BSc (Hons) Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling

• 112 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
• Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
• You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
• You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
• Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Our BSc (Hons) Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling degree offers an ideal combination of subjects if you're looking for a career helping people or want to undertake further training in counselling psychology, psychotherapy, or other applied psychology professions.

Upon completing the course, you'll be able to demonstrate graduate skills such as problem-solving, critical evaluation and independence of thought, deductive reasoning, interpersonal awareness and excellent teamwork and communication skills.

What can I do with this qualification?

Our BSc (Hons) Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling graduates can find work in many different settings and industries. In recent years, there has been a rapid expansion in applying counselling skills in all aspects of everyday life. This has led to roles in numerous organisations, including the NHS, police service, prison service, secondary schools, further and higher education, mental health, civil service and social work departments. Employment in these roles often involves working with adults or children and young people dealing with issues such as relationship difficulties, anxiety, grief and mental health problems.

Some of the more prominent job roles include clinical psychologist, educational psychologist, teacher, mental health worker, social worker, police officer and counsellor. Relevant experience and postgraduate study are required for some of these roles.

Psychology graduates with British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation will be able to progress onto professional qualifications in applied psychology. If you wish to pursue a career in counselling and psychotherapy, this course serves as an excellent forerunner to our MSc Counselling and Positive Psychology degree and MSc Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies course.

As a graduate, you'll also possess the scientific knowledge and understanding embedded in the psychological elements of this degree. Skills such as problem-solving and data analysis should be helpful for careers in healthcare, law enforcement, finance, IT and research.

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification to step into a range of other careers. Relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required for some of these roles. Some of these careers include:

• Coaching and guidance services
• Mentoring
• Family mediation
• Teaching and education
• Nursing
• Retail management
• Human resources
• Market research
• Social work
• Psychological wellbeing practitioner
• Mental health support worker

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2019-2020 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2019-2020 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2019-2020 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

The overall teaching and learning strategy for our BSc (Hons) Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling is student-centred. We use a blended approach, meaning you'll have face-to-face sessions, sometimes one-to-one, and take part in online learning. You can expect a mix of seminars, lectures and tutorials, practical classes, laboratory workshops, videos, self-directed study, IT and library sessions, and guided study. The University's e-learning portal Moodle will support your online learning and provide a convenient way for you to communicate with fellow students who are studying the same modules. We'll also encourage you to use the internet for research.

Guest lectures and presentations by various visiting speakers from relevant employment areas will allow you to develop your knowledge and understanding further.

Our assessment strategy is designed to help you organise and develop your learning and evaluate your achievements. You can expect time-constrained exams and coursework, such as essays, practical reports, statistical assignments, seminar and poster presentations, and portfolios. These contribute to your final marks and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes for the course. Your assessed work is submitted online via Moodle, with feedback also given through this portal.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Academic Language and Skills 5
• Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology
• Cognitive and Biopsychological Perspectives
• Understanding the Person
• Contemporary Issues in Psychology
• Application of Psychology
• Introduction to Counselling Concepts
• Cognitive Psychology
• Biopsychology
• Social and Critical Psychology
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Personality and Developmental Psychology
• Counselling Skills
• The Honours Project
• Psychology of Loss and Trauma
• The Therapeutic Process
• Cyber Psychology and New Media
• Social Neuroscience
• Psychology of Mental Health
• Applications of Counselling Skills
• Young Life and the Mind
• Psychology of Sport and Exercise

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.