School of Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology with Integrated Foundation Year

If you are looking for an alternative route onto our psychology degree, the integrated foundation year will build confidence and develop the academic and study skills to provide you with a firm foundation to progress and succeed on our BSc (Hons) Psychology. The foundation year is wholly taught within the school, ensuring that our content and study skills are specifically tailored to your needs, as you take the first steps along your path towards a career in professional psychology and beyond.

From this course, you can progress onto: 

Careers with this subject
Our psychology students have tremendous opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment in a variety of work settings, from professional psychology, management and teaching, to social services, health services, probation and marketing. Our hands on approach to experiential learning embedded in the course will provide you with the topical skills and experience that you can apply to the wide range of career options open to psychology graduates.
Understanding where your degree subject could take you is an important first step in career planning. Due to the transferrable nature of the skills you gain from your studies, you may discover that there is a much wider range of opportunities open to you within this profession that you may first appreciate.

Key features
  • This course is an integrated part of our psychology degree at the University of Plymouth. Successful completion of the foundation year (Year 0) provides progression onto Year 1 of our BSc (Hons) Psychology degree.
  • The foundation year is taught entirely within the School of Psychology, specifically tailored to give you the background, skills, and support to progress to our psychology degree.
  • You will benefit from the full University experience from day one – taught by the same world-leading psychology lecturers and Professors that support our other courses - providing seamless progression from the foundation year to subsequent years of our degree course.
  • Hands-on learning in our psychology experiential learning lab. We embedded practical activities throughout the course, so you can put new knowledge into practice and build practical skills for future careers. 
  • Shape the psychologist you want to be. Course choices and our option-based final year give the freedom to explore the areas of psychology that interest and benefit you the most.
  • As a successful graduate, you are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society.
  • Gain valuable real-world experience by putting your skills and knowledge into practice with an optional placement year, or take part in an international exchange year by studying abroad.

Course details

  • Foundation year

  • This year has been designed to provide the theoretical knowledge, study skills and support to provide a foundation for further undergraduate study in psychology, providing instruction on a wide variety of psychological approaches. You will gain an understanding of how psychological theories are evaluated using empirical data, and how they can be applied to everyday experience, with a specific focus on health-related issues. This year will also introduce some of the most common careers in psychology, providing early direction along potential career paths.
    PSYC301: Foundations of Psychology
    An introduction to the foundational theories and approaches to psychology as a discipline. Psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive, humanistic, and systemic approaches are discussed, alongside their associated methodologies. Consideration is also given to how an understanding of these theories and approaches can contribute to other modules studied by the students enrolled in this programme year.
    PSYC302: The Psychology of Everyday Experience
    This module introduces psychological research related to various aspects of everyday experience. You will gain an appreciation of how everyday phenomena are related to psychological knowledge and research, allowing you to understand how to apply psychological theory to general life experiences and world events.
    PSYC303: Psychological Influences on Health and Behaviour
    Introducing the psychology of choices and behaviour, this module has an emphasis on health. Here you will examine health behaviours, choices, and risks with a particular consideration of how these are influenced by biological and social factors. You will have the opportunity to design and conduct a small research project in groups, with presentation of this project forming the assessment for the module.
    PSYC304: Career Directions in Psychology
    Here you will engage with some of the most common career directions taken by psychology from different perspectives, including self-reflections, discussions, and inputs by experts. This module provides an exploration of the skills, experience, and motivations to put you on an early pathway to a successful career in psychology and allied professions.
    Years 1-4
    Details on modules on year 1, 2, (optional) placement year, and the final year of the course are available on the BSc (Hons) Psychology course page.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

BSc Hons Psychology with Integrated Foundation Year Programme Specification 23-24_6526

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

32 - 48

A level/AS level:For level 3 entry the tariff points entry level will normally be 32-48 points from A level or equivalent. Non-standard applicants will normally be interviewed.
BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma: PPP in any subject.
Access to Higher Education: Pass Access in any subject
Welsh Baccalaureate: All applications to be referred to the Admissions Tutor.
Scottish Qualifications: 32-48 points at Advanced Highers.
Irish Leaving Certificate: 32-48 points.
International Baccalaureate: 24 points overall. If overseas and not studying English within IB, must have IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in all other elements.
GCSE: English and Maths grade C / 4 or above or equivalent.
We particularly welcome applications from candidates returning to study, who can offer work or other related experience in lieu of formal qualifications. Therefore candidates with non-standard qualifications are assessed on an individual basis, usually via interview. We encourage any candidate who is unsure regarding the suitability of their qualifications or experience to contact Admissions in the first instance, who will then liaise with the Admissions Tutor and Programme Lead.
Extended entry requirements
  • English language requirements 
  • We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary. 
  • Students under the age of 18 at the start of the programme are eligible to apply for this programme.

Fees, costs and funding
Student 2023-2024 2024-2025
Home £9,250 £9,250
International £16,300 £18,100
Part time (Home) £770 £770
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per 10 credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. More information about fees and funding.

Additional costs

This course is delivered by the Faculty of Health and more details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are listed on the following page:  Faculty of Health additional costs.

Tuition fees for optional placement years

The fee for all undergraduate students completing any part of their placement year in the UK in 2023/2024 is £1,850.
The fee for all undergraduate students completing their whole placement year outside the UK in 2023/2024 is £1,385.
 Learn more about placement year tuition fees

How to apply
All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). 
UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code. 
To apply for this course and for more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.
Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Why choose Plymouth?

We've redesigned the way we teach psychology. We have listened to feedback from our students and created a curriculum where the focus is on active learning instead of attending lectures. As well as this hands-on approach there are many aspects to the course that we are immensely proud of. 
Facilities within the School of Psychology
We have 22 specialist laboratories which can be booked by students and staff. Labs range from single participant rooms through to labs with a range of networked or standalone computers and social interaction or group participation rooms.
Placement Year
All of our psychology students can opt to take a voluntary placement year, so you do not have to apply for a particular course. You will gain invaluable experience and cultivate professional contacts. The process starts in your second year, with information sessions to help you decide if a placement year is right for you.
Psychology Research Apprenticeship Scheme
Every year around 60-70 first and second-year students volunteer to work with a member of staff as a 'Research Apprentice'. With this informally run scheme, you'll get first-hand experience of carrying out research – everything from literature searching through experimental design and data collection to analysis and even publishing papers.
Peer-Assisted Learning Scheme (PALS)
Learning alongside other students on your course can give you a greater opportunity to discuss ideas, broaden your knowledge, gain confidence and make friends. You will benefit from regular, coordinated Peer-Led Study Sessions planned and delivered by student PALS leaders from the academic year above. Your group will be small enough to work together, discussing ideas, completing tasks and checking understanding in a relaxed and friendly environment. 

Virtual subject webinar

Monday 29 April, 15:30-16:30
Find out more about this programme by attending our virtual subject webinar. The virtual webinar will give you an overview of the programme and the opportunity to ask our academics any questions you may have. 

Discover psychology at Plymouth and explore our open days

MPsych Clinical Psychology - image courtesy of Getty Images

Research in the School of Psychology

Plymouth is a centre of excellence in psychological research. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework assessment, 100% of our research environment and research impact was rated as either world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*), along with 73% of our research outputs (publications). Within Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, the proportion of our research impact rated as 4* or 3* was equal to or higher than institutions such as Nottingham, Aberdeen, Bath, UCL, Cambridge, and York. Overall, we were ranked above Durham and Bath on 4* and 3* research, and were the top rated department in a modern university.
We have a thriving PhD community, with around 80 doctoral students, as well as purpose-built research facilities.
Learn more about the research in the School of Psychology

Staff insight – Professor Caroline Floccia

...I was in my twenties, and I went to a party and I met somebody who told me for the first time about the existence of a field called cognitive psychology… a field in which people study how the brain and mind work… it was a revelation…
Find out why Professor Caroline Floccia is passionate about cognitive psychology.

Our labs

Academic Staff