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BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling with 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.

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Students in the immersive suite tending to a PCPI participant
UCAS code C843
Duration4 years
Fee (UK)£9,790
LocationOn campus

Course summary

Learn how people think, feel, and behave, and how we can help them. You’ll explore big ideas about the mind, mental health, and human behaviour. You’ll also study counselling, gaining practical skills you can use in real life.

The BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling course looks at key areas of psychology, based on what the British Psychological Society (BPS) recommends. You’ll explore topics like mental health, addiction, and how the brain works. You'll also learn about important psychologists and different ways of thinking about behaviour.

You can shape your learning to match your own interests by choosing different modules in your second and third year. These include options like clinical neuropsychology and counselling techniques. Specialist counselling modules will help you understand how to support others and apply what you’ve learned in real-world settings.

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). If you finish with at least a 2:2 degree, you’ll gain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), which is the first step to becoming a professional psychologist.

Our graduates go on to exciting careers or further study. Some become counsellors, clinical psychologists, or social workers. Others train in areas like teaching, occupational therapy, or mental health services such as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT).

Whether you want to help others through therapy or apply psychology in a broader setting, this degree gives you the tools to succeed.

Why Sunderland for Psychology

Integrated Foundation Year

This course is available with an Integrated Foundation Year, an extra year of your degree. This route offers a supportive way of transitioning into university study. It may be suitable for you if you:

  • Have valuable work or life experience but no formal qualifications
  • Are returning to education after a break
  • Want to change direction or explore a new career path
  • Have just missed the entry requirements for the three-year course.

We’re enhancing our Integrated Foundation Year to give you an even stronger start to your degree. The updated modules will align more with your chosen subject area. This will help you build the knowledge, confidence, and skills you need for your studies. We'll share full details soon and can't wait to tell you more.

Please note, this route isn’t available to international students.

Accreditations and approvals

The British Psychological Society logo (opens in new tab)
Sam McBride

As well as my degree, I've been able to have other experiences such as being on the School of Psychology’s Athena Swan team, becoming a Student Rep for my course, and working as a Student Ambassador.

Sam McBride

Read Sam McBride's story

What you'll study

Many of our courses include a range of modules you can choose from. Some options may only be available if you’ve already studied specific modules. If you’re not sure what you need before picking a module, your course leader can help.

Undergraduate module credits should total 120 credits per academic year. If optional modules are available, choose an amount that totals 120 credits.

How you'll learn

Teaching methods include a mixture of large and small lectures, seminars and workshops, one-to-ones, and group tutorials. You'll also 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 ongoing 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 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.

Entry requirements

Fees and finance support

UK£9,790

Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. If you're a Home fee-paying student, the fee for your first year of study for 2026/27 will be £9,790. You'll pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

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See all course tuition fees.

Full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled students may be eligible for financial support. This would cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.

Apply now

UK students

Disclaimer

We want to make sure you have clear and accurate information about our courses. Our website always shows the latest updates. If you’ve applied and you're offered a place, we’ll contact you in writing if anything important changes.

For more information, view our programme specifications. These include course content, learning outcomes, and the skills you'll gain.