Psychology with Counselling BSc (Hons)

Why choose this course?

This course combines the scientific study of human mind and behaviour with the latest counselling theories. You will study different approaches to counselling such as person-centred therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, humanistic and psychodynamic theory.

You will develop a core understanding of the fields of cognitive, biological, developmental and social psychology, as well as transferable skills in experimental design and statistical analysis. You will be taught both by academics and qualified counsellors.

You will also develop key counselling competences such as communication and listening skills, empathy, self-awareness, establishing boundaries and working ethically. Assessment may include case studies where you select assessments, diagnose and develop treatments for mental health disorders.

A combination of Psychology with Counselling can be recognised as a real asset by employers because these subjects develop knowledge and people skills that are invaluable when working with individuals and teams. Upon graduation you will be eligible to apply for a Doctorate in Counselling or Clinical Psychology which will lead to Chartered Psychology Status.

Please note: this course is still subject to validation. Some course information may not be available at this time.

Attendance	UCAS code	Year of entry
3 years full time		2024
4 years full time including foundation year		2024
4 years full time including professional placement		2024
6 years part time	Apply direct to the University	2024

Please note: this course is subject to validation.

Location

Penrhyn Road

Reasons to choose Kingston University

Upon graduation, you will be in an excellent position to pursue further training and education in careers such becoming a counsellor or therapist.
This degree also prepares you to pursue postgraduate training in clinical or counselling psychology or any chartered psychology degree.
The option of a one-year paid work placement in the application of psychology will boost your employability further.

Kingston's Department of Psychology

Examples of the modules you may study

Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy
Applications of Counselling to Mental Health Disorders
Counselling Skills
Psychology of Health and Wellbeing

Foundation year - Social Sciences

If you would like to study this degree at Kingston University but are not yet ready to join the first year of a BSc (Hons) course, you may want to consider studying this course with a foundation year.

Future Skills

Knowledge to give you the edge

Embedded within every course curriculum and throughout the whole Kingston experience, Future Skills will play a role in shaping you to become a future-proof graduate, providing you with the skills most valued by employers such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability.

As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills, learning to demonstrate and articulate to employers how future skills give you the edge.

At Kingston University, we're not just keeping up with change, we're creating it.

Learn employability enhancing Future Skills

A female engineering student, in the engineering lab.

Life on the course

Psychology conference

Check out the video from the department's annual Psychology conference

Themed week: an inter-play of subjects

Students experience the interdisciplinary nature of their subject

After you graduate

Mental health problems are a significant and growing issue, with an estimated one in four people experiencing mental health problems at some point in their lives.

The importance of counselling to the wellbeing of individuals and society is increasingly recognised. This has led to an increased demand for mental health services, and a corresponding increase in the number of job opportunities available for graduates in this field.

Graduates may work in the charity and care sector, advocacy and victim support services, National Health Service or as mental health support workers.

In addition, graduates are well placed to pursue postgraduate education such as the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or Counselling psychology to become a Chartered Psychologist. Further training and education can lead to Chartered Psychology status in other areas (e.g. Health, Forensic, Educational), or becoming a counsellor, a psychological wellbeing practitioner, a teacher or an HR Professional.

Entry requirements

Typical offer 2024

120-136 UCAS tariff points (to include at least two A-levels or equivalent qualifications); Degree with foundation year 64.
BTEC Lvl3 National: Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM).
Candidates are normally required to hold five GCSE subjects at grade C/4 or above, including Mathematics and English Language.

Additional requirements

Entry on to this course does not require an interview, entrance test, audition or portfolio

International

We welcome applications from International Applicants. Please view our standard entry requirements from your country
All non-UK applicants must meet our English Language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall, with no element below 5.5

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

Typical offer and UCAS points explained

Like most universities, we use the UCAS Tariff point system for our course entry requirements.

Find out more about UCAS Tariff points and see how A-level, AS level, BTEC Diploma and T-level qualifications translate to the points system.

Who teaches this course?

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on this course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience. Postgraduate research students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

The following group of staff members are currently involved in the delivery of different elements of this course. This pool is subject to change at any time within the academic year.

Dr Sabira Mannan

Dr Kristin Hanson

Course fees and funding

2024/25 fees for this course

The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'International' student. In 2024/25 the fees for this course are:

Fee category	Amount
Home (UK students)	£9,250* Foundation Year: £9,250
International	Year 1 (2024/25): £17,800 Year 2 (2025/26): £18,500 Year 3 (2026/27): £19,200 Year 4 (2027/28): £20,100

For courses with a sandwich year, the fee for the placement year can be viewed on the undergraduate fees table. The placement fee published is for the relevant academic year stated in the table. This fee is subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body.

* For full-time programmes of a duration of more than one academic year, the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the programme. Your annual tuition fees cover your first attempt at all of the modules necessary to complete that academic year. A re-study of any modules will incur additional charges calculated by the number of credits. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full-time taught International fees are subject to an annual increase and are published in advance for the full duration of the programme.

Eligible UK students can apply to the Government for a tuition loan, which is paid direct to the University. This has a low interest-rate which is charged from the time the first part of the loan is paid to the University until you have repaid it.

Note for EU students: UK withdrawal from the European Union

The Government has recently announced that new students from the European Union and Swiss Nationals starting their course after August 2021 will no longer be eligible for a student loan in England for Undergraduate or Postgraduate studies from the 2021/22 academic year. This decision only applies to new EU students starting after 2021/22. If you are an existing/continuing EU student, you will continue to be funded until you graduate or withdraw from your course.

Need to know more?

Our undergraduate fees and funding section provides information and advice on money matters.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks – this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Field trips

Some modules have optional field trips but these vary year to year.

There may be other optional trips which would incur a travel cost of approximately £15. Optional trips will usually be organised to free-entry events or locations. If there is an entry free it will be approximately £15.

Travel

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston-upon-Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

Placement

If students choose the optional second year module Applied Psychology: Theory and Practice, they will spend time working in an organisation or with an individual family. Students usually choose a placement that is local to them. Travel costs will vary, but if a student's placement required a peak time zone 1-6 student Travelcard for one day per week for 10 weeks, the total travel cost would be around £200.

If the placement year option is chosen, during this year travel costs will vary according to the location of the placement, and could be from £0 to £2000.

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.