Psychology BSc (Hons)
UCAS Code: C800|Duration: 3 years|Full Time|Hope Park|UCAS Campus Code: L46Accredited|Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
We provide a number of programmes of study in Psychology. As well as two Single Honours programmes - BSc Psychology, BSc Sports Psychology - we offer a suite of Combined Honours programmes. Combined Honours programmes allow students to combine a core curriculum on Psychology with the core curriculum of many other subject taught at Liverpool Hope (e.g. Psychology and Criminology, Psychology and Education: see the list below for the full range of Psychology Combined honours courses). Giving students a choice of studying Psychology alone or Psychology in alongside any of close to thirty other disciplines. It is important to us that students can choose to study Psychology in a way that matches their interests.
Ethical practice and working within a shared set of values is also important to us; our University is deeply committed to serving the common good. We see Psychology as a discipline with the capacity, and responsibility, to make a positive contribution to how people live in everyday life. Through our teaching of Psychology, we strive to enable our students to grow into constructive citizens who are curious about people, and motivated to make a positive difference to the lives of others. Beyond classroom learning, there are opportunities to enrich your chosen programme of study in a way that will help you in developing your psychological thinking. They include going on a placement year, working as a research assistant in a laboratory, travelling to another country as part of Global Hope, or studying abroad.
Our enthusiasm for the discipline is reflected in our consistently high ratings of teaching quality. If our departmental narrative matches with what you aspire to be, then come and study with us at Liverpool Hope University.
Course structure
Teaching on our degree programmes is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars/workshops of smaller groups of around 20-30 students, and tutorials which typically have around 10 students.
If you are studying Psychology as a single major degree, then in the first year of study there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, and around 10 hours of taught classes in your second and third years.
If you are studying Psychology as a double major degree (you combine the core part of our Psychology programme with the core part of a second programme), then in your first year of study there are approximately 6 teaching hours each week, which becomes approximately 5 teaching hours in your second and third years for Psychology.
In addition to in-class hours, you will read relevant texts, and prepare assignments, both on your own, and sometimes in groups. Engage in specific enrichment-related activities include our Global Hope programme, special interest groups, Volunteering, and research internships.
Accreditation
Upon completion of studies, given a degree grade of a 2.2 or above, and achieving a pass grade or above in the final year dissertation project, students are eligible for Graduate Basis of Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). GBC is important for training and careers in Psychology beyond undergraduate study.
Assessment and feedback
Students complete a number of assessments, including written exams, essays, reports, portfolios, presentations and assessed laboratory work, both as individuals and in teams, leading to an individual research dissertation.
Written feedback is provided for all coursework, along with the opportunity to discuss this with a tutor in more detail.
Curriculum overview
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. The knowledge and skills gained when studying Psychology are important in helping to understand people and, ultimately, in supporting people to live better lives.
The Core 1 course in our curriculum, which is studied by both Single and Combined Honours students, delivers the fundamentals of the discipline. Meanwhile, the further elements of the course studied by Single students adds more specialist material to support a better understanding of the application of Psychology and access to specialist topics based on our research.
Year One
Core course
- Lectures: Introduction to the scientific method as applied in Psychology; Introduction to Social and Personality Psychology; Research design and analysis.
- Workshops: Practice of research design and analysis.
- Tutorials: Developing your thinking as a Psychologist
Single Honours only
- Lectures: Moral and ethical challenges in Psychology; Psychology and Globalisation
- Seminars/Workshops: Applying Psychology to Social Issues; Programming skills for use in psychological experiments.
- Tutorials: Developing as reflective learners.
Year Two
Core course
- Lectures: Perception and Cognition; Development across the lifespan
- Workshops: Research design and analysis (2)
Single Honours only
- Lectures: Psychologists as practitioners (e.g., work, educational and clinical settings).
- Seminars: Designing a psychological intervention
- Tutorials: Psychological research in applied settings.
Year Three
Core course
- Lectures: Emotion and motivation; Biological psychology and neuroscience
- Seminars: Research design and analysis (3)
- Dissertation: Conducting and large-scale Psychological study under individual supervision from a member of staff.
Single Honours only
- Lectures: Future challenges for Psychology.
- Seminars: Select two specialist seminars from a choice of options (e.g., Aesthetics, Education, Counselling, Neuroscience, Peace & Conflict, and Religion).
Entry requirements
| A-Levels | Single Honours: BBB Combined Honours: BBC |
|---|---|
| UCAS Tariff Points | Single honours: 120 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Combined honours: 120 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications for both Single and Combined Honours. |
| BTEC | Single Honours: DDM Combined Honours: DMM |
| Access to HE | Single Honours: 120 Tariff Points Combined Honours: 120 Tariff Points |
| IB | 28 |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | Single Honours: 120 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only Combined Honours: 120 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
| Subject Requirements | In addition, you should have a minimum of GCSE grade C (Grade 4 or above in the new grading system) in Mathematics (or equivalent). |
International entry requirements
| Specific Country Requirements | Select your country |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 overall (with reading and writing at 6.0) and no individual score lower than 5.5. We also accept a wide range of International Qualifications. For more information, please visit our English Language Requirements page. |
Careers
Successful Psychology graduates are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (subject to conditions). This is a prerequisite for professional training programmes in Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Occupational Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sport and Exercise Psychology or Forensic Psychology.
In addition, Liverpool Hope Psychology graduates have professional transferrable skills that mean you can gain employment in a wide range of careers, in addition to traditional Psychology careers.
Enhancement opportunities
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are £9,250 for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,250.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
Additional costs
On top of your tuition fees, you need approximately £250 for the purchasing of key textbooks. There may also be a cost for any fieldtrips; details of costs will be given to you with plenty of notice.
There is a small cost for student BPS membership, and once you graduate, there is a registration fee and annual fee thereafter for Graduate Membership – full details of costs can be found on the BPS website.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2022/23 are £12,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is also available as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: