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BSc (Hons) Placement year available

Psychology

Explore the way we think and understand human behaviour with our BPS accredited Psychology degree.

Psychology affects everything we do. You’re curious about people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour – and that’s what sits at the heart of our BPS accredited Psychology degree.

We’ll encourage you to keep asking questions, to develop the scientific, analytical and research skills you need to become a psychologist. Together, we’ll explore the different facets of psychology including applied, social and clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience and biological psychology.

By studying BSc (Hons) Psychology at ARU, you’ll immerse yourself in the science of mind and behaviour – and take the first step towards a career as a chartered psychologist.

Logo: THE Awards 2023
 

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

British Psychological Society

Achieve a second-class honours degree or above, and you’ll be eligible for graduate chartered membership of the British Psychological Society. It’s your first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist.

British Psychological Society logo
Why ARU?
  • Our degrees are accredited by the British Psychological Society and delivered in our world-class Science Centre with dedicated Psychology labs
  • Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed and developed with regional employers to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving
  • Explore world-leading research with 98% of our Psychology research being recognised as internationally significant (REF 2023)
  • We offer support with the cost of living, and Psychology courses deliver compressed teaching across three days of the week, freeing your time for work experience
  • In your final year, tailor your degree by choosing from a range of optional modules
  • Study abroad opportunities

Course options

Course options

Key facts

Looking for different course options?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1
  • Becoming a Researcher (30 credits)
  • Self and Society (30 credits)
  • Mind and Behaviour (30 credits)
  • Clinical and Health Psychology (15 credits)
  • Into ARU
  • The Psychology of Everyday Life (15 credits) *
  • Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *
Year 2
  • Research in Action: Statistical Thinking (15 credits)
  • Social Psychology: Development and Difference (30 credits)
  • Ruskin Module (15 credits)
  • Research in Action: Qualitative Methods and Psychology in Practice (15 credits)
  • Diagnosis and Formulation in Mental Health (15 credits)
  • Brain, Body and Mind (30 credits)
Year 3
  • Psychology Project (30 credits)
  • Professional Skills in Clinical Settings (15 credits) *
  • Sex, Sexuality and Gender (15 credits) *
  • Stress and Stress Management (15 credits) *
  • Culture and Health (15 credits) *
  • Cognitive Neuroscience (15 credits) *
  • Educational Psychology (15 credits) *
  • Psychological Assessment (15 credits) *
  • Psychology in the Workplace (15 credits) *
  • Forensic Psychology (15 credits) *
  • Consumer Psychology (15 credits) *
  • Atypical Development (15 credits) *
  • Psychological Therapies (15 credits) *
  • Lifespan Development (15 credits) *
  • Groups in Conflict: Social Psychological Issues (15 credits) *
  • Cyberpsychology (15 credits) *
  • The Neuroscience of Self (15 credits) *
Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course.

Year 1
  • Interactive Learning Skills and Communication
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Critical Thinking
  • Maths for Scientists
  • Intercultural Studies
  • Ethics
  • Biology: Physiology
  • Psychology
Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall.

Placement year
  • Work Placement - Psychology and Sport Sciences (120 credits)
Module details

At ARU, you’ll learn from expert tutors who are actively engaged in research work in their specialist field.

Facilities

At ARU you’ll use psychology labs in our state-of-the-art Science Centre. There are dedicated labs for EEG, perception, biomarker analysis, neuroscience and more.

Our labs house commercial software packages and specialist psychological equipment such as:

  • PowerLab devices for monitoring emotional and physiological response
  • a portable Nexus device, for recording similar activity outside the lab
  • a Tobii Pro 300TX eyetracker
  • driving simulator
  • Oculus Rift VR headset
  • visual and acoustic stimulation systems
  • functional near-infrared spectroscopy
  • 64-channel Brain Vision EEG/ERP system.

Careers

Psychology graduates are in demand.

As a graduate chartered member of the British Psychological Society, you could undertake further training to become a counselling or clinical psychologist, or specialise in areas like health, educational or forensic psychology.

Psychologists have skills that are sought after in other industries too, including the ability to understand social behaviour and analyse data. For example, some of our graduates have applied their knowledge to:

  • Social work
  • Counselling
  • Marketing
  • Human resources
  • Teaching
  • Careers advising

Whichever path interests you most, you can be sure that you’ll graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities that industry needs. We work with employers, and they help us review what we teach and how we teach it – offering hands-on, practical opportunities to learn through work-based projects, internships or placements.

Our course is continually developed to ensure that our students have relevant employability skills – we have an Employers' Action Group, a panel of graduate employers from a range of sectors relevant to psychology who provide us feedback on our courses to ensure you are developing skills that will put you in good stead for employment.

You'll also have the opportunity to take our final year module ‘Psychology in the Workplace’, which involves acquiring 35 hours of work experience and includes guest speakers from industry.

ARU ranked in the top 10% in the country for graduates in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024), and 5th in the country for the proportion of UK undergraduates who are employed as managers, directors, or senior officials 15 months after graduating. We're also in the top 10% in the country for the number of graduates in employment and further study who agreed they are using what they learnt during their studies.

Graduation doesn't need to be the end of your time with us. If you’d like to continue your studies, we offer a range of postgraduate degrees including MSc Foundations in Clinical Psychology, MSc Clinical Child Psychology, and MSc Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.

Zoe Boulmpasakou

ZOE

“My time at ARU was more than just lectures and assignments. As a Student Ambassador for Psychology, I had the opportunity to share my passion with prospective students at open days, applicant days, and university events."

ZOE

BSc (Hons) Psychology

Read Zoe's story

Entry Requirements

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