Psychosocial Studies with Foundation Year
Psychosocial studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores the relationship between the psychological and the social dimensions of human experience. It draws on psychoanalytic theory, social psychology, sociology, cultural theory and philosophy to examine how individuals are shaped by their social environments, how unconscious processes operate within social and institutional life, and how the inner world of the person and the outer world of culture and politics are mutually constituted. It is a discipline that takes both the psychological and the social seriously, refusing to reduce one to the other.
At Birkbeck, which specialises in evening and part-time education for adult learners in London, this programme with foundation year is offered part-time, making it accessible to students who are in work or managing other commitments alongside study. Birkbeck's model, developed over many decades, is specifically designed for adult learners, and the evening teaching schedule means that students can pursue a serious academic education without giving up employment. You will study psychoanalytic and psychosocial theory, social and political dimensions of identity, culture and power, research methods and the historical development of the field.
The foundation year provides the academic preparation needed to succeed in the main degree.
Graduates work in counselling and psychotherapy (often following further professional training), social work, community work, education, health and wellbeing organisations, research, policy, human resources, arts and cultural organisations, and the many fields where an understanding of the interplay between individual psychology and social context is valuable. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in psychosocial studies, counselling, psychotherapy, social work, or related social science disciplines. Birkbeck's position within the University of London provides an excellent research environment for this demanding and intellectually rich field.