Which uni is best for psychology?

1.

Make sure any psychology degree you consider is BPS accredited. Without this accreditation, it can become really difficult to go into further study & careers in psychology. I'll insert a link that can explain this a little more: Accreditation - BPS.

2.

Have a look at the modules! Generally speaking, psychology degrees will almost always have elements of neuroanatomy, research methods, social psychology, and cognitive psychology. However, not every degree is the same. Some universities may have a heavier focus on neuropsychology, others may have more child development related modules. On this topic, also check if there's any optional modules. This lets you pick from a selection of topics to focus on, usually either during 2nd or 3rd year.

3.

Assessments. Every university will have a different variety of assessments - these could be open-book exams, typical closed-book exams, online exams, and those exams may be multiple choice, essay based, short/long answer questions, or a combination of all of the above. Coursework at one university may be solely essays and lab reports, whereas another university might use more presentations, creative artefacts, etc.

4.

The city the university is in. This may help you differentiate between universities a little. Don't neglect the importance of where the university this is - 3 years is a long time, and it'll feel even longer if you're stuck in a city you don't like!

5.

The university's support services, especially if you are someone with a disability. The support a university has to offer can very easily make or break your experience as a student.

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BPS accreditation: as the others have said, please make sure that the course that you have chosen is BPS accredited. It will make your life so much easier when it comes to postgraduate studies and your career

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Modules: make sure that you have looked at the course carefully and there are modules that ACTUALLY excite you. For example, when I was looking into City, the following modules caught my eye: history and theory of psychology (1^st year), personality and differential psychology (2^nd year), forensic psychology (3^rd year), introduction to counselling psychology (3^rd year). If the modules don’t excite you about studying at that university, then you might want to look at other unis and what modules they offer instead. Another important thing for me whilst looking at modules was that they should cover a wide range of fields in psychology and I felt that City offered that, which is why I came to this uni

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Placement year/year abroad: check if the university offers you a placement year or a year abroad, if that is something that interests you. Although I didn’t do either, I know a lot of people who did a placement year and loved it because of the valuable experience they received within the field

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Opportunities: ensure that the university has volunteering, micro placement, internship and research opportunities. This will allow you to get some relevant experience, which will develop you professionally and make you into a well-rounded candidate when it comes to job interviews

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Location: another important thing that people overlook sometimes is the location of the university. I know a few friends who were miserable at their university because they didn’t like the location of their university, therefore, I made sure that I chose a uni that makes my commute worthwhile. Personally, I love the location of City because everything is very accessible (either a bus or train ride away). The university is at the heart of London, so places like Chinatown, Oxford Street, etc. are all very easy to travel to. We also have very close food/drink spots, which are perfect for in between lectures

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Statistics: have a look at the percentage of people who go on to get a job post-graduation, course satisfaction, etc. This will also give you a better idea of how the course is structured and what other students think of it.

I hope that I have provided some insightful information. There are many other factors to consider so please, do your own research also. If you have any more questions about Psychology at City, University of London or anything else, then, please don’t hesitate to message me. I wish you the best with whichever university you choose!

Please have a look at our website for more information or to check for possible open days:
BSc (Hons) Psychology Degree • City St George's, University of London

Best of luck,
Ishrat (CUoL Rep) ☺️