Psychology with Foundation Year

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, encompassing everything from the neural mechanisms underlying perception and memory to the social forces that shape how we think, feel and act. It is both a rigorous empirical discipline, built on experimentation and statistical analysis, and a deeply human one, concerned with questions that touch every aspect of lived experience. Studying psychology equips you with the research skills to ask those questions systematically and the theoretical frameworks to interpret what you find.

At York St John you will explore a wide range of areas across the full programme, including biological psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, abnormal psychology and research methods. You will conduct research in dedicated laboratory settings, learning to design studies, collect data, apply statistical techniques and write up findings to professional standards. The degree runs over four years of full-time study and includes both a placement year and a year abroad, which together provide substantial opportunities to apply your learning in professional and international contexts.

A foundation element is incorporated into the programme structure, building the academic and scientific skills you need before moving into the more advanced stages of the degree.

Psychology graduates are valued across an exceptionally wide range of fields because of the combination of analytical, interpersonal and research skills the degree develops. Many graduates go on to further training in clinical, counselling, educational, forensic or occupational psychology, all of which require postgraduate qualification. Others move directly into careers in human resources, marketing, social work, education, healthcare, user experience research, the civil service and the charity sector.

For those who wish to remain in research, the degree provides a strong foundation for doctoral study. The breadth of the discipline means that the career paths available to psychology graduates are genuinely diverse.