York, we teach psychology as a rigorous experimental biological science. We are committed to the application of this knowledge to the benefit of all sectors of society. Many organisations are interested in explaining, understanding, predicting or changing human behaviour.
Psychologists use observation and experimental evidence to understand the relationship between our sensations and actions but also the intervening processes that underlie our behaviour. Social psychology studies interactions, group behaviour and culture. Cognitive neuroscience examines the mechanisms of the individual brain, right down to its cells and the connections between them. We are a research-intensive department which means you will be taught by researchers of international repute who are doing world-leading research as well as delivering lectures and supervising undergraduate projects. Some of our students go on to work in fields such as health (clinical psychology), education (educational psychology) and criminal justice (forensic psychology) but most use the unique combination of scientific and statistical skills, critical thinking and analysis of human behaviour in other sectors such as marketing, human resources, management and the civil service. A high proportion of our graduates go on to further study.
Tuition fees
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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)
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.
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
£24k
£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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Higher entry requirements
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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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