Future Aspiration Advice

Hey, I’m in Year 12 and I study Politics, Criminology, Sociology, and EPQ. Initially, I planned to go into Law, and I chose my subjects with that in mind. However, I’m now struggling with a new aspiration that’s developed, I’m considering Psychology instead. I’ve been torn between the two, and I’m unsure whether Psychology is a realistic option at university because I don’t study any science A-levels. Although I chose social sciences, and I’ve checked some university requirements, I’m still not certain whether I have a viable pathway into Psychology.

its not a heavy requirement to have a science! most unis despite writing sciences are very flexible in the UK - such as I did psych, socio and english lit. most unis like that you have atleast one of those subjects such as having psych, history, sciences, english lit etc - so i would say keep an eye out! the main thing is passion and showing that in your letter when you start applying!

Yes, 'science' can sometimes include Psych or Geog etc - but are you really suggesting that if an applicant does not meet the specified A level subject requirements, 'a nicely worded' PS' will fix the problem?

other than for top unis in the UK such as bath, oxford etc, alot of unis do have that flexibility and i've seen it as in my applications + my friends so I would say yes!

Do you have any evidence of this besides 'I've heard' and 'My friend thinks'?

yes actually, other than direct experience, a quick short search yields what the OP was considering

Buckinghamshire uni psych requirements -> "encourage anyone interested in studying psychology to enquire, we are interested in hearing from all potential applicants" with other requirements just being the A level grades be ABB-BBC + "Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A-levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in slightly lower A-level grades being required." as per OP's subject selection

city st george psych requirements -> doesnt specify any subject, only a level BBB

so yes, it is possible to apply even without the subjects at certain universities.

Hi there,
Regrettably most universities will ask for a science A-level, usually from a list which tends to exclude criminology and sociology. Is it possible for you to switch one of your A-levels into Psychology or perhaps another science?
If not, you might have to privately sit a science A-level, either alongside your current A-levels (not ideal) or during a gap year.
What makes you want to study psychology?

Psychology at Uni level is a science subject, and you will need a science A level.
Alternative degree areas to look at :
Sociology with Social Psychology (BA) - Undergraduate, University of York
Mental Health Nursing | BSc | University of Southampton
BA (Hons) Social Work · Manchester Metropolitan University
Childhood Studies | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol
etc

its not a heavy requirement to have a science! most unis despite writing sciences are very flexible in the UK - such as I did psych, socio and english lit. most unis like that you have atleast one of those subjects such as having psych, history, sciences, english lit etc - so i would say keep an eye out! the main thing is passion and showing that in your letter when you start applying!

Hey, thanks for the reply. What made me aspire to psychology is the lessons I've been taught so far, and the human behaviour behind them. I've also seen videos, shows, etc that included Psychological theories and aspects that got me interested mostly in Forensic Psychology itself. It is quite impossible now for me to change to another A-Level however I did check some univerities and their entry requirements and some of them say they don't require sciences or psychology itself but I am not sure if that's always the case however I'm not sure what my next route is but I always did think about Law and I think possibly that could be a better route for me, but i'm not sure yet!

Hey, I’m in Year 12 and I study Politics, Criminology, Sociology, and EPQ. Initially, I planned to go into Law, and I chose my subjects with that in mind. However, I’m now struggling with a new aspiration that’s developed, I’m considering Psychology instead. I’ve been torn between the two, and I’m unsure whether Psychology is a realistic option at university because I don’t study any science A-levels. Although I chose social sciences, and I’ve checked some university requirements, I’m still not certain whether I have a viable pathway into Psychology.

Hi @jackky1 ,
Reading the above replies so far, it seems like you're in a good position to pursue a psychology degree if this is what you're leaning towards!
However, if you're still debating whether to study law, I wanted to highlight that this option is still available to you even if you do decide to pursue a psychology undergraduate degree. I studied anthropology at university (and thoroughly enjoyed it!) before realising I wanted to become a solicitor - now I'm studying a one-year postgraduate conversion course in law (the PGDL). In fact, if you decide to pursue a legal career later down the line, you might find studying a non-law degree puts you at an advantage! What matters most to law firms are the transferrable skills you bring, your commercial awareness and ultimately you possessing a passion to become a lawyer. Psychology will equip you with unique skills and experiences that a law degree cannot - make sure to keep note of these strengths as you go along, and you might find you have doors open to lots of different career paths by the time you graduate 😊
Good luck!
Holly - PGDL Student

Much appreciated for the reply, I have decided to go down the law route but I might consider a joint degree like Law with Politics, or Law with Psychology, if you get what I mean, because Ive seen some options like that and did talk to some universities and they said that route is very good and secure

Thank you for replying, would you think my subjects would be strong for Law with Criminology (not aiming for Russell Group Universities but as an aspirational-reach), as I was thinking for it to be my other approach.

No problem at all, this sounds very sensible! A joint honours degree can definitely provide a broader range of the transferable skills I discussed and offers an interesting, alternative outlook once you start applying for future jobs. Good luck and let me know if you need any further advice ☺️

Hi @jackky1
When I started at Leicester, I studied criminology for a year and then I chose to switch to Law LLB. As I have experience of studying both, please feel free to ask any questions!
A law degree has several compulsory modules that you must study in order for the degree to be a qualifying law degree. From looking into studying both criminology and law, I noticed that criminology tends to offer more optional modules that law. I strongly recommend comparing the modules that different universities offer as part of their Law and Criminology degrees. They can vary quite a bit university to university and you are best off studying modules that you are the most interested in.
You can have a look at what modules Leicester has to offer by clicking this link Law and Criminology LLB and scrolling down to where it says course structure. I hope that helps!
Claire
Law LLB Student