Psychology, Counselling and Coaching (With Foundation Year)

This degree offers a unique approach, blending knowledge and practice from counselling and coaching psychology. You study classic and contemporary theories of counselling and psychotherapy including psychodynamic, person-centred and cognitive behavioural approaches to gain a thorough understanding of the core areas. You then have the opportunity to use and develop your skills in real-life, peer-coaching practice and in voluntary roles within relevant organisations.

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
You have access to specialist, industry-standard psychology laboratories and computing environments including:

• Counselling/coaching practice pods to develop counselling and coaching skills

• Two-way mirror observation rooms to assist with counselling/coaching skills development

• Virtual reality software and headsets to support counselling skills development

• Cognitive neuropsychology lab

• Research cubicles

• Eyetrackers

• Physiological data-acquisition system

• EEG

• Podcasting equipment

• Data-analysis software

• Experiment and survey-building software

Partnerships and Collaborations

• Specialist units for this course have been developed working with a panel of industry professionals from the NHS, mental health support and other relevant organisations to ensure they align with employer needs.

Your Student Experience

• Benefit from friendly, approachable staff, small class sizes and easy access to academic support.

• Get to know your peers and academics well by taking part in the School’s many social events, which run throughout the academic year and include membership of our Junior Research Institute.

• Learn from a highly experienced academic team who are active in industry and are members of the Research Centre for Applied Psychology.

• Our research addresses real-life day-to-day issues including reading development; cognitive function in long COVID; and prevention of gender-based violence.

• Take part in roleplay and peer-coaching practice up to pre-practitioner level to help develop your skills as an effective counsellor or therapist.

• Bring your learning to life through authentic assessments in areas such as counselling and coaching; case conceptualisation; and coaching or clinical supervision.

• Gain insight into psychological practice in the NHS as well as awareness of the career paths offered within the NHS.

• Hear from a variety of guest speakers who share their experience and expertise at special events and masterclasses run by the School of Psychology.