Program Overview

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BSc (Hons) Psychology (with integrated foundation year)

Course Overview

This foundation year will help you on your way to achieving our full BSc (Hons) Psychology, accredited by the British Psychological Society, designed to give you the knowledge and expertise that allows you to kickstart a successful career.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK, EU / EEA / International
• Course Location: Carlisle - Fusehill Street
• Institute: Institute of Health
• UCAS Code: CC80
• Delivery Style: In-Person
• Course Duration: Full-time: 4 Years
• Course Start Point: September
• Award: BSc (Hons)

Minimum Entry Requirements

• 48 UCAS Tariff points

Tuition Fees

• £9,535 - UK (2025-2026)
• £14,900 - International (2025-2026)
• £9,250 - UK (2024-2025)
• £13,575 - International (2024-2025)

Qualifications

• A-levels: All subjects are accepted for entry to this course
• T-levels: P (D or E)
• Access to HE: 45 Credits at Pass
• CACHE Technical Level 3 and Level 3 Extended Diploma: D
• OCR Cambridge Technical & Edexcel/Pearson BTEC Level 3 (National) Extended Diploma: PPP
• Scottish Highers: 48 UCAS Tariff Points
• Irish LC Highers: 48 UCAS Tariff Points
• Other experience: Pearson Level 3 National Diploma MP

Fair Admissions

When you apply, our Admissions specialists will review your whole application. We are looking for your potential to succeed so will assess your qualifications, any relevant work experience, your personal statement, and references.

Selection Criteria

As part of the application and selection process, we are looking for your commitment to this programme. In your personal statement, you should demonstrate your motivation for choosing this course and reflect upon any experience you have gained.

Contextual Admissions

Going to higher education can transform a person’s life. We use contextual admissions to make sure that we are accessible to everyone who has the potential to succeed. Qualifications and grades are important, but they are considered alongside other information that helps universities to identify potential and widen access to university level study.

Language Requirements

Please follow the link to check language requirements for this programme.

Funding

Fees for the integrated foundation year are as stated. BSc fee for the following years of study (years 2-4) is £9,250.

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first-year students with a household income of less than £25,000.

Additional Costs

There will be some additional costs. For example, all students will need to purchase stationery and may wish to purchase some text books. Extra costs may also be applicable to cover field trips, membership fees etc. although such features are usually options within the course.

Books and Journals

The University library holds copies of core texts (including some as eBooks accessible online) and paper and/or e-versions of an extensive range of psychology journals. However, you may wish to purchase your own copies of books (new or second hand), in which case the following are recommended (although reviewed each year).

Stationery

Students should budget for stationery and consumables for your own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes in class and/or in the field. Students should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, as well as occasional printing and photocopying costs incurred in the preparation or submission of coursework.

Field Trips

You may wish to attend a conference (optional not part of the course) the costs vary and depend on whether you go to a one day or several day event, the costs will vary depending on the venue and the cost of accommodation. With conference fees, travel and accommodation you will need to budget £250 and £750.

Other

British Psychological Society – student membership £26. You may wish to carry out an additional professional qualification offered to our students at around one third (£400-600) of the typical cost (£). We offer BPS accredited psychometric training courses for both ability and personality. These courses are separate from your degree but prepare you well for work as a psychologist.

Course Structure

What you will learn

In year one, you are encouraged to reflect on your skills development in learning and personal contexts so you develop your ability to make appropriate choices and decisions. Challenging and authentic tasks will be used to stretch your capabilities in real-world learning and assessment resulting in a deeper approach to learning.

In years two to four, you will study five key themes within psychology:

• The contextualised bio-psychosocial nature of human development and experience
• Ethical decision making and professional values
• Gathering and analysing evidence using robust, population relevant and ethical research techniques
• The pivotal role of academic, professional and graduate skills
• Experiential problem-based learning

The following modules will take you through these themes, allowing you to investigate your independent interests in the curriculum.

Year one

During the integrated foundation year, you will be taught alongside students from a range of programmes within the Institute of Health. During this time, you will be equipped with the essential skills needed to study at university level while undertaking challenging and authentic tasks that aim to test your decision-making skills in a professional environment.

• Essential University Skills 1
• Essential University Skills 2
• Contemporary Issues and the Media
• Families, Communities and the Criminal Justice System
• Professional Practice in the Community
• Mental Health and Wellbeing

Year two

In your second year, you will build knowledge in the foundations of psychology as a discipline and develop key skills through lectures, workshops and problem-based learning.

• Psychology in Action
• Introduction to Psychological Research Methods
• Introduction to Data Analysis
• Perspectives in Psychology
• Professional and Academic Skills
• Introduction to Psychopathology

Year three

In the third year, you will develop a more in-depth understanding of research, theory, and practice, and develop research and practical skills.

• Research Methods and Statistics
• Development, Brain and Cognition
• Research Methods in Applied Psychology Settings
• Work Experience
• Negotiated Learning
• Social and Community Psychology

Year four

In your final year, you will undertake an independent research project that will allow you to explore a topic of interest and pursue your own research question.

• Critical Psychology
• Individual Differences: Abilities, Personalities and measuring differences
• Dissertation
• Psychological Literacy and Careers
• Counselling and Coaching Psychology

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

The curriculum will involve you in activities that promote engagement with a range of challenges and opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. Some of the activities that support this include:

• Guest speaker sessions
• Liaising with professional bodies
• Staff-student research participation projects
• Evening seminars
• Psychology film clubs
• Field trips

We adopt a blended learning approach that involves a combination of face to face and online learning. We encourage you to collaborate remotely, share materials and discuss work outside of the classroom.

How you will be assessed

Assessments will support the development of skills, offer feedback and mark areas for improvement.

Assessment styles include:

• Academic essay
• Case analysis
• Literature review
• Research reports (qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods)
• Reflective Accounts (debates, meetings, research techniques)
• Portfolio of analyses (qualitative and quantitative exercises)
• Academic Poster and conference-style presentation
• Web page design/ podcast production
• Dissertation
• Problem-based learning activities
• Intervention design and evaluation
• Psychometric report
• Psychometric practical skills assessment
• Oral Presentation conference style
• Online assessment
• Academic debates
• Research proposal

In your second year, several modules involve a portfolio assessment model which enables you to develop and evidence a range of skills critical to success in years 3 and 4.

In each module, you have the opportunity to engage in summative and formative assessments. Summative assessment refers to work submitted for module and programme credit and is used to assess whether you have achieved the relevant learning outcomes in a module. Summative assessment is captured in the overall mark awarded for each module. Formative assessments occur in each of the modules to scaffold future summative assessments.