Psychology (With Foundation Year)

This course provides you with the experience, knowledge and skills to follow a wide range of careers where you can make a real difference to people’s lives. You explore the core areas of psychology, learning how it applies to everyday life, then choose from optional units in areas such as atypical child development; health psychology; counselling; criminal behaviour; and mental health. You also have the opportunity to gain workplace experience or to take a placement year.

Foundation Year
In the foundation year you will study three days per week. The focus will be on academic writing skills and numeracy, plus subject-specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an undergraduate degree. It provides a balance between content related to your chosen subject and the range of wider skills required for undergraduate study. This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will be required to pass the foundation year in order to progress to the first year of your degree. This course is ideal for those who do not meet our standard entry requirements or those with a non-standard educational background. It will allow you to graduate with a full undergraduate degree in your chosen subject in four years.

Course accreditation/industry endorsement
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Graduating from a BPS-accredited degree with a 2nd-class Honours or above makes you eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the Society. It also enables you to enrol for Stage 1 postgraduate training.

Facilities and specialist equipment
Within the Psychology department, we have dedicated, specialist, industry-standard psychology laboratories and computing environments including:

• Cognitive neuropsychology lab

• Biological and cognitive psychology lab

• Virtual reality lab

• Research cubicles containing up-to-the-minute technology such as a driving simulator, eye-tracking software and EEG recording equipment

• Software for data analysis, experiments and survey building

Industry links
Elements of the course, including assessment, have been developed working with psychology-related professionals from organisations such as the NHS; disaster recovery services; and digital application development. Members of our academic team engage with local organisations such as Luton Borough Council, HM Probation Service and charities. They are also actively involved in entrepreneurship and business, bringing this experience into their teaching and integrating it into the curriculum.

Your student experience
Benefit from friendly, approachable staff, small class sizes and easy access to academic support as well as specialist facilities dedicated to Psychology rather than shared with other departments.
Get to know your peers and academics well by taking part in the School’s many social events.
Experience a wide variety of teaching methods including workshops; problem solving; virtual reality simulations; computer-based activities; and guided learning.
Complete authentic assessments reflecting workplace practice; choose how you present your work – for example, as a podcast, presentation or webpage.
Take up field-trip opportunities including visits to relevant charities working with head injuries, pregnancy loss, neurodiversity and gendered violence.
Benefit from membership of our Student Research Institute, providing opportunities to engage in research; assist staff; and attend research conferences
Our research addresses real-life issues including reading development; cognitive function in long COVID; and prevention of gender-based violence.
Present your supervised research to your peers and psychology professionals as part of our annual Student Research Conference.
Hear from a variety of guest speakers at special events and masterclasses run by the Psychology department.