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The Psychology degree at St Mary’s provides you with a scientific understanding of the mind, brain and behaviour. Alongside the academic content of the programme you will gain transferable skills, including the capacity for self-directed, reflective learning and project management.

  • Accredited by the British Psychological Society.
  • Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the BPS.
  • Rose 42 places in 2023 Complete University Guide

Why study Psychology?

A Psychology degree provides you with a scientific understanding of human experience, including behaviour, mental processes, emotions and development. This will prepare you for starting your career working directly in psychology-based jobs. These include counselling, clinical work, education, and mental health work.

A degree in psychology will make you attractive to employers for roles working with people and positions requiring good communication, relationship and data analysis skills. Psychology therefore provides superb preparation for a wide range of other career paths.

Why St Mary's?

The BSc Psychology programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society. Graduation through the accredited route means that you will be eligible for the Graduate Membership with the British Psychological Society

St Mary's also provides Joint Honours Degrees which allow students to combine Psychology with another subject. If students choose to major in Psychology and minor in the other subject, the degree will be accredited. If students choose subjects of equal weighting, the degree will be non-accredited.

With a smaller size year group than many universities, the Psychology department creates a community environment where students are provided with more support by staff and fellow students.

Staff are research active and their work covers areas such as non-traditional romantic relationships, understanding intergroup relationships, attentional biases associated with anxiety, intergenerational relationships within the family context, decision making and visuomotor processing.

The department also has a strong relationship with the Student Psychology Society, working together to enhance the student learning and experience at St Mary's. The Student Psychology Society aims to bring together those who have an interest in the subject through academic and social events. Throughout the year they aim to give members the chance to enjoy a variety of experiences ranging from appearances by guest speakers to psychology socials.

You will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement during your degree, organised alongside the Workplace Learning Team and in a location that is convenient to you. Previous students have worked with charities, schools, hospitals and care settings, and within businesses.

Foundation year

The undergraduate degree with foundation year programme offers applicants without traditional qualifications or grades an alternative route to studying Psychology.

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Course lead

Dr Carolina Sciplino headshotDr Carolina Sciplino
Course Lead - Psychology BSc (Hons)

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Entry requirements

104-120UCAS points required

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We will make you an offer if you are within the tariff band range and you meet subject-specific requirements (where applicable).

For undergraduate programmes we will take into account subjects studied at Level 3, your GCSEs (or equivalent) profile, relevant non-academic achievements outlined in your personal statement, references, and your motivation for study.

GCSEs

A grade 4/C (or equivalent) in GCSE Mathematics is required. We offer GCSE equivalency tests for those who need to improve their GCSE grades.

International requirements

International students should check our country-specific pages for equivalents. If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section (or equivalent).

Psychology with a foundation year

The undergraduate degree with foundation year programme offers applicants without traditional qualifications or grades an alternative route to studying Psychology.

UCAS Personal statement support

Create your UCAS personal statement through our online builder and we'll email you a copy of your completed version at the end.

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Course content

Year one

  •  Core
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Year two

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  •  Optional
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Year three

  •  Core
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Please note: it is possible that a module listed on the website will not be able to run due to reasons beyond our control. For more information please refer to our course information disclaimer.

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Career opportunities

Students can undertake further study in education, clinical, research or occupational fields, subsequent to them being awarded Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society.

The knowledge and skills acquired during the degree are very marketable and can enhance job prospects in almost any career option.

"Because of the wide range of generic skills and the rigour with which they are taught, training in psychology is widely accepted as providing an excellent preparation for a number of careers." - The Council for Industry and Higher Education

The Careers Service has more information on graduate careers and part-time work available during your course.

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How the degree is taught

Teaching methods

You'll be taught on our beautiful and historic campus located in Twickenham, London.

Our aim is to help you develop as an independent thinker, able to work individually and in a team, and capable of managing your workload. Innovative teaching methods are delivered within traditional settings such as lectures and seminars, or within more contemporary settings such as virtual learning environments. You will also engage in workshops and practical tasks that develop your research skills.

In year one, class sizes range from 70 to 80 students in lectures. In year two, class sizes range from 65 to 70 students in lectures as you choose your optional modules, and seminar sizes throughout all three years ranges from 30 to 35 students.

Psychology Laboratory Resources

In the psychology department, we have two laboratories used for staff and student research. One of the labs has four separate cubicles with individual computers that contain a number of computer programmes. These include; SuperLab, EPrime, DirectRT and MediaLab. We also have access to Bristol online, which is used to develop and collect data via the web through questionnaires.

In the second lab, we have an EEG, TMS and eye tracker, including software to support these systems. We also have access to video cameras and laptops that belong to the psychology department, which students can have access to.

Teaching breakdown

Learning on the course is made up through a combination of:

  • Contact time: 20%
  • Guided learning: 25%
  • Independent study: 55%

Independent study is a key feature of your degree and is crucial to furthering your knowledge.

You will receive your timetable a week before teaching is due to start at the latest.

Assessment methods

Courses are assessed through a variety of methods including examinations, presentations, essays, research, practical reports and case studies.

Feedback

We adhere to the university’s policy of providing feedback on assessments within three weeks.

See how your final degree mark is calculated...

Compensated passes

Please refer to the information on compensated passes throughout your degree as outlined in the academic regulations.

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Facilities

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Fees and funding

2023/24 fees

  • Home: £9,250
  • International: £14,850

*Please note: these fees are annual and may increase in line with inflation each year subject to the Governments review of Higher Education Funding.

Information about tuition fees, student loans, and funding your studies can be found within our fees and funding section.

Additional costs

Your tuition fees will cover the cost of all mandatory elements of your programme.

Additional costs could be incurred depending on optional modules chosen and other projects undertaken.

For further information about additional costs please see our additional costs webpage

Scholarships

A range of scholarships and bursaries are available to new undergraduate students. This includes:

Living costs

A guide to your living costs has been created by our Student Funding Team.

Accommodation costs vary depending on whether you opt for an en suite room and on-site catering. Take a look at our accommodation options and the prices you can expect to pay.

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Meet your lecturers

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Further information


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Visit the campus

Upcoming open days

Meet current students, explore our green campus, and find out why St Mary’s could be the place for you.

You'll also get a chance to:

Staff from various teams, including the Student’s Union, Student Funding, and Admissions, will also be around to discuss any questions you may have about studying at St Mary’s.

Book your place now

Campus tours

There are plenty of opportunities for you to explore the campus, even if you can't make it to an Open Day. We run campus tours every Wednesday at 12pm. If you'd like to join us for one of these tours please register your place for your preferred day.

Virtual tour

We know that for it's important to you to see where you'll be living and studying before you make your decision. However, we also know that for many people it's not always easy to make it to the campus.

That's why we've developed a virtual tour of campus, allowing you to explore that facilities and the beautiful views that we have to offer.

Launch the virtual tour

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