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Counselling Psychology with Foundation Year

Entry requirements


UCAS Tariff

32-56

A typical offer will require a UCAS Tariff score between 32 - 56. Every application is considered on an individual basis. For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our General Entry Requirements pages.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Secondary education

This course includes an additional foundation year at the start of the course which helps prepare you for full time undergraduate study at BSc level. It is a 4 year course and available to you if you didn't quite meet the entry requirements or want longer to prepare for full time study. At the end of the foundation year you will begin to study the 3 year degree plan, and you will qualify with the same degree award at the end of the course.

This course has a shared first year across multiple specialisms. After your first year, if you want to study a different specialism you can choose to change between BSc (Hons) Psychology, BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology, BSc (Hons) Psychology & Criminology, and BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies.

**Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?**
A Psychology degree helps you gain an understanding of the root cause of behaviours, thoughts and emotions and explain them within the scope of scientific theory. You can expect to build a deep understanding of yourself and our societies, develop your analytical mind, nurture your curiosity and understand communication and relationships.

If you choose to become chartered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) you can go on to practice Psychology as a scientist, analyst, researcher, commentator, advisor or as a clinician. Psychology is a wide field, and there is a lot of paths to choose from. Psychology crosses over with medical science, clinical practice, business and more.

**What facilities can I use?**
With fantastic facilities in the Buckinghamshire area, we are the only institution that can offer our equipment in High Wycombe and the immediate surrounding area. Our High Wycombe campus is located only 35 minutes from central London which makes commuting super easy and stress free. At our High Wycombe Campus, we have purpose-built facilities, including well-equipped simulation clinics and rehabilitation teaching rooms.

**What will I study?**
Our Counselling Psychology course will be of interest to you if you’re considering a career in counselling. There is a range of modules to choose from, together with ongoing support from our specialist teaching staff. You’ll learn about Biopsychology, Personality, Social, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology. You will gain the opportunity to study important practical elements too, learning from experts in the field and people already working in counselling.

**Career Prospects**
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.

With such a strong academic grounding, as well as the transferrable skills you’ll develop along the way, you are well-placed to succeed wherever you go.

There are many options to explore with your Psychology degree; it’s the first step to starting postgraduate study in a more focused area like clinical, educational, forensic, counselling, health, cognitive neuropsychology and sports psychology (to name a few). Or perhaps you’d prefer to dive right into the world of work and explore a career in health, education, local government or the infinite possibilities available to you in the private and public sector. You could become a teaching assistant, learning support assistant or mental health support specialist.

Graduates can choose to continue their studies at BNU and study a postgraduate programme, such as our MSc Applied Positive Psychology, MSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education, or even the MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

There are numerous opportunities which your degree could help to open. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in psychology, clinical psychology, forensic psychology, therapy, nursing, and private and public businesses.

Modules

**Foundation Year**
**Core**
Foundations of Psychology
Preparing for Success Knowledge and Creativity
Preparing for Success Self-development and Responsibility
Inquiry Based Learning

**Year one**
**Core**
Frameworks of Living Psychology
Applying Psychology
Researching Psychology
Nature and Nurture in Psychology
The Mind, the Person, and the Social World

**Year two**
**Core**
Personality and Development
Sensation, Perception, and Beyond
Quantitative Methods in Psychology
Qualitative Approaches in Psychology
The Therapeutic Process
Client Diversity and Therapeutic Spaces

**Year three**
**Core**
Conceptual and Critical Social Psychology
Professional Practice Issues in Counselling Psychology
Dissertation

**Optional Modules**
**Core**
Brain, Mind and Behaviour
Pathways to Wellbeing and Transformative Experience
Principles of Psychopathology
Education and Development
Evolutionary Psychology
Health Psychology
Employability and Professional Development
States, Beliefs, Values: Psychology in Practice
Psychospirituality: Historic and Contemporary Traditions

Assessment methods

This British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited programme is designed to enable you to combine studying the core of psychology with a choice of branching into other applied and theoretical areas. Psychology is a broad and fascinating discipline, and the programme will provide you with a scientific understanding of this diverse topic, from the ‘hidden’ aspects of human behaviour (i.e. how our brain and biological mechanisms support different functions), to those we see in everyday life (e.g. social phenomena such as crime or relationships).

This interaction between the brain, body, and the environment is at the very heart of what you study with us at Buckinghamshire New University.

Our BSc (Hons) Psychology programme is accredited by The British Psychological Society (BPS) and is a recognized accreditation by employers throughout the country. Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist, which is a highly desired accreditation.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£15,000
per year
International
£15,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Buckinghamshire New University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.bucks.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/financial-support-bursaries-and-scholarships

The Uni


Course location:

Buckinghamshire New University

Department:

School of Human and Social Sciences

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What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Education

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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

99%
UK students
1%
International students
19%
Male students
81%
Female students
36%
2:1 or above
25%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
C

After graduation


We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Education

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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