Psychosocial Studies

Program Overview

---

BA (Hons) Psychosocial Studies

Introduction

Explore the relationship between ‘self’ and society. This degree course is an excellent choice if you’re considering a career in fields such as health, education, criminal justice, social work or HR management.

Study at University Centre West Anglia and combine the study of individuals – using psychology and psychoanalysis – with the wider cultural and systemic studies of sociology. You’ll gain a rounded understanding of human behaviours, nature and relationships, as well as the ability to apply the theory practically to a variety of questions and fields.

In the earlier modules you’ll learn the fundamentals of sociology and social, health and developmental psychology. Then, with this in place, you’ll be able to progress to more specialist modules, examining key aspects of the individual and social world.

Central to this is exploring how we shape, and are shaped by, our social surroundings – and what this means in the many specialist fields you could choose to study. You’ll be able to research your own preferred subject area for your final-year Major Project.

Case studies, visits and work-based study give this course a strong practical flavour and you’ll learn many of the key skills used by sociologists and psychologists. You’ll also develop the ability to research and analyse complex information, make well-structured arguments and challenge ‘accepted’ thinking as a confident debater.

These are all useful skills for postgraduate study or research, as well as for the professional workplace.

There’s plenty of scope to personalise your studies and focus on specific fields, such as: sexuality, desire and gender; agency and social change; deviance, crime and social control, health and illness; racism, race and cultural identity; community and social life; biology and behaviourism, and developmental psychology.

Course Options

• 3 years
• September
• University Centre West Anglia

Key Facts

• STUDY OPTIONS: 3 years
• START DATES: September
• LOCATION: University Centre West Anglia
• ENTRY: UCAS code: C880
• FEES: £9,000 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

Teaching and Assessment

Year 1

• A Sociological Conversation
• Self and Society
• Contemporary Inequalities
• Media, Society and Crime

Year 2

• The Research Toolkit: Design and Delivery
• Sociology of Health Inequalities
• Violence and Confrontation
• Sociology of Education
• Diagnosis and Formulation in Mental Health
• Violence, Gender and Victimisation
• Spirituality, Religion and the Secular

Year 3

• Undergraduate Major Project
• Professional Skills in Clinical Settings
• Environment, Nature and Society
• Investigative Psychology
• Youth, Crime and Aggression
• Organised Crime
• Lifespan Development

Entry Requirements

• 72 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 A levels or equivalent level 3 qualification, eg Extended Diploma (MMP) or Access course (30 level 3 credits at Merit grade are required for Access progression)
• GCSE English at grade 4 (C) or above, or equivalent.

Fees and Paying for University

Tuition Fees and Student Loans for UK Students (2025/26)

• £9,000 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

Facilities

• 14 digitally-enabled classrooms
• 120-seat multimedia lecture theatre
• a Learning Resource Centre, containing traditional and modern resources to enhance your learning
• depending on your course, you may use the £2.5m Creative Studios building.

Careers

Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in many fields, including criminal justice, health and allied professions, social work, teaching, and HR management.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Year 1
• Core modules:
• Introduction to Psychosocial Studies
• Psychoanalysis of the Self
• Social Science and Society
• Social and Developmental Psychology
• Issues in Child Development and Social Psychology
• Comparing Social Lives
• Contemporary Sociological Issues
• Year 2
• Core modules:
• Contemporary Social Psychology
• Lifespan Development
• Individual and Society
• Optional modules:
• Deviance, Social Control and the Construction of Crime
• Knowledge and Belief
• Year 3
• Core modules:
• Major Project
• Optional modules:
• Issues in Mental Health
• Gender Relations
• Self and Social Change

---

Assessment:

• Exams
• Essays
• Class tests
• Individual and group presentations
• Book reviews
• Portfolio

---

Careers:

• Criminal justice
• Health and allied professions
• Social work
• Teaching
• HR management

---

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

Tuition fees and student loans for UK students (2022/23) £9,000 UK students starting 2022/23 (full-time, per year) If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now. If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees. Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year. You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate. If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped. If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped. For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5: If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45. What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back. For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page. This information also applies to: Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement. Living costs Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement. Living costs Living at university We understand that affordability is an important issue when you’re thinking about studying at university. The overall cost of university can vary depending on where you’re studying and which course you’re taking. However, some of the main costs you’ll want to think about include: accommodation bills internet, mobile phone and calls travel food and drink socialising and going out study materials. As a very general guide, living costs at university can range from around £7,000–£9,000 per year. They may be lower if you're living at home. Our Money Advice Service is on hand if you’d like to chat about living costs, budgets and managing your money. Most full-time UK students can apply for a Maintenance Loan to help cover living costs. EU students starting a course before 1 August 2021 are also eligible for the Maintenance Loan. More about maintenance loans