Click here to edit using the old editor
{"available": "entirely", "availability": {"status": {"Recruiting Status 23/24":"RP 23/24","Recruiting Status 24/25":"RP 24/25","Recruiting Status 22/23":"RP 22/23"}, "dates": [{"name":"September 2023","month":"September","year":2023},{"name":"September 2024","month":"September","year":2024},{"name":"September 2022","month":"September","year":2022}]}}

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

Do you have an inquiring mind and enjoy debating ideas, with a desire to listen to and support others? On this psychology with counselling and psychotherapy foundation degree, you will explore the human experience across a range of contexts and lifespans.

Our foundation year will help you on your way to achieving the full BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling and Psychotherapy. This course is designed to help you develop the skills needed to competently and compassionately help people explore their difficulties, express their feelings and work towards deeper self-awareness and understanding. What’s more, our psychology degrees are ranked 1st in the North West and 11th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2023 Results).

Apply

Accreditation logo

The British Psychological Society

Course Overview

If you are passionate about pursuing a career in psychology, counselling or psychotherapy but do not have the qualifications for direct entry, our foundation year offers a supportive alternative route into higher education.

On this degree course you will explore human experience across a range of contexts and lifespans, from understanding the biological basis of behaviour to questioning the impact of social media on child development. You will learn the academic knowledge and practical skills you need to help make a difference in the lives of others.

Accredited by the BPS, you will be able to apply for a Graduate Basis for Chartership, helping you develop the knowledge and skills for a successful career in psychology or counselling/psychotherapy. This standout course adheres to the training requirements of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to apply for individual membership of the BACP and apply for registration, subject to passing the BACP Proficiency.

On this course you will...

  • Explore and apply psychological literature to current issues, contexts and experiences.
  • Develop key knowledge, skills and abilities to help you prepare to become a counsellor, psychotherapist, or develop a career in related psychotherapeutic professions.
  • Develop your knowledge and build a solid foundation of the core skills needed to progress from the foundation year onto the full BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling and Psychotherapy degree.
  • Be taught and given high-quality support and guidance by our expert lecturing team, who are active in research and practices.
  • Have the opportunity to get involved in a range of extracurricular activities including sessions by experts in the field of psychology and counselling.
  • Benefit from our excellent links with regional and national charities, not-for-profit and penal institutions to gain work experience and enhance your job prospects.
Apply

Course Structure

What you will learn

On this degree, you will learn about the key research, knowledge, skills and attributes needed to work within psychological and therapeutic settings. You will start by building your knowledge and developing your key skills through lectures, workshops and problem-based learning. You will explore the history of psychology, research methods and analytical techniques.

You will examine the wider issues around therapeutic diversity whilst gaining work experience within therapeutic settings allowing you to further advance your knowledge, skills and advanced counselling skills. An independent research project will allow you to explore a topic of your interest with your own research question.

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.

Attend an Open Day at Cumbria

An Open Day is your opportunity to explore one of 5 campuses, meet your lecturers, and find out how the University of Cumbria could become your new home.

Take the next step towards achieving your dreams.
A student stands in front of a wall splattered with paint.