Psychology
What is a psychology degree like? Is it very hard to get into and is the actual course hard to understand? And does anyone know where I can get work experience
Reply 1
The field of psychology is very broad so the difficulty level depends on what you want to pursue. Is there anything specific on your mind?
Reply 2
11
Original post
by woohoo22The field of psychology is very broad so the difficulty level depends on what you want to pursue. Is there anything specific on your mind?
I don’t mind going into CBT but just generally in the health area so not really research. I also don’t mind cognitive neuroscience, but I want to know is there a lot of jobs in psychology because apparently only 5% of those who take a psychology degree get jobs
Reply 3
Original post
by Smartsara28I don’t mind going into CBT but just generally in the health area so not really research. I also don’t mind cognitive neuroscience, but I want to know is there a lot of jobs in psychology because apparently only 5% of those who take a psychology degree get jobs
There are definitely jobs in psychology, but many require further training. If you're interested in CBT, roles like Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) or therapist are in demand. Cognitive neuroscience can also be a good route, especially if you're open to working in healthcare or industry (e.g., neurotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, or clinical neuropsychology).
Reply 4
Original post
by Smartsara28What is a psychology degree like? Is it very hard to get into and is the actual course hard to understand? And does anyone know where I can get work experience
Hello!
The requirements for psychology at Lancaster are AAB, with some consideration given if you get above an A on EPQ or you meet widening participation criteria. This is a common grade requirement for universities, however, I have seen some with lower grade entry. All degrees are competitive to an extent, but most university websites will show their acceptance rate if that is something you are worried about.
As for the actual course, I personally found first year quite easy as it was largely a repeat of A Level psychology content in order to bring everyone up to speed if they had not taken the A Level or had breaks between studying. The main thing I had to learn from scratch was statistics, as we were learning RStudio rather than calculating tests by hand. This sounded scary at first but I found that as long as I did the lectures and lab work, I was able to keep up and understand the majority of the content. Second and third year are obviously more complex and require more effort to keep up with the content, but I wouldn't consider it to be overwhelmingly difficult as long as you put in the work expected by your lecturers.
In terms of work experience, that is a difficult one. Psychology undergraduate admissions will never expect work experience so don't worry about trying to get any before applying. If it is something that you are just interested in doing, then you can look into volunteering with local charities for kids, mental illness, age support, etc. If you are over 18 then you can volunteer for helpline such as Samaritans or SHOUT and gain hands on experience (this is especially beneficial if you are interested in going into therapy, counselling, or clinical psychology).
Hope this helps!
-Kat (3rd year psychology undergraduate at Lancaster University)
Reply 5
11
Original post
by woohoo22There are definitely jobs in psychology, but many require further training. If you're interested in CBT, roles like Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) or therapist are in demand. Cognitive neuroscience can also be a good route, especially if you're open to working in healthcare or industry (e.g., neurotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, or clinical neuropsychology).
Are the jobs worth the years though, because it takes a long time to get the degrees but are the jobs high paying?
Reply 6
Original post
by Smartsara28Are the jobs worth the years though, because it takes a long time to get the degrees but are the jobs high paying?
Well if I am being honest, roles in academia aren't very lucrative in comparison to industry. Healthcare jobs are high paying but also very competitive.
Reply 7
For a career in CBT you do not need a psychology degree. You can do a counselling course and then specialise; a general psychology degree has plenty of statistics, usually using R Studio or SPSS software. Personal opinion? I would not recommend a psychology degree since the chance of actual employment within health is pretty low. The courses are so very oversubscribed.
Reply 8
Original post
by Smartsara28What is a psychology degree like? Is it very hard to get into and is the actual course hard to understand? And does anyone know where I can get work experience
Hey there 😃
A psychology degree will naturally vary between universities, though not drastically, especially for courses accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). This accreditation ensures that core requirements are met, which is crucial if you aim to become a certified psychologist. So, when choosing a university, make sure your course holds this accreditation! ✅
Similarly, entry requirements differ from university to university. However, beyond academic expertise, I strongly recommend considering universities with strong career support. Finding relevant work experience while studying can be tough, but institutions that offer placements, internships, and dedicated career services will give you a huge advantage when entering the job market.
During my second year, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a research assistant intern, gaining hands-on experience in the field 🔬 I also got a summer internship at a hypnotherapy service. Beyond that, I embarked on a year-long student exchange in Spain 🇪🇸, which was an unforgettable experience, both academically and culturally. To top it off, I took part in a remote internship in global psychology with an organisation in Fiji 🇫🇯 These experiences have truly shaped my journey, broadening my perspective and deepening my passion for psychology.
From my time at De Montfort University (DMU), I can confidently say that the course is very manageable. Each year, we have around 10 hours of contact teaching, including lectures, workshops, and seminars. DMU’s block teaching system allows us to focus on one or two modules at a time, with exams or assignments at the end of each block. This prevents overload, enhances focus, and deepens our understanding of each module 🧠
Course breakdown will look more or less like this:
Year 1: A broad introduction to psychology, its fields, and research methods
Year 2: A deeper dive into core psychological areas
Year 3: A dissertation project, where you conduct your own research under the supervision of a professor (I received amazing support, which made it far less daunting than I expected!) + optional modules to explore specific areas of interest
The flexibility in choosing third-year modules is a game-changer. With such a broad field, being able to tailor your studies toward your passions and career goals makes a big difference.
Psychology isn’t necessarily difficult, but it is extensive. There’s a lot to learn, which can feel overwhelming at times. However, I realised that you don’t need to know everything by heart. The goal is to find a specialised area that excites you and focus on building expertise in that field. The course structure, engaging teaching methods, and supportive resources make the learning process accessible and enjoyable 📚
In short, if you’re passionate about understanding human behavior and want to shape your own path, Psychology is an amazing and rewarding choice! 🙌
I hope it will be helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.
Take care,
Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University
Reply 9
11
Original post
by random_mattFor a career in CBT you do not need a psychology degree. You can do a counselling course and then specialise; a general psychology degree has plenty of statistics, usually using R Studio or SPSS software. Personal opinion? I would not recommend a psychology degree since the chance of actual employment within health is pretty low. The courses are so very oversubscribed.
How would I go about doing that?
Reply 10
11
Original post
by De Montfort UniversityHey there 😃
A psychology degree will naturally vary between universities, though not drastically, especially for courses accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). This accreditation ensures that core requirements are met, which is crucial if you aim to become a certified psychologist. So, when choosing a university, make sure your course holds this accreditation! ✅
Similarly, entry requirements differ from university to university. However, beyond academic expertise, I strongly recommend considering universities with strong career support. Finding relevant work experience while studying can be tough, but institutions that offer placements, internships, and dedicated career services will give you a huge advantage when entering the job market.
During my second year, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a research assistant intern, gaining hands-on experience in the field 🔬 I also got a summer internship at a hypnotherapy service. Beyond that, I embarked on a year-long student exchange in Spain 🇪🇸, which was an unforgettable experience, both academically and culturally. To top it off, I took part in a remote internship in global psychology with an organisation in Fiji 🇫🇯 These experiences have truly shaped my journey, broadening my perspective and deepening my passion for psychology.
From my time at De Montfort University (DMU), I can confidently say that the course is very manageable. Each year, we have around 10 hours of contact teaching, including lectures, workshops, and seminars. DMU’s block teaching system allows us to focus on one or two modules at a time, with exams or assignments at the end of each block. This prevents overload, enhances focus, and deepens our understanding of each module 🧠
Course breakdown will look more or less like this:
Year 1: A broad introduction to psychology, its fields, and research methods
Year 2: A deeper dive into core psychological areas
Year 3: A dissertation project, where you conduct your own research under the supervision of a professor (I received amazing support, which made it far less daunting than I expected!) + optional modules to explore specific areas of interest
The flexibility in choosing third-year modules is a game-changer. With such a broad field, being able to tailor your studies toward your passions and career goals makes a big difference.
Psychology isn’t necessarily difficult, but it is extensive. There’s a lot to learn, which can feel overwhelming at times. However, I realised that you don’t need to know everything by heart. The goal is to find a specialised area that excites you and focus on building expertise in that field. The course structure, engaging teaching methods, and supportive resources make the learning process accessible and enjoyable 📚
In short, if you’re passionate about understanding human behavior and want to shape your own path, Psychology is an amazing and rewarding choice! 🙌
I hope it will be helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.
Take care,
Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University
A psychology degree will naturally vary between universities, though not drastically, especially for courses accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). This accreditation ensures that core requirements are met, which is crucial if you aim to become a certified psychologist. So, when choosing a university, make sure your course holds this accreditation! ✅
Similarly, entry requirements differ from university to university. However, beyond academic expertise, I strongly recommend considering universities with strong career support. Finding relevant work experience while studying can be tough, but institutions that offer placements, internships, and dedicated career services will give you a huge advantage when entering the job market.
During my second year, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a research assistant intern, gaining hands-on experience in the field 🔬 I also got a summer internship at a hypnotherapy service. Beyond that, I embarked on a year-long student exchange in Spain 🇪🇸, which was an unforgettable experience, both academically and culturally. To top it off, I took part in a remote internship in global psychology with an organisation in Fiji 🇫🇯 These experiences have truly shaped my journey, broadening my perspective and deepening my passion for psychology.
From my time at De Montfort University (DMU), I can confidently say that the course is very manageable. Each year, we have around 10 hours of contact teaching, including lectures, workshops, and seminars. DMU’s block teaching system allows us to focus on one or two modules at a time, with exams or assignments at the end of each block. This prevents overload, enhances focus, and deepens our understanding of each module 🧠
Course breakdown will look more or less like this:
Year 1: A broad introduction to psychology, its fields, and research methods
Year 2: A deeper dive into core psychological areas
Year 3: A dissertation project, where you conduct your own research under the supervision of a professor (I received amazing support, which made it far less daunting than I expected!) + optional modules to explore specific areas of interest
The flexibility in choosing third-year modules is a game-changer. With such a broad field, being able to tailor your studies toward your passions and career goals makes a big difference.
Psychology isn’t necessarily difficult, but it is extensive. There’s a lot to learn, which can feel overwhelming at times. However, I realised that you don’t need to know everything by heart. The goal is to find a specialised area that excites you and focus on building expertise in that field. The course structure, engaging teaching methods, and supportive resources make the learning process accessible and enjoyable 📚
In short, if you’re passionate about understanding human behavior and want to shape your own path, Psychology is an amazing and rewarding choice! 🙌
I hope it will be helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.
Take care,
Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University
Thank you so much for that! What course could I do following psychology?
Reply 11
Original post
by Smartsara28How would I go about doing that?
You start a health related undergraduate degree then do a postgraduate course in CBT with some work experience within mental health. The following undergraduate degree's are just some you may want to consider:
•
mental health nursing
•
social work
•
counselling
•
art therapy
•
psychology
Reply 12
11
Original post
by random_mattYou start a health related undergraduate degree then do a postgraduate course in CBT with some work experience within mental health. The following undergraduate degree's are just some you may want to consider:
•
mental health nursing
•
social work
•
counselling
•
art therapy
•
psychology
Would dental hygiene work?
Reply 13
Original post
by Smartsara28Would dental hygiene work?
Unlikely.
Reply 14
Original post
by Smartsara28What is a psychology degree like? Is it very hard to get into and is the actual course hard to understand? And does anyone know where I can get work experience
Hello! My name is Alex and I'm a current second year student taking Psychology BSc.
If you want to work as a practitioner in the psychological field, it's important that your course be accredited by the British Psychological Society (assuming you are based in the UK). This means your course will have two years of mandatory modules that ensure every psychology student knows enough about the field since it is so broad, and that the first two years will be very similar across many universities. In terms of difficulty, I found the first year quite straightforward due to having done Psychology at A-Level, however after talking to some peers who had not taken it, they found certain elements quite challenging, namely the amount of maths and statistics and biology involved. I am currently studying Advanced Research Methods and Statistics, which involves a lot of data management and interpretation, and it's certainly challenging! A lot of people misinterpret psychology degrees as being solely centered around things like behaviour and mental health, but this is certainly not the case. It has a wide reach, covering areas in biology, maths, computer science, sociology, developmental science and even law. This means it's a super flexible degree that can take you down many paths.
In terms of career aspirations, working in the field can be competitive. Many careers require masters degrees or even doctorates, but the requirements can vary. For example, the difference between the qualifications for a Counselling Psychologist and a Counsellor are insanely different! There are many different fields you can pursue after taking a psychology degree, but if you want to work in the field it often requires more than just an undergraduate degree, which can skew the statistics on how many psychology graduates find work after their degree. They're all doing Masters degrees! This Prospects page (linked here) shows many career options following a psychology degree, and give good explanations on how to get the qualifications that are required, and some information about possible experience relating to each job. It also details possible working hours and salaries.
Work experience generally isn't required for an undergraduate course, but if you wanted to gain experience to help you look better against other candidates when it comes to getting jobs, there are tons of mental health charities that are always looking for volunteers if you wanted to go into mental health support. If you were thinking more medical, you can always contact your local hospitals and see if you could shadow anyone who works in your area of interest.
I hope this helped
Alex, Student Ambassador
Reply 15
Original post
by Smartsara28Thank you so much for that! What course could I do following psychology?
Hey there 😃
Glad I could help! 😊
If your goal is to become a certified psychologist, the typical route is to complete a BPS-accredited Master’s degree in your chosen area, followed by a PhD. However, if you gain strong relevant work experience during your Bachelor's, there’s a chance you could be admitted directly into a PhD programme! 🌟
At the postgraduate level, you could specialise in a field like clinical, counseling, forensic, occupational psychology (and much more!), and by the time you finish your Bachelor's, you’ll likely have a clearer idea of where your passion lies💡
One of the best things about a Psychology degree is its versatility! If you decide to pivot, you can explore Master’s programmes in business, marketing, data analysis, HR, social work, and many more fields, since psychology is applicable to so many industries 🔄
Whatever path you choose, your degree will open countless doors! 🚪✨
Take care,
Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University
Reply 16
Original post
by Smartsara28What is a psychology degree like? Is it very hard to get into and is the actual course hard to understand? And does anyone know where I can get work experience
Hi there!
My name is Lily and I am a third year Psychology student here at ARU and thought I would share my experiences in my degree.
Firstly in terms of how hard it is to get into, this all depends on what university you go to. My best advice for this would be to look at the course requirements for universities you have an interest in and see if this is attainable. This also applies to the content of the course itself. Obviously university degrees are a level up from GCSE's or A-level but as long as you apply yourself as well as reach out for help when needed you will be absolutely fine!
With work expereince the best is to look at volunteering oppurtinities. I volunteered at Mind in Mid Herts as a course facilitator and found this very informative on what route i would like to go down in my degree. Simply searching online volunteering oppurtunties near me, as well as looking on volunteering websites such as GoVolHerts is great.
If there is anything else i can help with please let me know
Lily
ARU Digital Student Ambassador
Reply 17
Original post
by Smartsara28What is a psychology degree like? Is it very hard to get into and is the actual course hard to understand? And does anyone know where I can get work experience
Hello!
I'm currently a 2nd year studying psychology at the University of Southampton and have loved it so far. The entry requirements for Southampton are AAA, or AAB if studying a required subject. You can read more about this here.
The first year made sure that everyone was on the same page and skill level, regardless of whether you have done psychology before coming to uni. But even if you had done psychology in college, our course introduces lots of new topics and information so it definitely wasn't just a repeat of psychology A level! The modules we covered included:
•
Research methods and statistics;
•
Individual differences;
•
Introduction to psychology;
•
Learning to learn;
•
Psychology of attractiveness;
•
Behavioural neuroscience.
We had a mix of lectures and seminars depending on the module, which I liked, because the seminars allowed us to get 1-1 help with anything we were struggling with. Some things can be hard to understand, but others are more straightforward. It depends on what you find challenging and what you are interested in. There is lots of support offered by the staff so its good to reach out if you are struggling.
There are also lots of opportunities to get involved with extra-curricular activities. For example, we have lots of psychology community events and we are currently running a big science project where we sign up to help with an experiment. This involves doing the background research, data collection in the eye tracker labs and the write up. Psychology offers a chance to go on a semester abroad as well.
Psychology-specific work experience isn't usually required to get in, but its good to do some super-curricular activities that you can discuss on your personal statement. There is a guide by Cambridge University for this here. You can also mention any work that you've done such as part-time jobs, volunteering, school clubs, etc as long as you can link it to psychology!
Hope this helped and let me know if you have any other questions!
Poppy, 2nd Year Psychology
Hello! 😊
BSc Psychology and Criminology 2nd year student here and I can confidently say I absolutely adore my subject/s and being able to study it at uni – as someone who can get bored easily and needs variation it has been perfect for me. The flexibility and variation mean I always have something new to learn and lots of freedom to do so, particularly as I can choose my modules in third year in the areas I enjoy most.
For context – the psychology modules I think I’ll be choosing are:
I was also quite tempted by ‘Media Psychology’, ‘Educational Psychology’ and ‘The Psychology of Mental Health’. Plus, I will choose two criminology modules too! Lots of fascinating areas to keep exploring 😄
I have also found the assessments for the psychology side of my degree to offer loads of flexibility – for example, we have completed multiple research reports related to our module assignments so far and had lots of freedom to choose topics we find most interesting, which has been great for discovering what I do (and don’t!) like. Whilst we do still have some essay and multiple-choice exams in our assessment mix, this variation has made it easier to stay engaged throughout and to try out new equipment, methods, and research styles.
Whilst it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate all the different areas, the adaptability of a psychology degree is the beauty of it and facilitates you finding your own unique interests and personal skillset. Universities also offer lots of support throughout to help you make the best use of your time and advise on careers. I can admit I have changed my mind multiple times on my career goals, and still frequently tweak these, but I’ve found speaking to lecturers and reaching out for advice has led me to keep progressing and learning more and more.
In terms of getting into the course – the exact requirements will differ for each university. Here at UoS it is 112-120 UCAS points for BSc Psychology, with a grade C/4 or above in GCSE English and Maths, and whilst previous subject specific study such as Psychology/Maths/Science A-Levels are not essential for here these can sometimes be useful to get a head-start on some of the topics you cover within the degree and be a bonus for your application. I actually hated studying maths in school but now adore the statistics and research methods side to the degree after having some amazing lecturers and fun assignments so don’t let this put you off – I find uni is a totally different learning environment.
Carrying on that note – the course itself can have some challenging moments as you are moving onto a higher level of study. I’ve noticed research methods tends to be where people struggle the most, with some new concepts to get your head round. However, I find that the amount of support you receive at uni means that this is easily addressed, and personally utilised 1:1 meetings with my lecturers and personal tutor as much as I could.
Lastly – work experience! As I notice others have commented on, this is a tricky one for psychology due to many related environments requiring you to be over 18. I personally worked as a Care Assistant for a few years, however I was 18+. I think that showing a real interest in the course is the most important thing, but I do know some friends who did some volunteering in community centres and sports clubs which could be something to look into. Any experience regardless of being subject specific could be useful, anything with human interaction is great, but I think the most important thing is thinking about what skills you are able to demonstrate such as organisation, taking responsibility for yourself or speaking to others.
Ultimately, choosing a course is something that will be very personal to you so take your time, chat to others just like you are doing here and maybe visit some open days to get a feel for what's on offer 😊
Good luck!
Becky
University of Salford Student Rep
BSc Psychology and Criminology 2nd year student here and I can confidently say I absolutely adore my subject/s and being able to study it at uni – as someone who can get bored easily and needs variation it has been perfect for me. The flexibility and variation mean I always have something new to learn and lots of freedom to do so, particularly as I can choose my modules in third year in the areas I enjoy most.
For context – the psychology modules I think I’ll be choosing are:
•
Forensic Psychology
•
The Psychology of Extreme Violence
I was also quite tempted by ‘Media Psychology’, ‘Educational Psychology’ and ‘The Psychology of Mental Health’. Plus, I will choose two criminology modules too! Lots of fascinating areas to keep exploring 😄
I have also found the assessments for the psychology side of my degree to offer loads of flexibility – for example, we have completed multiple research reports related to our module assignments so far and had lots of freedom to choose topics we find most interesting, which has been great for discovering what I do (and don’t!) like. Whilst we do still have some essay and multiple-choice exams in our assessment mix, this variation has made it easier to stay engaged throughout and to try out new equipment, methods, and research styles.
Whilst it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate all the different areas, the adaptability of a psychology degree is the beauty of it and facilitates you finding your own unique interests and personal skillset. Universities also offer lots of support throughout to help you make the best use of your time and advise on careers. I can admit I have changed my mind multiple times on my career goals, and still frequently tweak these, but I’ve found speaking to lecturers and reaching out for advice has led me to keep progressing and learning more and more.
In terms of getting into the course – the exact requirements will differ for each university. Here at UoS it is 112-120 UCAS points for BSc Psychology, with a grade C/4 or above in GCSE English and Maths, and whilst previous subject specific study such as Psychology/Maths/Science A-Levels are not essential for here these can sometimes be useful to get a head-start on some of the topics you cover within the degree and be a bonus for your application. I actually hated studying maths in school but now adore the statistics and research methods side to the degree after having some amazing lecturers and fun assignments so don’t let this put you off – I find uni is a totally different learning environment.
Carrying on that note – the course itself can have some challenging moments as you are moving onto a higher level of study. I’ve noticed research methods tends to be where people struggle the most, with some new concepts to get your head round. However, I find that the amount of support you receive at uni means that this is easily addressed, and personally utilised 1:1 meetings with my lecturers and personal tutor as much as I could.
Lastly – work experience! As I notice others have commented on, this is a tricky one for psychology due to many related environments requiring you to be over 18. I personally worked as a Care Assistant for a few years, however I was 18+. I think that showing a real interest in the course is the most important thing, but I do know some friends who did some volunteering in community centres and sports clubs which could be something to look into. Any experience regardless of being subject specific could be useful, anything with human interaction is great, but I think the most important thing is thinking about what skills you are able to demonstrate such as organisation, taking responsibility for yourself or speaking to others.
Ultimately, choosing a course is something that will be very personal to you so take your time, chat to others just like you are doing here and maybe visit some open days to get a feel for what's on offer 😊
Good luck!
Becky
University of Salford Student Rep
(edited 10 months ago)
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