Psychology
Entry requirements
A level
Depending on the inclusion of at least one science subject. A pass in the science practical element is required. General Studies, Critical Thinking and Global Perspectives are not accepted.
Access to HE Diploma
or Distinction 42 and Merit 3 if no science modules are being undertaken.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
depending on the inclusion of a science subject. Cambridge Pre-U Certificate (Global Perspectives & Independent Research) Not accepted
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE requirements - Mathematics grade 5 (B), English grade 5 (B)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
depending on the inclusion of a science subject at Higher Level. Mathematics pathways 'Analysis and Approaches' and 'Applications and Interpretation' will both be accepted at Standard or Higher Level
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Including a science subject. Candidates without a science subject may be asked to attain H1,H1,H2,H2,H2,H2
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
plus A Level grades A*A or AA depending on the inclusion of a science subject.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
with either A* or A at A Level depending on the inclusion of a science subject
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Please email https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studywithus/enquiry.aspx for further information.
Scottish Advanced Higher
plus either AAAAB or AAABB at Highers depending on the inclusion of a science subject at Higher Level.
Scottish Higher
A,A,A,A,B-A,A,A,B,B
This qualification is only acceptable when combined with Advanced Higher grades AA. The grade range is defendant on the inclusion of a Science subject.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
This qualification is only accepted in combination with A level grades AA if taking a science subject, or A*A without a Science subject
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes. You'll learn about the structure of the brain as well as the perceptions, thoughts, feelings and actions of people.
In years one and two you will study core areas of psychology. You will gain a breadth of knowledge across different branches of psychology such as educational, health and forensic. In year three you will have more options to choose your modules and tailor your degree to your own interests and career aspirations. You'll develop a variety of skills and techniques such as data analysis and research methods.
This course is an integrated masters. In your fourth year, you will undertake a major research project. This project is your chance to be part of the transformational research at Nottingham. You'll have the opportunity to work closely with one of the research groups in the School of Psychology. We have a broad spectrum of research interests which allows us to offer a wide range of topics for you to choose from.
Modules
In year one you will study fundamental areas of psychology. This will provide you with a broad foundation of knowledge and introduce you to a wide range of topics.
You will take additional modules that look into the psychological approaches to therapy or biological approaches to addiction. You'll also learn about conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and aggression.
In your second year, you will develop your knowledge with more advanced modules. Your cognitive psychology lectures will teach you about how emotions can alter memories. You'll also explore further into the disorders of mood and cognition.
In year three you will study modules and topics at a higher level. You will be able to choose from a wide range of optional modules. This will help tailor your study to areas that you are particularly interested in. This includes forensic and mental health, clinical psychology, developmental disorders, and psychopathology.
In year four you will complete your own research topic and dissertation. You'll have a wide choice of topics to choose from. You will study a number of optional modules throughout the year.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University Park Campus
School of Psychology
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Psychology (non-specific)
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Psychology (non-specific)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
20 years ago, this was a specialist degree for would-be psychologists but now it is the model of a modern, flexible degree subject. One of the UK's fastest-growing subject at degree level, and the second most popular subject overall (it recently overtook business studies), one in 23 of all graduates last year had psychology degrees. As you'd expect with figures like that, jobs in psychology itself are incredibly competitive, so to stand a chance of securing one, you need to get a postgraduate qualification (probably a doctorate in most fields, especially clinical psychology) and some relevant work experience. But even though there are so many psychology graduates — far more than there are jobs in psychology, and over 13,800 in total last year — this degree has a lower unemployment rate than average because its grads are so flexible and well-regarded by business and other industries across the economy. Everywhere there are good jobs in the UK economy, you'll find psychology graduates - and it's hardly surprising as the course helps you gain a mix of good people skills and excellent number and data handling skills. A psychology degree ticks most employers' boxes — but we'd suggest you don't drop your maths modules.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Psychology (non-specific)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£27k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Course location and department:
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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