This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2025.
Birkbeck, University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
This BA Psychosocial Studies with Principles of Psychodynamic Counselling is a unique course that brings together psychoanalytic theory, psychodynamic practice and psychosocial thinking around issues of equality and social justice. Why choose this course?
- Taught by experienced practising therapists and organisational consultants, this course provides an opportunity for you to explore key ideas of psychodynamic therapy and the social determinants of distress.
- It is ideal if you wish to train as a therapist or are interested in understanding the unconscious dynamics within helping relationships, group situations and organisational life.
- It emphasises personal and social change with a focus on practical exercises to develop your therapeutic listening skills and opportunities to participate in experiential, work discussion and thinking space groups.
- Birkbeck has 50 years' experience of teaching psychodynamic counselling and practice and an excellent reputation with employers.
- We have a keen interest in the development of new and innovative psychosocial methods, as well as forging new theoretical trajectories across a range of critical fields of enquiry.
- Our psychosocial studies team is genuinely interdisciplinary, with academics coming from backgrounds in anthropology, cultural and postcolonial studies, education studies, gender and sexuality studies, literary studies, critical psychology, psychoanalytic studies and sociology.
- therapeutic listening skills
- critical and analytic skills
- self-reflective skills
- emotional sensibility.
- mental health and wellbeing
- social justice and advocacy
- community development
- conflict resolution.
Modules
For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.
Assessment method
Individual and group assignments, essays and a dissertation.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 112 points
A level - BBC
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DMM
We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential. FOUNDATION YEAR DEGREES Our 'with Foundation Year' route is designed to give you extra support as it provides you with an additional year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of supported study. This is an ideal route if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main degree.
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| International | £18060 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.
Provider information
Birkbeck, University of London
Malet Street
Bloomsbury
London
WC1E 7HX
Clearing contact details
Clearing Enquiry formAdmissions Office
020 3907 0700
Additional information
Early Clearing: A-level Results Day: Our Clearing hotline opens at 8am on Thursday 15th August until 6pm and 9am on Friday 16th August until 6pm. From Monday 19th August our phone lines will be open 10.30 - 6pm (Mon-Thur) and 10.30 -5pm (Fri). Virtual Clearing Event - http://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/
Course contact details
Visit our course pageBirkbeck Student Advice Service
0203 907 0700