Psychology with Foundation Year
Entry requirements
A level
If you do not hold 48 UCAS points and are classed as a mature applicant (aged 21 or over), you can access the Prepare for Foundation admissions pathway. See Below for further information.
Access to HE Diploma (60 credits) of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 (48 UCAS point equivalence, minimum 45 credits at pass) If you do not hold 48 UCAS points and are classed as a mature applicant (aged 21 or over), you can access the Prepare for Foundation admissions pathway. See Below for further information.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English at grade 4+ (previously grade C) or equivalent (Key Skills Level 2 English or Functional Skills Level 2 English). Please note we do NOT accept GCSE Short Courses.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
If you do not hold 48 UCAS points and are classed as a mature applicant (aged 21 or over), you can access the Prepare for Foundation admissions pathway. See Below for further information.
T Level
If you do not hold 48 UCAS points and are classed as a mature applicant (aged 21 or over), you can access the Prepare for Foundation admissions pathway. See Below for further information.
UCAS Tariff
If you do not hold 48 UCAS points and are classed as a mature applicant (aged 21 or over), you can access the Prepare for Foundation admissions pathway. To access this route you would need to successfully attend and pass a compulsory Prepare for Foundation Day. If you would like more advice and guidance about this admissions pathway, please contact the Gateway to discuss this option further.
About this course
**This is a 4 year degree course. Please ensure that when you apply for this course you choose Point of entry 1 in your UCAS Hub.**
The BSc (Hons) Psychology with Foundation Year is a four-year full-time course (usually eight years if taken part-time), that provides a comprehensive coverage of all the most important areas in psychology. The course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Within your studies with us you study a number of compulsory modules that cover a broad range of psychological sub-disciplines such as social, cognitive, health, clinical, developmental, and psychodynamic psychology, to name but a few. In the final level, you will get to choose a number of optional, specialist modules. We run a slightly different range of specialist modules each year, depending on staff expertise. To get a feel for the sorts of topics we teach for these modules, please see the staff list. Other information about the department is here.
As you progress through the course, you will gain in independence as you complete a series of modules designed to support you in becoming an independent psychological researcher. In your final year, you will choose from a wide range of specialised modules, as well as completing an individual research project.
The course places emphasis on a problem-based learning approach. Right from the start, you will gain knowledge and skills through hands-on work with psychological data, examining issues from across the spectrum of human psychology. You will also examine various philosophical approaches to psychology in order to be able to evaluate, critique and question current psychological thinking.
The psychology department organises a range of different learning experiences, ranging from lectures and seminars to group tutorials and research practicals. There's something to suit all tastes.
You will specialise in human psychology throughout the course and will receive support from personal tutors who are expert in relevant areas of both applied and theoretical psychology who will be in a position to support your learning. We believe our system of personal tutoring contributes considerably to the success of our students through regular progress reviews and opportunities for careers advice.
The Psychology Department at the University of Wolverhampton offers state-of-the-art facilities in which to study, including dedicated research and computer labs with specialist testing software, an observation room with a one-way mirror, video equipment, a psychological test library, plus much more.
Many of our general psychology graduates go on to apply their skills in the business world. Employers are keen to recruit psychology graduates, perhaps because of their impressive mix of inter-personal skills and understanding of data analysis and theory testing. A number of our graduates go on to train as Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologists, to work in the NHS as trainee cognitive behavioural therapists, or to work in other helping professions such as social work.
By choosing a BPS-accredited degree at the University of Wolverhampton, you will be ensuring you have access to a broad range of careers in future. Each year, our graduates go on to apply the knowledge they have gained with us to a wide range of jobs in the private, public and non-profit sectors.
The Uni
University of Wolverhampton
Institute of Human Sciences
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.
£15k
£19k
£20k
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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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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