BSc (Hons) - Psychology with Counselling and Psychotherapy with Integrated Foundation Year

Year one

During the integrated foundation year, you will be taught alongside students from a range of programmes within the Institute of Health. During this time, you will be equipped with the essential skills needed to study at university level while undertaking challenging and authentic tasks that aim to test your decision-making skills in a professional environment.

• Essential University Skills 1
  Develop your academic and professional skills required for effective learning and successful progression.
• Essential University Skills 2
  Build upon the skills developed in Essential University Skills 1.
• Contemporary Issues and the Media
  Explore a range of contemporary issues through the lens of the media that relates to your subject area.
• Families, Communities and the Criminal Justice System
  Gain an understanding into the psychological and societal risk factors and pre-cursors to criminality.
• Professional Practice in the Community
  Develop your awareness of community groups and activities to help your understanding of society.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
  An introduction to the concepts of mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan and in different contexts using different psychological approaches and theories.

Year two

You will build knowledge in the foundations of psychology, counselling and psychotherapy as disciplines and develop key skills through lectures, workshops and problem-based learning. You will build knowledge of the history of psychology, research methods and analytical techniques as well as start to develop key counselling, academic and professional skills.

• Psychology in Action
  An introduction to a range of theories and models from developmental, cognitive and biological psychology.
• Introduction to Psychological Research Methods
  An introduction to the nature of psychological enquiry and research skills.
• Introduction to Data Analysis
  An introduction to the processes involved in the analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Academic and Professional Skills
  Begin working with others in a professional setting including covering issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Foundational Counselling and Coaching Skills
  Develop basic counselling and coaching skills.
• Counselling Skills: Preparation for Practice
  Develop a range of basic counselling skills.

Year three

You will start to develop a more in-depth understanding of research, theory and practice and develop important research and practical skills. You will build on the foundation of the skills developed in year one and begin to understand wider issues around therapeutic diversity and start to gain work experience within a therapeutic setting.

• Research Methods and Statistics
  Become familiar with statistical techniques that deal with more than one independent variable at two or more levels, including within, between and mixed participant designs.
• Development, Brain and Cognition
  Explore the potential impact on human development and behaviour of a range of factors.
• Social and Community Psychology
  Apply theories of social psychology to understanding the experiences and behaviours of people within their community.
• Work Experience
  An opportunity start your supervised counselling practice.
• Intermediate Counselling Skills
  Develop a practical and professional understanding of ethical practice and decision making with attention to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework and relevant legislation.
• Understanding Therapeutic Diversity
  Develop a complex understanding of several therapeutic approaches (including the person-centred approach) and critically compare them.

Year four

You will undertake an independent research project that will allow you to explore a topic of interest and pursue your own research question. You will also be able to further advance your knowledge and skills through further work experience and advanced counselling skills.

• Dissertation
  Pursue an investigation on a topic of your own interest.
• Individual Differences: Abilities, personalities and measuring differences
  An introduction to the nature of individual differences in human behaviour across a wide spectrum of human development.
• Critical Psychology
  Engage in a critical debate about the ideological basis of psychological knowledge, methods and applications.
• Advanced Counselling Skills
  Develop a critical theoretical awareness and professional understanding of the theories and experiences of psychological and emotional distress.
• Work Experience 2
  Another opportunity to start your supervised counselling practice.