Two women talking at a psychologist office

BSc (Hons) Psychology

UCAS CODE: C800, CPSY, CM89, C813, C8F1, C8S1 (Full-Time) or C804, CPSF, CM84, C844, C8F4, C8S4 (Foundation Year)
TARIFF: 104 - 128 (Full-Time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
  • Study Mode: Full Time
  • Location: High Wycombe
  • Duration: Three or Four Years
  • Start Date: April 2024

You can also study this course:

Do you want to be taught by experienced Psychologists who love what they teach, offer you professional insight and help you move forward with your dream career? You’ll gain knowledge, skills and experience as you uncover the depths of the human mind on our psychology courses. You will also be able to take advantage of the specialist facilities that professional psychologists use day to day, including virtual reality facilities, laboratory facilities containing state-of-the-art equipment that track eye movement, emotional response, communication, brain activity and more.

We have integrated an optional employability and professional development module in year 2 and 3. This provides an opportunity for students, across a number of months, to gain work, volunteering or placement experiences or to focus on training (for example, mental health awareness; basic counselling skills; learning support etc).

 

 

 

Lectures and seminars are always very informative, interactive and also a good laugh with plenty of open discussion between students and with the lecturers. They are always very supportive of ideas and opinions as well as with our work, through punctual turn arounds on assignments and quick responses through emails.
Emily Crawshaw

Specialisms

Our Psychology programme gives you the opportunity to choose your specialism for your future career after your experience of the core curriculum in year one. Rather than having to make your big career decision before you join us, we introduce you to various specialisms and offer you the flexibility to choose the specialism which leads to your chosen career.

These specialisms are also offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme.

 

A woman reading whilst wearing eye tracking glasses
BSc (Hons) Psychology

What will I study on this specialism?

This is the core psychology programme which will enable you to gain knowledge of all the various disciplines of psychology without choosing to specialize in any one area. This specialism focuses on research methods, behaviour, cause and effect. You’ll get the chance to understand your personality and how learning can be applied for beneficial effects. You’ll also get to grips with the necessary framework needed to practice psychology at a higher and more professional level.

You will graduate with BSc (Hons) Psychology.

counselling_one_to_on
BSc (Hons) Counselling Psychology

What will I study on this specialism?

Our Counselling Psychology course will be of interest to you if you’re considering a career in counselling. There is a range of modules to choose from, together with ongoing support from our specialist teaching staff. You’ll learn about Biopsychology, Personality, Social, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology. You will gain the opportunity to study important practical elements too, learning from experts in the field and people already working in counselling.

You will graduate with BSc (Hons) Counselling Psychology.

Criminology and Forensic Studies students acting out a scenario
BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology

What will I study on this specialism?

Forensic science has addressed the need for scientific specialties within the investigation and prosecution of crime. At the heart of every major case is evidence, and Forensics are an essential part of uncovering the full story. As someone who works in Forensics, you are interested in the facts, and you extract them from the background noise with precision, care and skill. You will build up your analytical mind, able to recognize patterns and inconsistencies and communicate this in reports.

You will graduate with BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology.

Sports Therapy students
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology

What will I study on this specialism?

Over the course of this specialism, you’ll study modules like Biological and Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Social Psychology, Emotion as well as Historical and Conceptual issues in Sports Psychology. At BNU, we offer a wide range of psychology and sports modules. Through our partnerships with both the sports and psychology teaching departments, you’ll have a great community of like-minded students and lecturers to work with.

You will graduate with BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology.

A Criminology student sat at a desk putting his finger print onto a piece of paper
BSc (Hons) Psychology & Criminology

What will I study on this specialism?

Our Psychology and Criminology course sheds light on the contexts in which crime and social life are discussed. Having criminology as a secondary discipline brings a sociological perspective on crime to core areas of psychology. You’ll get to know the psychological reasons behind crime and learn about the criminal justice system. You’ll develop your analytical mind, understand human motivation and nurture your own curiosity.

You will graduate with BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology.

A lady looking at a computer screen which has 9 male faces on
BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies

What will I study on this specialism?

This specialism is designed to give you a more personalized degree pathway. As it is not BPS accredited, you will have the benefit of fewer core modules and more optional modules allowing you to ‘tailor make’ your programme to suit your own interests and wishes.  You cannot, however, receive graduate chartered membership of the BPS when you graduate from this specialism.

You will graduate with BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies.

Why study this subject?

Whether you’re simply fascinated by Psychology, or you have your sights set on becoming a professional Psychologist, gaining a Psychology degree is a great choice. A Psychology degree gives you a strong foundation for a variety of careers, utilizing your knowledge of human behavior and societal trends.

A Psychology degree helps you gain an understanding of the root cause of behaviors, thoughts and emotions and explains them within the scope of scientific theory and evidence. You can expect to build a deep understanding of yourself and how we operate within our social structures, and develop your analytical mind, nurture your curiosity and understand communication and relationships.

Most of our specialisms are accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and provide you with a widely recognized qualification throughout the country. Upon graduation from a BPS accredited specialism, you’ll be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS.

If you choose to become chartered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) you can go on to practice Psychology as a scientist, analyst, researcher, commentator, advisor or as a clinician. Psychology is a wide field, and there are a lot of opportunities to choose from, including links with medical science, clinical practice, business and more.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Studying Psychology at BNU means you’ll begin to understand aspects relating to mental health, wellbeing and performance of yourself and those around you. We want you to ask questions of us, develop your core skills, build your analytical mind, and more. When you graduate from BNU you will have gained the mindset you need to be empowered and confident in your future. You will have gained a good grounding in those fields of Psychology which excite you, inspire you, and motivate you to push boundaries.

Choosing BNU means choosing to go on a journey of discovery. As one of our students you will continually grow as a professional psychologist and discover our amazing and welcoming community, meet lifelong friends and gain knowledge from expert tutors who are actively engaged in the profession. We are home to an incredibly passionate community of Psychology lecturers and Social Science students, and it shows in the quality of our teaching.

Studying at BNU means you can take advantage of the specialist facilities that professional psychologists use day to day, including virtual reality facilities, laboratory facilities containing equipment that tracks eye movement, emotions, communication, brain activity and more.

Our hands-on practical approach to teaching is designed to impart the skills needed to experiment and excel, developing your own understanding and knowledge, and helping you to push the boundaries of Psychological research, whether this is based within the fields of medical science, counselling, forensics, sport, business or society.

The British Psychological Society logo
The British Psychological Society
I cannot fault the quality of teaching, it’s excellent. The lecturers do all they can to support students. They are well experienced, kind, passionate, supportive and always available to help students in any way they can. The lectures and seminars are well prepared and delivered. I am enjoying my course, my time at BNU and the whole learning environment.
Homaira Merzai
Homaira Merzai

What facilities can I use?

On our BSc (Hons) Psychology degree, you will benefit from hands-on learning, using our state-of-the-art facilities.

In our laboratory and computing workshops, you’ll use software and equipment that social scientists use in the field to present research data. You will use industry standard equipment as part of these programmes to build your own experience using a range of professionally recognizable equipment.

You can use our observation laboratory for the measurement of psycho-physiological responses using eye trackers as well as the activity of the cardiovascular system, brain, autonomic nervous system and more. You’ll use our eye tracking equipment and virtual reality software to test what happens when our local conditions change, and how the brain reacts to those changes.

The facilities at BNU are always here for your use, and we have heavily invested in them with the goal of providing the best space for your own experiments. We want you to use them to push your skills and gain all the experience you feel you need to go on and get a job, as what you do here is what you could be doing when you start work in Psychology.

We’ll also sign you up to our Virtual Learning Environment which means you’ll have access to lots of online resources wherever you are! The VLE is an additional online learning platform that supplements your core degree content.

How will I be taught and assessed?

This course is designed to enable you to combine studying psychology with of the opportunity to branch into other applied and theoretical areas.

All of the specialisms except the Psychological Studies specialism are accredited by The British Psychological Society (BPS). This is a recognized accreditation by employers throughout the country. Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist, which is a highly desired accreditation.

As a part of BPS accreditation, a course must teach specific modules chosen by the BPS. Psychological Studies forgoes this accreditation so although you won’t have the BPS accreditation, you will have more freedom to choose a range of different modules that suit you.

I have always loved psychology and the further along the course, the more freedom there is. The option to choose modules in the last year also lets me study exactly what I love. The facilities are really great; the library and other course-related facilities are super accessible to students.
Emma Fraser-Mills
Emma Fraser-Mills

BSc (Hons) Psychology Programme Specification

What are the course entry requirements?

A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 104 - 128 (Full-Time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)

UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.

For this course, you'll need at least two A-levels and a GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4.

For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for the three-year undergraduate programme, or those who do not feel fully prepared for a degree course, can apply for a four-year programme including a Foundation Year; find out more.

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

This course has Opportunity modules.

Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers. Find out more.

BSc (Hons) Psychology
BSc (Hons) Counselling Psychology
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology
BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology
BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology
BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies

What are the tuition fees

Home

Home, Academic Year 2023 - 2024

£9,250 per year

Home, Academic Year 2024 - 2025

£9,250 per year

International

Overseas/International, Academic Year 2023 - 2024

£15,000 per year

Overseas/International, Academic Year 2024 - 2025

£15,150 per year

Additional course costs and financial support

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.
You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing advice@bnu.ac.uk.

What are my career prospects?

Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.

With such a strong academic grounding, as well as the transferrable skills you’ll develop along the way, you are well-placed to succeed wherever you go.

There are many options to explore with your Psychology degree; it’s the first step to starting postgraduate study in a more focused area like clinical, educational, forensic, counselling, health, cognitive neuropsychology and sports psychology (to name a few). Or perhaps you’d prefer to dive right into the world of work and explore a career in health, education, local government or the infinite possibilities available to you in the private and public sector. You could become a teaching assistant, learning support assistant or mental health support specialist.

Graduates can choose to continue their studies at BNU and study a postgraduate programme, such as our MSc Applied Positive PsychologyMSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education, or even the MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

There are numerous opportunities which your degree could help to open. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in psychology, clinical psychology, forensic psychology, therapy, nursing, and private and public businesses.

The course seemed very open and I knew it would keep my options open to then specialize later rather than specializing early and therefore restricting my options later in my career.
Piers Bowden
Piers Bowden
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Dr Barbara Kingsley
  • Senior Lecturer
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Ian Rowe
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Dr Urszula Wolski
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Dr Matthew Smith
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BSc (Hons) Psychology
BSc (Hons) Psychology with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) Counselling Psychology
BSc (Hons) Counselling Psychology with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology
BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology
BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies
BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies with Foundation Year