Program Overview

Psychology with Philosophy BSc

Overview

The Psychology with Philosophy BSc at Keele University is a three-year undergraduate program that explores the theories and topics behind human behavior, thoughts, and actions. The program is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and introduces students to psychological and philosophical topics to understand people and provide a logical toolbox to answer contemporary questions.

Year of Entry

• 2026 (for 2026 entry, see here)
• 2025 (for 2025 entry, see here)

UCAS Code

• C8V5

Duration of Study

• 3 years or 4 years with international or placement year

Course Summary

The Psychology with Philosophy BSc uncovers the theories and topics behind human behavior, thoughts, and actions. The program introduces students to psychological and philosophical topics to understand people and provides a logical toolbox to answer contemporary questions, equipping students with advanced skills for various careers.

Why Study Psychology with Philosophy at Keele University?

• Our integrated research-led program is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Philosophy at Keele is ranked Top 10 in the UK for student positivity (NSS 2023, Broad-based universities)
• Top 20 in England for Philosophy (Guardian University Guide, 2025)
• Gain highly transferable graduate employability skills to pursue a broad range of careers in education, business, and caring professions
• A chance to broaden your horizons and study abroad at a partner university or enhance your career with the choice of a placement year

Course Structure

Year 1

• First Steps in Becoming a Psychology Researcher: Introduction to research methods for psychology, including the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative and quantitative design, as well as data collection, data analysis, and report writing.
• Understanding People: Introduction to core psychological topics in development, social, cognitive, and biological psychology, as well as individual differences.
• Philosophy as Reason and Wonder: Introduction to philosophical questioning and a logical toolbox to answer new questions, emphasizing independent thought and philosophical relevance.
• Ancient Global Wisdom: Exploration of ancient philosophy, including Greek, Indian, Chinese, and African philosophy, to understand how the past has shaped our thinking.

Year 2

• Next Steps in Becoming a Psychology Researcher: Introduction to more advanced topics in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Understanding People in Depth: Study of theory and findings associated with developmental, social, cognitive, and biological psychology and individual differences.
• Knowing Minds: Exploration of debates around the mind, brain, and consciousness, including questions about knowledge, justification, meaning, and communication.
• Optional modules:
  • Psychopathology: Examination of the biological and cognitive perspective on mental health conditions.
  • Cyberpsychology: Exploration of the effects of the Internet and technology on human behavior.
  • Collective Action and Social Change: Analysis of individual and group level processes that energize and sedate social change.
  • Health Psychology: Examination of key theories and models from health psychology to understand the psychological aspects of health.

Year 3

• Being a Psychology Researcher: Opportunity to put into practice all the scholarship and research methods skills developed over the Psychology Course, with the design, conduct, and write-up of a piece of original empirical work.
• Professional Skills for Researchers: Enhancement of broad employability skills that are transferrable beyond academia, including using AI ethically, data protection/handling, ethical awareness, science communication, etc.
• Grand Challenges in Psychology: Exploration of how psychology and psychological science have developed culturally and historically, with a focus on topics such as consciousness and cognition, the use of psychology for manipulation and control, and the replication crisis and open science.
• Optional modules:
  • Health, Illness and Behaviour Change: Examination of aspects of health, disease, and disease prevention from a Health Psych perspective.
  • Morality in Action: Justice, Society, and Climate Change: Exploration of the fundamental questions of morality and justice, including how we decide what is right and wrong, and the factors that affect trust and cooperation.
  • Cognitive Psychology: Development of the ability to evaluate and test cognitive psychological models, with a focus on cognitive processes such as perception, attention, and memory.

Entry Requirements

• A Level: BBB
• BTEC: DDM
• T Level: Merit
• International Baccalaureate Diploma: 555 in three Higher Levels, or 30 points
• Access to HE Diploma: 122 UCAS points in any Access to HE Diploma including Distinction in at least 30 Level 3 credits

Tuition Fees

• UK: £9,535 for the 2025/6 academic year (subject to Parliamentary approval)
• International: Band 1, £17,700 for the 2025/26 academic year

Additional Opportunities

• Foundation year
• Learn a language
• Placement year
• International year
• Study abroad

Supporting You

• Student support
• Societies
• Committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion

Your Future Career

• Graduating with a degree in Psychology with Philosophy will prepare you for a wide range of careers with transferable skills in communication, analytical thinking, and problem-solving.
• Careers in teaching/education, charity and NGOs, research, counseling, social care, human resources, marketing/public relations, business, healthcare, policing, and law.

Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

• Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials and seminars, laboratory classes and workshops, flipped learning, and asynchronous learning.
• Assessments include coursework and lab reports, research projects and reports, oral and poster presentation and reports, designing interventions, and critiques and reviews.

Facilities

• The School of Psychology is housed in the Dorothy Hodgkin building, with access to advanced equipment for research involving adults and children.
• State-of-the-art, Central Science Laboratories with world-class learning facilities.

Research

• Research within the School of Psychology is supported by four research groups: Cognition, Brain, & Behaviour Research Group, Health, Well-being, and Behaviour Change Research Group, Identities, Values and Social Change Research Group, and Justice, Security, & Institutional Change Research Group.
• Interdisciplinary research, including the Keele Policing Academic Collaboration (KPAC), and projects with colleagues in Health, Social Sciences, and Humanities disciplines.