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BSc (Hons) Psychology and Counselling *

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RS2725 Open Day (5) (2)
UCAS code: 
CB89
Institution code: 
S82
Location: 
Ipswich

Duration: 

Three years full-time

Course Options: 
Professional Placement
Study Abroad
Typical Offer: 

2023-24 and 2024-25 entry; 112 UCAS tariff points (or above), BBC (A-Level), DMM (BTEC), Merit (T Level).

* Subject to validation

 

The BSc (Hons) Psychology and Counselling course is a joint honours degree providing a thorough grounding in biological, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology and the humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural traditions in counselling.

Introduction

The BSc (Hons) Psychology and Counselling course at the University of Suffolk will equip you with a solid foundation in both psychology and counselling that can provide the basis for a career as a counsellor, psychotherapist and in the psychological professions more broadly. It will provide successful graduates with graduate based chartership of the British Psychological Society, often a mandatory requirement for professional training courses.

Through studying with us you will be equipped with a thorough knowledge of each of the major fields within psychology: biological, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology as well as the major therapeutic traditions within counselling: humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural.

In bringing these two distinct disciplines together, the course provides a unique synthesis of psychology and counselling that explores how the knowledge developed in both fields can be used to address commonly occurring psychological and emotional difficulties and enable human wellbeing, resilience and growth.

The course examines key topics including the interaction between mind and behaviour, and how the relationship between emotion, cognition, behaviour and context shape individual motivation and group behaviour. You will also discover the nature and influence of the unconscious, the functioning of memory, attention and perception and how these affect our beliefs, motivations and choices, and how interpersonal processes influence individual behaviour in social situations.

The course is underpinned by a thorough grounding in the research methods currently used in psychology, counselling and health care settings. This includes both qualitative and quantitative methods and how these methods are used in the context of developing evidence-based practice.

The delivery of the course takes place through a variety of rich, interactive learning experiences which are delivered by experts in the field. These learning experiences include face-to-face and online lectures, seminar-style groups for exploring and debating topical issues and practical workshop sessions in dedicated laboratories. In the third year you will undertake your own independent research project under supervision to explore an area of particular interest to you and to develop your confidence and skills as a researcher and scholar.

Course modules

Information not yet available as the course is in the process of being validated.

All BPS accredited mandatory psychology modules with some additional counselling modules.

Full downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

Foundations of Biological and Cognitive Psychology
Foundations of Social and Developmental Psychology
Psychological Research Methods and Skills
Introduction to Counselling
Personal and Clinical Perspectives on the Counselling Profession
Introduction to Counselling Skills, Self-Awareness and Reflective Practice
Biological and Cognitive Psychology
Social and Developmental Psychology
Quantitative Data Analysis
Qualitative Research Methods
Introduction to Humanistic Approaches
Introduction to Psychodynamic Approaches
Abnormal Psychology
Individual Differences
Psychology Project
Introduction to Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy
Advanced Counselling Skills, Professional Issues and Self-Awareness

Career opportunities

Successful completion of the course will not qualify you to practice as a counsellor or psychologist. However, the course is excellent preparation for further study that can lead to professional qualification as a counsellor or psychotherapist such as the University of Suffolk’s MSc in CBT and Counselling. Graduates who achieve a minimum of a 2:2 overall will be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society which is a pre-requisite for further training as a practitioner psychologist. Additionally, the course is excellent preparation for “earn and learn” roles within the NHS including training as a Psychological Well-Being Practitioner in IAPT services or as a Clinical Associate Psychologist.

Regardless of where your career aspirations take you, employability is built into the course at every stage of your journey with us. The combination of academic psychology and counselling approaches will equip you with knowledge and skills that are highly desirable in the marketplace including effective communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills and a good working knowledge of how to design projects and analyse data. On graduation, you will be leaving the University with a degree that has prepared you well for the opportunities of the workplace.

Fees and finance

2023-24

  • UK full-time tuition fee: £9,250 p.a
  • UK part-time tuition fee: £1,454 per 20 credits (please contact the Student Centre for further information)
  • International full-time tuition fee: £13,992 p.a

Further Information

At University of Suffolk, your tuition fees provide access to all the usual teaching and learning facilities that you would expect. However, there may be additional costs associated with you course that you will need to budget for. 

Entry requirements

Staff

Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Psychology and MSc Applications of Psychology

Lecturer in Psychology

Lecturer in Psychology and Deputy Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Psychology and associated routes

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Lecturer in Psychology

Lecturer in Psychology

Joint Course Leader, BA (Hons) Counselling

Joint Course Leader, BA (Hons) Counselling

Lecturer in Counselling

Facilities and Resources

Psychology teaching takes place at our modern, fully-equipped Waterfront or Atrium buildings at our Ipswich campus. As a University of Suffolk student, you will have full access to our well-stocked library in addition to discounts at our cafes and restaurants. If you are looking for a quiet place to work, our break-out areas on each floor of our Waterfront Building are an excellent choice. The psychology laboratories in the Atrium house the neuroscience equipment and there is a larger laboratory in the new Health and Wellbeing where students can access laptops with the specialist software used in psychology.

The Psychology and Counselling team has extensive links with local agencies that operate within the field, and as such they are able to embed contemporary research into their teaching demonstrating the applied nature of psychology at the University of Suffolk.