Psychology and social sciences
Psychology
BSc or BA
Overview
Psychology studies behaviour and mental processes using experiments, statistics and theory. A British Psychological Society accredited degree is the usual first step if you later want chartered status, but accreditation is not the same as a clinical qualification. Clinical psychology requires a doctoral training course after further experience. The degree also supports other people-focused and research roles. Students who enjoy it like asking how evidence was collected, and they need to be willing to do statistics.
You want the scientific study of mind and behaviour.
Psychiatry is a medical speciality. Mental health nursing and clinical psychology are different trainings. This degree is not therapy.
People who like both essays and statistics, and who are curious about evidence.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Research methods
- Biological and cognitive psychology
- Statistics
Later years
- Social, developmental and clinical topics
- Research project
Skills
Useful before you start
- Writing
- Willingness to learn statistics
- Careful reading
Developed during the degree
- Experimental design
- Statistical reasoning
- Ethical judgement
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Seminars, Laboratory practicals.
Assessment often includes Exams, Reports, Research project.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate. Statistics and a final-year project add independent hours.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBB–ABB. No single A-level is universal. A science can help, and mathematics is useful for the statistics. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 34 points for ABB. The other end of this band is not in that table. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 4, 4 for ABB. The other end of this band is not in the guide. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
No single A-level is universal. A science can help, and mathematics is useful for the statistics.
Often recommended: Psychology, Biology, Mathematics.
Useful preparation: Sociology, English Literature.
GCSE and IGCSE
Mathematics and English are commonly expected because of statistics and writing. Grades vary.
Indicative only. The University of Amsterdam offers an English-taught BSc that is listed separately. Dutch selection is not a UK offer.
Other ways in
- Clinical psychology is a doctoral route after a degree and relevant experience.
- BPS accreditation matters for some later training and is not present on every course with psychology in the title.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
Examples outside the UK
These are illustrations. Degree length, fees and entry rules are not the same as in the UK. US medicine, for example, is usually a graduate route and is not listed as an undergraduate equivalent.
University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bachelor's Psychology. BSc. 36 months (180 ECTS).
Language: English for the English track. Tutorials are offered in English and Dutch.
The English track is a numerus fixus programme with a selection procedure. UK A-level grades are not stored here. Dutch university admission is not the same as a UK offer.
Tuition was not copied. Check the university fee page for the year you would start.
Checked 2026-10-14.
Official course page
Where could this degree take you?
Clinical psychologist
Usually needs further study after a degree
An accredited psychology degree can be the first step. The profession requires doctoral clinical training. The undergraduate degree is not sufficient.
Psychiatrist
Related, but not enough on its own
Psychiatry requires a medical degree.
Mental health nurse
Related, but not enough on its own
Nursing registration requires an approved nursing degree.
Secondary school teacher
Alternative route
Psychology is not a national curriculum subject in the same way as biology. Teaching usually needs a curriculum subject and teacher training.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.