Intro

Psychology is the study of human minds, behaviours, experiences and relationships. Real-world experience is at the heart of your learning and you’ll learn how psychological knowledge is applied to real-world personal and social issues.

Exploring the two complementary and exciting disciplines of psychology and counselling will equip you with the knowledge and skills to understand how people think, how they behave and how they can be helped to make changes.

You will examine how counsellors and psychologists use theories and evidence to contribute to understandings of mental health and distress and how we develop and interact with others.

You will engage with psychological theory, research and its applications, and focus on how counselling is used to help create change in people. As you progress you will deepen your understanding of the personal and social relevance of this lively and contested field of study.

As well as covering the British Psychological Society’s (BPS) recommended curriculum, we also offer opportunities to take a voluntary work placement in the local community as part of your course.

Graduates who achieve the required standard are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS. This is the first step in becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

See our upcoming events

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code C8B9

Full-time 3 years

Accredited by the British Psychological Society

Apply now with UCAS for 2023

Course content

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 about theoretical approaches to counselling and psychotherapy.

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 take two core modules in counselling that explore the skills and ethics of counselling practice and deepen your theoretical understanding of counselling and psychotherapy. In addition you will be able to choose two option modules from a selection that mostly explore contemporary applications of psychology.

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 Student View.

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 that explores key theoretical approaches to counselling and psychotherapy. In addition you will take a number of psychology modules including one that explores psychological approaches to mental health and distress

You'll also choose an option module. 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

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

Options*

Community Engagement: Theory Into Practice
Critical Analysis
Childhood, Psychology and Society

*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 (the psychology dissertation must be taken and passed to be eligible for graduate basis of chartered membership of the BPS)
Counselling Skills and the Therapeutic Relationship
Counselling Practice and Dilemmas: Case Studies

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.

Placement

In your second year the Community Engagement option module offers the opportunity to engage with a local not-for-profit organisation and gain valuable hands-on experience. It is a great opportunity to develop your vocational skills and gain practical work experience while contributing to the wider community.

You will spend around 50 hours volunteering with the organisation. This will be supported and underpinned by organisational training, tutor support and by in-class teaching covering theories of community engagement, organisational structure and culture, and reflective learning. 

We will help you find a placement that is right for you from the range of local organisations who choose to work with our students.

The module features guest lectures delivered by external speakers drawn from the wider community. You will also produce a portfolio where you will reflect on your experiences and learning, with reference to practice examples and reflective theory.

Facilities

Our multi-purpose Psychology Resource Laboratories have a range of 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.

Click the image above to view a virtual tour of our Psychology Resources Laboratories.

Meet the team

Dr Rebecca Grist, course leader

Rebecca has a BSc in Psychology with Neuroscience and a PhD in Psychology investigating computerised and internet-based interventions for common forms of mental health problems. Her work included the novel application of theories from clinical psychology, human-computer interaction, developmental psychology, and cognitive psychology. She gained chartered membership of the British Psychological Society in 2015. Read Rebecca's full profile.

Dr Zoë Boden (pictured right)

Zoë is a psychologist and psychotherapist who joined University of Brighton in 2019, having previously held a Senior Lectureship at London South Bank University. Zoë conducts qualitative research exploring relational and emotional experience in the context of mental health and wellbeing, particularly how relationships play a role in recovery from psychosis and suicidality. She completed her PhD in the IPA research group at Birkbeck, University of London, and has previously held research posts at University of Birmingham and the mental health charity, SANE. Zoë teaches on a number of mental health modules on our psychology degree programmes and contributes to the Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling postgraduate diploma. She also has a small private psychotherapy practice. Read Zoe's full profile.

Matt Adams, principal lecturer

Matt completed his PhD in 2001 at Nottingham Trent University under the supervision of John Tomlinson and Mike Featherstone. The focus of his thesis was identity and social change, reflecting a longstanding critical interest in the conceptualisation of selfhood and subjectivity in social theory and the interface between sociology and psychology.

After 2001 Matt held various research and teaching posts before joining the University of Brighton in 2003. In 2007 Sage published his book Self and Social Change, which draws on key approaches of recent years (Bourdieu, Butler, Foucault, Giddens etc.) to offer an account of identity in which class and other social structural divisions still loom large, though in socially novel ways.

More recently Matt has published theoretical work on the social and psychological theorisation of various topics, and worked on the moral economies of various consumption and representation practices. Work in progress includes a growing interest in developing a psychosocial approach to the issue of human behaviour and ecological degradation, and the value of silence and illegibility for 'healthily' marginal identity positions.

Matt recently won an Excellence in Facilitating and Empowering Learning (EFEL) award for his outstanding contribution to student learning.

Other staff who teach on the course include: Charlotte Wilcox, Dr Naomi Law and Simone Bol.

Our latest news

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Dr Laura Harvey’s research shows that LGBTQI+ people continue to face harassment, bullying and deteriorating mental health while in immigration detention.

Psychology lecturer Dave Harley comments in Vice on the troubling world of ‘Dark Psychology’

Check out this long-read feature in Vice.

Careers

Accreditation

Our Psychology with Counselling Studies BSc(Hons) is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), the UK’s independent regulator of the psychology profession. Taking a BPS accredited course is necessary if you wish to pursue a career in psychology or in the wider psychological workforce.

Our degree follows the BPS curriculum so you will be prepared for entry into the profession. 

You will also benefit from access to BPS information, advice and student membership. Benefits include membership of the Society’s Student Member Group, The Psychologist magazine every month, and exclusive discounts to books, journals and events  

When you graduate you will be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS. Graduate Basis is the first step in becoming a Chartered Psychologist and enables you to begin further training and to become, for example, a forensic, educational or occupational psychologist.

To be eligible for Graduate Basis, you must pass the Psychology Dissertation and achieve at least a 2.2 honours degree.

Prepare for your career

In your career you’ll need a combination of knowledge, skills, personal qualities and relevant experiences – and you’ll get all of this from your degree. 

When you graduate you will be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS.
The optional placement will give you hands-on experience and help you stand out to potential employers. 
Option modules enable you to tailor your degree to suit your personal career goals. 
You'll be equipped with knowledge of different therapeutic approaches which is an excellent foundation for careers in beyond the traditional psychological professions.
Opportunities for international study on our exchange programme.

Placements

The optional community engagement module in the second year provides you with an opportunity to hone a range of valuable and transferable employability skills.

The module includes working with vulnerable people, in often challenging situations, but also includes CV design and building, working on applications and interviews, developing reflective learning skills and time management. Making an active contribution to the local community during your course will not only help you to better society but will also improve your knowledge and look great on your CV.

During the placement you could be carrying out a piece of consultancy or gaining practical experience in a specific context relating to an area of possible future work.   

Previous students have had placements with organisations including:

CCHF All About Kids
Centre for Ecotherapy
Connect
Samaritans
MS Society
Fresh Start
Alzheimer's Society
Sussex Prisoners’ Families
Age UK
YMCA
MindOut
Trust for Developing Communities
Healthwatch Brighton & Hove

Work-related experience

Many of our modules include visiting guest speakers who present on a range of topics and give insight into their organisations. Speakers have come from organisations including:

Eastbourne Foodbank
St Mungo’s
Troubled Families Programme
Boing Boing
Trust for Developing Communities

We also work with MindOut, a local LGBTQ+ mental health project, to bring a Living Library to the campus. The library is designed to challenge prejudice and stigma. Trained volunteers act as ‘books’ to help you explore social issues.

Graduate destinations

The course offers you the chance to gain highly developed skills to help others and is excellent preparation towards a career in counselling and psychotherapy.

Having knowledge of different therapeutic approaches in addition to a psychology degree will open up career opportunities in a wide range of areas:

mental health and wellbeing
the health and social care sector
the helping professions
working within organisations in the statutory and voluntary sectors.

Further study

If you wish to qualify and practice as a counsellor we offer a wide range of postgraduate professional counselling courses, which are accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

Postgraduate opportunities at Brighton include:

Supporting your employability

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

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Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–BCC (120–104 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DDM–DMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

International Baccalaureate
30 points with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at distinction and 21 credits at merit or above.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
English and maths.

If you do not have the required GCSEs find out which equivalent qualifications we accept instead.

Mature students
Mature applicants without the above qualifications should be able to show how they will benefit from the course through, for example, work or professional experience. All mature applicants are considered on an individual basis.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

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Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 15,300 GBP

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 Humanities and Social Science in the 2022–23 academic year 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 £200 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.
For a number of courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but under normal circumstances we would expect a budget of approximately £150 per year will cover the costs of particular trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more 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 2023–24.

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 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.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you'll find new Students' Union, events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition.

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Stay in touch

See our upcoming events

Statistics

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

Programme specification