Psychology at Aston University, Birmingham - UCAS

Course options

Course summary

Psychology is a fascinating subject that aims to understand why people behave in the way that they do, by considering the complex interplay between biological, psychological, environmental, cultural, and social influences on behaviour. This academic discipline encompasses a wide range of topics including how changes in the brain influence behaviour, why false memories occur, why people behave differently when they are in a group, how language influences thinking, how we learn to understand other’s intentions, how psychological distress can be alleviated, why we identify with some people and not others, how subconscious processes influence our behaviour, and how our thinking develops as we grow from children to adults. Studying psychology at Aston University will provide you with the basis for understanding why people act in certain ways, and insight into methods of changing their behaviour. By choosing to study at Aston you will gain a degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), have the opportunity to complete a career-enhancing placement in the UK or internationally, and be taught by leading experts from a range of specialist psychological fields. There is a huge demand across a range of industries for graduates with a specialism in psychology, as it provides a wide range of transferable skills such as the ability to problem solve, answer complex but important questions, communicate effectively, critical analysis, writing, and research. Graduates from across our suite of psychology courses go on to a variety of different careers. Some choose to use their British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation to continue their studies post-graduation, working towards a career in occupational, educational or clinical psychology. Many graduates also go into careers such as human resources, organisational development, marketing, business, or the creative industries. Key course benefits: • Our courses are accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and confer eligibility for the Graduate Chartered Membership (MBPsS) of the BPS, which is vital for students who wish to ultimately train as a professional psychologist (clinical, educational, forensic, occupational etc). It is also the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. • Access a wide range of specialist facilities including an observation suite (with covert audio-visual recording), equipment and tools for psychophysiological measurement, eye tracking and motion-capture, dedicated laboratories for cognitive experiments, and larger facilities for focus groups and audience-based research. • Students have an opportunity to take a placement year (optional)in the UK or abroad, designed to set studies in a real-world context and improve employability. • Aston is the top 30 in the UK for graduate prospects (Psychology) (Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2023). • Our recent graduates have gone on to secure work in organisations such as the NHS, the City Council, the UK police force, and mental health charities. • Study for 3 years or the option of an integrated placement year with a 4-year study option. • You’ll be taught by research-led academics. Our School of Psychology is home to a large range of teaching and research active staff. Psychology staff are based in a number of research groups and centres across the University, with interests in neuroscience and neurodevelopment, ageing, cognitive and affective neuroscience, neuroimaging (including neuroimaging of clinical populations), health and lifespan development, and sensory and perceptual systems. We no longer offer a Foundation Programme. If you select Year 0 on your application form, this will be amended to Year 1 at the admissions review stage. Entry requirements

  • BBB in any three A Levels.
  • BBC in any three A Levels plus grade B in either Core Maths or Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
  • BCC in any three A Levels for contextual offer students.*

Modules

Year 1 Studying the key topics that will form the basis of your psychology education, you’ll learn how to articulate your gained knowledge of core theories and concepts and discover more about the possible graduate career pathways open to you. Core modules: Key Skills in Psychology I, Key Skills in Psychology II, Biological and Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Social Psychology, Foundations of Contemporary Psychology, and Introduction to Clinical Psychology. In addition you will select two optional modules. For more information, please visit our website. Year 2 Build on the core grounding you gained in your first year, as well as being introduced to exciting new subject areas such as lifespan development and cognitive neuropsychology. You’ll gain communication and critical thinking skills, along with developing your ability to use a wide range of statistical and qualitative research methods.Core modules: Research Methods and Data Analysis, Applied Psychology and Professional Skills, Social Psychology, Brain and Behaviour, Lifespan Development, Individual Differences and Personality, Cognition and Cognitive Neuropsychology. In addition, you will select one optional module. For more information, please visit our website. Placement year (optional) Placement year (integrated into the 4-year BSc): Your opportunity to gain valuable career-boosting experience by setting your studies in a real-world context of a working environment alongside professionals. For example, our Placement students gain experiences in a range of diverse careers, with previous students undertaking placements as Research Assistants, Environmental Consultants, Teaching Assistants, and Educational and Clinical Psychologists, to name just a few. Final year You will select and complete eight specialist modules that fit your interests, and conduct a research project in a specialist area of your choice with support from our expert psychology staff. For more information, please visit our website.

Assessment method

You will encounter a variety of learning opportunities, including: lectures practical sessions interactive workshops and tutorials group work. At university, there is a much stronger emphasis on private reading and independent study than at school or college. However, we are here to support you in making this transition and to help you manage your learning. For example we set out your work for the year in an online student guide, which includes full details of all modules including week-by-week lecture breakdowns, reading lists and all coursework assignments for the year with the relevant deadlines. You will be assessed throughout the course. A wide range of assessments linked to learning outcomes are used, including: class tests/end of year examinations (unseen essay, short answer or multiple choice questions) essays research reports (group or individual) presentations statistics assignments oral presentations.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • British Psychological Society

How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
C800
Institution code:
A80
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Admissions Review Process Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with predicted grades that fall below these entry requirements if the application is of a high standard (however, initial offers will not be lower than stated above). The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor. Offerholders Visit Days Once you have received an offer, you will be invited to an Offerholders Visit Day to discover more about the course and Aston University.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.aston.ac.uk/study/courses/psychology-bsc/


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
50%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
75%
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 £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
International £20700 Year 1

Additional fee information

The placement fee is £1250 for Home/UK students and £2,500 for International students. For Home students: Tuition fees for UK/Home students may change in line with government policy. When undertaking a placement year, a placement year fee applies. For International students: The International students fee is a fixed annual fee for the duration of the Programme, except whilst on placement when a placement year fee applies **The latest information relating to EU students and tuition fees for 2024 can be found on the UCAS website at: https://www.ucas.com/finance/finance-international-and-eu-students. ***The United Kingdom government has confirmed that European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals commencing academic courses in England from August 2021 will no longer be eligible for home fee status. ^^Tuition fees for students are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. Any such increase shall always be in accordance with the law.
Psychology at Aston University, Birmingham - UCAS