Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, examining how people think, feel, perceive, learn, remember, and relate to one another. It is a discipline that combines rigorous empirical methods with genuinely fascinating questions about what it means to be human, and it has practical applications across healthcare, education, organisations, sport, and public policy. This programme at University College Birmingham includes a foundation year, giving students who are returning to education, or who have not followed a conventional academic path, a supported route into the full degree.

The foundation year builds the academic and study skills needed for success in higher education, introducing you to the key ideas and methods of psychology before the main degree programme begins. In the degree itself, you will study the core areas recognised by the British Psychological Society: biological psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, and individual differences. Research methods and statistics are taught throughout, because psychology is fundamentally an evidence-based science and the ability to design, conduct, and interpret studies is central to the discipline.

You will also explore applied areas such as mental health, health psychology, and the psychology of work and organisations.

Psychology graduates pursue a remarkably diverse range of careers. Many work in mental health and healthcare settings, in roles such as assistant psychologist, mental health support worker, or counsellor, while building towards postgraduate clinical or counselling psychology training. Others work in human resources, education, market research, social work, the police service, and the charity sector.

The research and analytical skills you develop are transferable to almost any professional context. For those who want to specialise further, postgraduate options include clinical psychology, educational psychology, occupational psychology, and research degrees.