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This is a four-year version of our popular BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling course, with an integrated foundation year. Learn how we interact with each other and about the decisions we make. Study the brain and a wide range of phenomena. Acquire knowledge and skills in counselling that can be embedded in a range of situations.
This course allows you to consider 'big issues' in contemporary psychology as well as studying pioneering approaches and major thinkers. The specialist counselling modules allow you an added perspective and teaches you how to apply basic skills from the counselling room in real-world settings.
Choose modules in your second and final year that suit your particular interests, including mental health and illness, addiction and clinical neuropsychology.
Teaching methods include a mixture of large and small lectures, seminars and workshops, one-to-one and group tutorials. Students will have personal development sessions with academic staff to help with your studies and developing your employability skills.
As well as assessments that count towards your degree, there are also on-going assessments for feedback and consolidating your learning. Assessment methods include essays, scientific reports, presentations, multimedia web pages, expert witness reports, writing formulations, case studies, exams, portfolios, online quizzes, academic posters, patchwork text, an exhibition, an academic poster conference, post occupancy evaluation and designing behaviour change interventions.
This course shares a common integrated foundation year and common first year with BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology, BSc (Hons) Psychology and BSc (Hons) Clinical Psychology, which allows you to change routes at the end of the first year should one of these specialisms appeal to you.
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
Entry requirements are provided for guidance only and we may offer you an entrance interview which will help us determine your eligibility for your chosen degree. This enables us to consider making you an offer if you are perhaps a mature student who has been out of education for a period of time, or you have gained significant knowledge and skills through employment rather than traditional education.
Eligible entry qualifications:
1. Normally a minimum of three Level 2 qualifications (NVQ, GCSE or equivalent), including Maths and English at grade C or above** and a minimum of 40 UCAS tariff points from Level 3 qualifications (e.g. A or AS Levels, T Levels, BTEC certificates/diplomas, access courses or equivalent). T Levels must be in a related subject.
OR
2. Demonstrable evidence of appropriate knowledge and skills acquired from at least three years of post-school work experience.
If you are unsure of whether you think you might be suitable for the course, please contact us!
** If you have studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade then you will need to achieve a grade 4 or above. Equivalent alternative qualifications are also accepted, such as Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
The annual fee for this course is £9,535 if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled.
Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
If you are a full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled student you may be eligible to receive financial support to cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.
Please note, this course is not available to international students.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
According to Prospects, typical starting salaries for Counselling psychologists in the NHS will typically be £32,306 to £39,027, in line with band 6 of the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates.
Once qualified, salaries can increase to band 7, ranging from £40,057 to £45,839. Salaries for senior psychologist roles can rise to between £47,126 and £53,219 (band 8a). With further experience, a principal or consultant psychologist can earn salaries of £65,664 to £90,387 (Bands 8c to 8d).
Graduates from this course have gone onto further training and study in areas such as Occupational Therapy, Teacher Training, Social Work and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). Counselling psychology graduates can also be employed in hospitals, health care centres, prisons and community services. The role involves using psychological theory and therapeutic techniques to help clients with a range of mental health conditions and life issues such as bereavement, domestic violence, abuse, depression and psychosis.
Due to the transferable skills learned, graduates from this course can move into a broad range of careers spanning management, HR, social work, public services, counselling and advertising, or alternatively, pursue postgraduate qualifications in specific fields of psychological practice such as clinical or forensic psychology.