Psychology with Counselling Studies BSc(Hons)

Course structure 

Modules tend to be structured as weekly lectures followed by seminars or practicals, alongside structured learning activities and independent study.

In the first year you will be introduced to psychology and its research methods.

In the second year you will gain a strong understanding of core psychological concepts and practices, and the applications of psychology to a broad range of everyday problems, whilst learning concepts, ethics and techniques related to counselling.

There is also the option of a community placement and opportunities for international study on our exchange programme. You can also opt to take a social science module.

In the final year, alongside your empirical dissertation, you will be able to choose from a number of options, mostly in contemporary applications of psychology, and further develop your skills and understanding of counselling.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up-to-date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you will be told about any new developments through our applicant portal.

Year 1 

In your first year, you will be introduced to the core aspects of psychology. You will gain a thorough understanding of key psychological issues and debates, focusing on how psychological theory and research is applied to real-work issues and social problems. You will learn about the psychology of wellbeing – the social and psychological factors that can lead to happy and fulfilling lives – an essential component of counselling.

Modules

• Psychology and Society

  This module will introduce you to the social history of psychology, and seeks to embed psychology within the social and historical contexts of its development, critically exploring how these contexts have shaped the aims, methods and outcomes of psychological theory and research.

  The module will introduce you to key issues, debates and approaches in psychology, as well as help you to develop essential skills for higher education study, including reflexive learning, critical analysis, team working and independent study.

• Introduction to Applied Psychology

  You will be introduced to the basic approaches and theories within psychology and consider issues of application in the field.

• Contemporary Social Inequalities

  This module will provide you with the theoretical and conceptual tools to confront normative/normalising explanations of difference and inequality. You'll understand the ways that ‘differences’ and inequalities are formed and their consequences for everyday lived realities.

• The Psychology of Wellbeing

  This module will introduce you to the notion of psychological well-being and you'll consider research that highlights the social and psychological factors that can lead to happy and fulfilling lives. This domain is often associated with ‘positive psychology’ but in this module you will be developing a critical stance that goes beyond this perspective accommodating social, cultural, environmental and political determinants of wellbeing, life satisfaction and quality of life.

• Introduction to Psychological Research Methods

  This module will introduce you to the range of research methods used in psychology and will enable you to develop the skills necessary to collect and analyse quantitative data. It also provides an introduction to qualitative data collection and analysis.

• Developmental Psychology

  The module will introduce you to key theories and topics in child development and lifespan development. You'll examine issues from infancy through middle-childhood to adulthood to explore how people develop through time. The module provides an historical, biological, social and cultural context for studying child development, and life-span development to help you frame the theoretical perspectives presented.

Year 2 

In your second year you will specialise in counselling through a dedicated module, exploring mental health and distress, and key theoretical approaches to facilitating psychological change. You can also choose from one of two optional modules. The Community Engagement module will help you apply some of the theory you've learnt out in the community, developing key employability skills and making key contacts in the sector.

Modules

• Psychology, Cognition and Social Worlds
• Psychology, the Body and Individual Differences
• Psychological Research Methods
• Psychology, Mental Health and Distress
• Counselling and Psychotherapy: Key Theoretical Foundations

Options*

• Community Engagement: Theory Into Practice
• Critical Analysis

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Final year 

In your final year you will undertake a psychology dissertation project which will reflect your own particular interests and career aspirations. You will further develop your counselling skills, learning how best to support individuals to reflect on their experiences and make positive changes in their lives.

You will also learn to appreciate how building an effective relationship between therapist and client shapes what changes it is possible for people to make. These knowledge and skills are the first step towards a career in the helping professions, but are also valued across a range of workplace environments and professions.

Modules

• Psychology dissertation
• Developing a Therapeutic Relationship
• Counselling Skills

Options*

Choose two from:

• Forensic Psychology
• Cyberpsychology
• Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Childhood
• Ecopsychology and Ecotherapy
• Critical Community Psychology
• Critical Addiction Studies
• Mental Disorder and Anthropology
• Sexualities
• Psychology of Poverty
• Psychology and the Real World

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Facilities 

The School of Applied Social Science has invested £250,000 in multi-purpose Psychology Resource Laboratories. They will provide high-tech facilities including:

• an applied cognition lab
• a creative methods lab for interactive experiments and focus groups
• experimental booths for one-to-one computer-based experiments
• mobile eye tracker, eye-tracking glasses and psychophysiology measuring kit.

You will also benefit from an open-access teaching space and a dedicated psychology technician who will support your experiments.

Take a virtual tour of our psychology labs and follow our psychology lab blog run by our technicians Joe and Marta.

Meet the team 

Course fees

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Applied Social Science are listed here.

• For some assessments you may be required to print large format posters for presentations at a cost of £5–£10 per poster.
• Most coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget up to £100 for printing.
• Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £100 to buy your own copies.
• Some courses include an optional placement module for which students will need to cover the costs of travel to and from the placement and DBS checks as required.
• For the Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling PGDip and Psychotherapeutic Psychodynamic Counselling PGDip, the following course-related costs are not included in the tuition fee:
  • Supervision fees: £1,170 for each full year. Estimated based on £45 per hour with fortnightly meetings. In some agencies, supervision will be provided at no cost. Where students have to pay, the cost will only begin when supervision begins.
  • Personal counselling/therapy: £2,000–£2,800 over the course. Estimated based on £40 per hour.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2020–21.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Falmer campus