Psychology (Counselling) BSc (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  This course has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: SDG3 Good Health and Wellbeing.

  This course is made up of psychological theory, counselling skills and practice, and personal reflections and development.

  Throughout the course, you will have an opportunity to develop your understanding of the key theories and concepts in psychology and counselling. You will learn basic counselling skills and gain an understanding of the professional context of counselling work. The applied nature of counselling psychology will be emphasised throughout the programme.

  In addition to a focus on counselling concepts, issues and skills, this course will allow you to analyse and understand human behaviour, thought and emotions, from many different psychological perspectives. If you are looking to become a counsellor then this course provides you with a basis for professional level training.

  If you are studying this course full-time you will take 120 credits each academic year. You will study a mix of core subjects and can choose from a range of modules that reflect your interests. At each level, you will take a core module in Counselling combining three key elements:

  • key theoretical concepts and therapeutic practices
  • the development of self-awareness
  • the development of counselling skills

  Stage one

  The core module in stage one ‘Introduction to Counselling’, explores key concepts and research approaches in psychology counselling. This module will develop your awareness of different counselling settings and your presentation skills. You are given an excellent grounding in counselling and psychology that you will continue to build upon throughout the course.

  Stage two

  Stage two aims to provide you with a thorough grounding in the main theoretical models used in counselling (person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic). It also provides an opportunity to develop your counselling skills and awareness of the therapeutic process through theory, group work and practice with your peers.

  You will also have the option of studying either a module on the psychology of wellbeing or taking a work-based placement: The Psychology of Learning and Teaching in Educational Settings. Please note that if you do select this work-based placement module then a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required.

  Stage three

  In stage three, you will undertake a module in counselling psychology theory and counselling skills which will introduce you to a range of issues worked with by counsellors. The knowledge and skills gained will be applicable in a range of therapeutic professions. You will also undertake an empirical dissertation, under the guidance of a psychology or counselling lecturer with particular expertise in your chosen area. You will immerse yourself in a topic of your choosing, subject to staff and ethical approval, and exercise the research skills you have acquired through the course.

  It is important to note that this is primarily an academic course rather than a professional training course. Upon completion of this course, you will not be immediately qualified as a counsellor or counselling psychologist. However, on successful completion of the course, with a 2:2 or above, you should have the knowledge, skills and experience to enable you to pursue professional training in counselling or counselling/clinical psychology at postgraduate level.

  List of modules

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 22/23. The modules relating to the academic year 23/24 will be available from June 2023.

  • Stage 1
    • Psychology in Practice (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY1001

      Status: Compulsory
      This module introduces students to applications of psychological knowledge in the real world. It aims to help students acquire knowledge and understanding of theory and research relating to key topics in Applied Psychology and to develop the critical skills necessary to the evaluation of different approaches within Applied Psychology.
    • Introduction to Psychology (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY1003

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide students with a broad understanding of psychology by introducing four core areas (social, developmental, cognitive and biological psychology). Students will develop critical thinking and evaluative skills of psychological material by focusing on theory, empirical research and real-life examples.
    • Becoming a Psychologist (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY1006

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide a fundamental introduction to research design, analysis and interpretation in psychology. Students need to understand common methods of investigation, in order to appreciate the source and context of theories and research findings encountered in specific subject areas studied in other psychology modules.
    • Introduction to Counselling (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY1009

      Status: Compulsory
      This module provides a grounding in moral, ethical, legal and professional issues which underpin the practice of counselling. It also provides an opportunity to develop critical engagement with original psychological materials in counselling.
    • Positive Psychology (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY1011

      Status: Compulsory
      This module aims to develop student?s intra-and-inter-personal skills through exploring Positive Psychology theory and application and increasing self-awareness. Throughout the module, you will gain understanding for how these are experienced, how we relate to them, and what psychology has begun to understand about them.
    • Psychology for Life (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY1012

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to be personally relevant to students? psychological studies and enable them to start to build psychological literacy - using psychological skills and knowledge to solve real-world problems and interact ethically and responsibly with others.
  • Stage 2
    • Research Methods and Statistics (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2005

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to continue development in research skills established in ?Becoming a Psychologist? (PSY1006). Students will increase psychological competency in preparation for the dissertation via engaging in ethical thinking and enhancing core skills at all levels of the research process
    • The Human Animal (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2006

      Status: Designate
      The aim of this module is to introduce students to the notion that our understanding of human beings, their thinking and behaviour, can be enhanced if we understand them in terms of their biology, evolution and ecology. Principles of evolution will be applied to a variety of psychological mechanisms.
    • The Psychology of Well-being (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2007

      Status: Designate
      The objective of this module is to further develop the knowledge acquired in Positive Psychology (PSY1011) by specifically considering the application of theories to a range of contexts. The module refers to a range of psychological processes, recognizing the importance of biological, cognitive, emotional and social factors in understanding well-being.
    • Counselling: From Theory to Practice (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2018

      Status: Compulsory
      This module aims to build on PSY1009 to provide students with a thorough grounding in the main theoretical models used in counselling, alongside developing self-awareness and general counselling skills, including awareness of the counselling contract and the different stages of the counselling process.
    • The Psychology of Learning and Teaching in Educational Settings (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2025

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module is to enable students to view education from a psychological perspective and to become aware of the ways in which Psychology can be used to understand and to improve learning and teaching. Students will spend time observing and/or participating in an educational environment, which could be a school, college, training environment or other relevant setting.
    • Biological and Cognitive Psychology: Mechanisms of the Mind (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2029

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module is to build on the introduction to biological and cognitive approaches in psychology provided in Introduction to Psychology (PSY1003). It introduces new and more complex material with a view to developing students' knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation of the theories and research applied in these approaches
    • Development and Society (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2030

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to build on the Social and Developmental Psychology material introduced in the Level 4 module PSY1003 - Introduction to Psychology. This module covers contemporary and critical perspectives related to development across the lifespan within complex social worlds and will be of interest to students wishing to deepen their knowledge of theories, research and methods in Social and Developmental Psychology.
    • Personality & the Fundamentals of Psychology (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY2031

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to build upon material presented at Level 4 by tracing the historical development of Psychology as an academic discipline and exploring key theories and research in personality and individual differences. Special consideration will be given to conceptual issues that continue to generate debate.
  • Stage 3
    • Psychology of Mental Health (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3004

      Status: Designate
      This module aims to explore contemporary understandings of mental health and experience of individuals with mental health disorders. The module explores social, ethical, and scientific issues around the field of mental health and offers an environment for students to engage in critical analysis and debate.
    • Parapsychology and Anomalous Experiences (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3007

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module is to explore in depth two areas of psychology concerned with the important, yet often poorly understood areas of experimental parapsychology and the psychology of anomalous experience
    • The Psychology of Health (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3013

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module to build on curriculum provided in Psychology in Practice (PSY1001) surrounding the Health Psychology profession and application of theoretical models from Health Psychology and allied professions (e.g. medicine). Health Psychology advances the health care system and aids formulation of policy, alongside focusing service provisions for individuals and communities.
    • Educational Psychology (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3023

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module is to develop an understanding and critical appreciation of relevant theory, research and practice within Educational Psychology, and provide the opportunity for advanced study of the psychology of education with practical experience of applying such knowledge in an educational context.
    • Psychology of Spirituality, Religion and Wellbeing (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3027

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module is to explore the unique contribution to Psychology provided by the related fields of Transpersonal Psychology and the Psychology of religion. This is achieved by a combination of rigorous academic inquiry with a structured experiential programme of personal, interpersonal, cultural and social development. Transpersonal Psychology and the Psychology of religion are concerned with important aspects of human experience related to spirituality, religious experience and behaviour, personal happiness and wellbeing, with Transpersonal Psychology emphasising experiential and transformative approaches and the Psychology of religion emphasising an application of mainstream psychological approaches and normative descriptions. The module offers students the opportunity to engage fully in a process of personal, transpersonal and social development (Integral Transpersonal Development / ITD) designed for this module.
    • Counselling in Context (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3028

      Status: Compulsory
      This module builds on PSY2018 and introduces students to the complex range of issues that clients may bring to counselling and how issues of difference may affect the counselling process. It also develops ways of working with clients in terms of the application of theory, research and skills to issues presented in counselling contexts.
    • Lifespan Development (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3053

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module is to develop a critical appreciation of the strengths and limitations of key psychological theory and research in the area of lifespan development, and develop knowledge and understanding of a range of psychological issues relevant to children?s, adolescent?s and adult?s lives.
    • Neuroscience of Mind (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3054

      Status: Designate
      This module builds on the biological approaches to Psychology introduced in the second year Biological Psychology module PSY2011. It introduces newer and more complex material with a view to developing students? knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation of the theories and methods applied in these approaches.
    • Applying Positive Psychology (20 Credits)
      Module code: PSY3055

      Status: Designate
      The purpose of this module is to build on, and extend, the knowledge acquired by students at levels four and five. It will examine, critically, the impact of positive psychological processes in families, organizations and communities and evaluate how these may help or hinder the development of individual and collective strengths.
    • Psychology (Counselling) Dissertation (40 Credits)
      Module code: PSY4008

      Status: Compulsory
      The dissertation builds on and expands students? prior knowledge of research methodology acquired at levels 4 and 5. It aims to foster the development of expertise in methodology and skills in the planning, conduct and write up of research reports. This form of independent, experiential learning will require students to ask logical questions to diagnose and define problems, generate and implement solutions and evaluate the effectiveness of their action-outcomes. It therefore develops the students? ability to work independently and to reflect on the research process.

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• Entry Requirements

  BBC at A Level or DDM at BTEC Extended Diploma.

  In addition, you will be expected to have achieved GCSE Maths at Grade C/4 or above. Domestic equivalencies are not accepted, apart from Access applicants who must take 12 credits of Maths Level 2 or 6 credits of Maths Level 3 as part of their Access course.  International equivalencies will be reviewed on application.

  Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) Entry Requirements

  The standard entry requirements for the Integrated Foundation Year are DEE at A level or MPP at BTEC.

  If you would like more information on how to make an application as a Home or EU student, please visit our How to Apply page.

  If you are an International student and would like more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.

  English Language Requirements

  All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

  • IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5.5 in all bands
    for study at undergraduate level.

  For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

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• Fees and Funding

  2022/23 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 22/23 only. They may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • UK – Full Time: £9,250
  • UK – Part Time: £1,500 per 20 credit module
  • UK – Integrated Foundation Year (IFY): £9,250 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA/BSc rate).
  • International – Full Time: £14,000
  • International – Integrated Foundation Year (IFY): £14,000

  2021/22 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 21/22 only. They may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • UK – Full Time: £9,250
  • UK – Part Time: £1,465 per 20 credit module
  • UK – Integrated Foundation Year (IFY): £6,780 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA/BSc rate).
  • International – Full Time: £13,000
  • International – Integrated Foundation Year (IFY): £13,000

  Additional costs

  Costs associated with placements such as travel may be incurred throughout your studies depending on where you are based.

  Scholarships and Bursaries

  For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.

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• Accreditation

  British Psychological Society

  Our Psychology and Counselling course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)*. Upon completion of the course with a minimum of a second class honours in your degree, you will be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered membership. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

  * Accreditation applicable to undergraduate Single Honours Psychology degrees and Joint Honours degrees where Psychology is the major subject.

  

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• Postgraduate Opportunities

  Our postgraduate courses are a great way to enhance the skills you have already learnt. Benefit from our 20% alumni discount on postgraduate fees to give you a CV that will catch the eye of employers.

  • Counselling MSc
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) MSc
  • Counselling Children and Young People MSc

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• Student Perks

  From funded trips to paid internships, all we do at UON is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join this full-time degree at Northampton you will receive a laptop when your course begins. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience. We’re here to ensure that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study, you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks visit our Student Perks page.

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• Integrated Foundation Year

  The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

  If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four-year programme that includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need to successfully progress to the full award.

  Featuring a reduced tuition fee in the first year, our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

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• Optional Work Placement Year

  We provide you with an opportunity to experience the world of work through a year-long placement in between Stages 2 and 3 of study. If you choose to take this opportunity, you will spend a whole year (up to 48 weeks) working for local businesses and NHS recognised placement providers. Our placements have included St Andrews Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

  We offer a lot of support in helping you to find a placement, which can be in the UK or overseas. This invaluable experience helps you to apply your learning in your final year and prepares you for your career.

  What our students say:

  “Doing a placement year has given me the chance to meet people in the field who have gone through a similar academic journey as mine as well as find out more about next possible steps after university. It will open me up to a lot more opportunities in the future and it has given me the chance to work in a setting where I can expand my knowledge on a specific area of psychology I truly enjoy (brain injury/neuroscience and forensic psychology). I would highly recommend doing a placement year because it will give you great experience in applying knowledge from your subject and give you a deeper understanding of what it is like working in that particular setting. It is also a great way to expand your network by working with people with similar interests as yours”.

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• Special Features

  • as part of the course, you will have the opportunity to undertake a work-based placement
  • students have access to excellent facilities and resources for research
  • you will be taught by internationally and nationally recognised researchers in several topics including parapsychology, mental health and wellbeing and qualitative psychology
  • Counselling modules will be taught by experienced counsellors and therapists

  Facilities and equipment available:

  • Three dedicated psychology technicians available to support students
  • Six research cubicles
  • Perception lab
  • Observation suite
  • BioPac MP30, MP36 & MP36r: A tool for measuring EEG, ECG, EDA and Respiration.
  • Bitalino smart wearables: enables anyone to create projects for wearable health tracking.
  • SmartBCI 18-channel wireless EEG: An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a device used to measure the electrical activity of the brain. An EEG tracks and records brain wave patterns.
  • Muse EEG: Muse is a wearable brain sensing headband. The device measures brain activity via 4 electroencephalography sensors.
  • Rubber Hand Illusion: The illusion comes on when the real and fake hands are stroked at the same time and speed for a minute or two.
  • HTC Vive VR Headsets: The HTC Vive is a virtual reality headset developed by HTC and Valve Corporation. The headset uses “room scale” tracking technology, allowing the user to move in 3D space and use motion-tracked handheld controllers to interact with the environment.

  Listed below are some of the key tests you can administer within our psychometrics library:

  • Intelligence scales: Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale, Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children, and the Weschler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale x 2
  • Personality measures: NEO Five Factor Inventory & PI-R, Eysenck Personality Scales, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Cattell’s 16PF Form (A&B)
  • Health Psychology Portfolio
  • Mental Health Portfolio
  • Measures of Children’s Mental Health & Psychological Well-Being
  • Child Behaviour Checklist
  • Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking – Verbal/Figural
  • Rorschach test
  • Witkin’s Group Embedded Figures test

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• FAQs

  What can I do with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and counselling?

  With a psychology and counselling degree, you can specialise within different pathways and develop within an area of your choice in the field of psychology. You may also choose to follow various career paths outside of the psychological profession. Throughout this course, you will have gained an invaluable set of skills and a knowledge base that enables you to succeed in areas outside of psychology.

  For example, our graduates are employed in education, the health service, the police force, human resources management, marketing, the civil service, broadcasting, social work and many other professions. The work-based elements of this course provide valuable careers-based skills.

  As well as our annual Psychology Careers Event, at the University of Northampton, we also offer other volunteering opportunities through our Changemaker Hub, Employability Plus recognition, STEAM Opportunities and support from our careers team. Upon completion of this course, and depending on degree classification, you can progress to postgraduate training to obtain British Psychological Society (BPS) ‘chartered’ status (GBC) as counselling, clinical, educational, occupational, health or forensic psychologist. You could pursue a career as an academic psychologist, conducting research and teaching in higher education. More information about psychology careers can be found on the BPS website.

  Is this degree good for a career in counselling?

  This course is a good grounding for careers in chartered counselling psychology. It teaches you the skills to succeed in clinical, occupational, education or forensic psychology. This course will prepare you for roles such as a coach, counselling psychologist, counsellor, psychotherapist and wider helping professions. As well as an introduction to counselling, this course will give you a deeper understanding of counselling theories, ethics and self-awareness. Furthermore, our changemaker team is available to help support you with work experience in the appropriate field from the start of your studies, until after you graduate.

  How is this course different to single honours psychology?

  Within this course, you will have the opportunity to choose modules levels from 4, 5 and 6 which focus on counselling and wellbeing. These include, Introduction to Counselling, Counselling: From theory to practice, The Psychology of Wellbeing and Counselling in context. Furthermore, your level 6 dissertation project will focus on a counselling topic. These modules will focus on transferable therapeutic skills, self-awareness and knowledge required for a career in counselling.

  Is Psychology (Counselling) a good degree?

  One of the main draws for a degree in psychology and counselling, is that it does not limit you to just working within psychology or counselling. Those options are still available (and more information about psychology careers can be found through the BPS website), but the skills that are acquired throughout a psychology and counselling degree apply to careers much more broadly. Transferrable skills that you can expect to develop across the course include critical thinking, writing and computer literacy. You will also become an effective communicator in a variety of different channels with thorough and ethical research practices. Many of the skills from a psychology and counselling degree are transferable across many different careers and therefore allow you to develop yourself towards any route you would like to pursue.

  How long is a Psychology (Counselling) degree?

  The BSc Psychology (Counselling) route here at the University is between 3-6 years, depending on your availability to study. This gives you the time to develop a foundational knowledge of psychology and appropriate research skills. You will also be able to develop towards the areas that are of interest to you, and have time to explore career opportunities and areas of expertise, alongside our staff team.

  Are there work placements?

  There are multiple points throughout this course where there are opportunities for work placements. During stage one, there is a short work placement to complete as part of a module assessment. Following from here, there are work placement opportunities within our Education focused modules at stages two and three. We also run an optional placement year, between stages two and three, giving you the opportunity to strengthen career skills alongside your degree, should you so wish.

  Does this course qualify me to be a counsellor?

  Taking this course does not automatically qualify you to become a counsellor. However, this course is accredited by the professional body that oversees Psychology in the United Kingdom, the British Psychological Society (BPS).

  This means, that providing you meet the minimum standard of a lower second class honours (2:2) level, you are eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered (GBC) membership of the BPS. GBC is considered the first stage necessary for becoming a chartered practitioner, in counselling psychology as well as several other areas. This status is crucial if you wish to pursue a counselling career or a related profession, such as a psychotherapist. You will also need to complete core practitioner training that is at a minimum level of a psychotherapy or counselling diploma or masters.

  How will I learn?

  Teaching methods on BSc Psychology (Counselling) include an innovative, active blended approach to learning which makes the acquisition of knowledge more dynamic and flexible for students than ever before. This involves face-to-face seminars, tutorials, practical or laboratory workshops and computer assisted learning. Independent and group work will be supplemented with online seminars, self-directed learning and virtual tasks.

  You are encouraged to actively engage and participate with your course material both online and in class discussions to further enhance your learning. This includes a willingness to complete independent study alongside attending your classes. Practical work represents an important component of the Psychology course in each of your three years of study.

  Throughout the course, you are exposed to different research approaches, and will develop an ability to apply both quantitative and qualitative techniques to research questions. We have extensive online resources that support face-to-face contact in class. You are taught by experienced, well-qualified staff that are experts within their disciplines. Staff in the Subject Group are active researchers, producing research that is nationally and internationally recognised.

  How will I be assessed?

  A variety of assessment strategies are used at each level to ascertain your level of competence in a range of academic and transferable skills.

  These strategies include:

  • Essays
  • Practical reports
  • Multiple-choice tests
  • Oral presentations
  • Time-constrained essays
  • Seen and unseen examinations
  • Critical reviews
  • Group project work
  • Patchwork blogs
  • Audio-visual presentations
  • Reflective reports

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Careers and Employability

This course prepares you for postgraduate training in counselling and counselling psychology, as well as other areas. Upon completion of a postgraduate course, you can also obtain ‘chartered’ status as a counselling, clinical, educational, occupational, health or forensic psychologist.

You can continue your studies and become a qualified counsellor by studying our MSc Counselling course, the MSc in Counselling Children and Young People or our Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) MSc.

You may use the skills from this course to pursue a career as an educator or as an academic psychologist, conducting research and teaching in higher education. Psychology degrees provide an excellent grounding for a diverse range of non-psychological careers. The listening and communication skills developed throughout this degree course will be highly valuable in a range of health and social care professions.