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Psychology is the study of people – what they do, think, perceive and feel. It helps us to answer many important questions about society by applying scientific principles to human behaviour.
Overview
Kent is a leading centre for social psychology – the study of human behaviour in a social environment – and we also have strengths in cognitive, forensic and developmental psychology. Passionate about research, our academics are world-leading experts and can inspire you to develop your own ideas and become an independent thinker.
Our Psychology degree offers a high level of professional skills and can be the first step to becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
Watch the School video to find out what it's like to be a Kent Psychology student.
Our degree programme
Our modules cover a wide range of topics such as child development, language, mental health, motivation, and forensic psychology. By drawing on aspects of biology, computing and philosophy, you gain a broad scientific and analytical background. You can also gain direct experience of research through the:
- Research Participation Scheme (where you take part in a project as a participant)
- Research Experience Scheme (where you gain hands-on experience of working on a project and a reference at the end)
- Work Experience Scheme (where you volunteer with a local organisation – such as a school, college, prison or hospital – and collaborate on a project).
The lecturers have a friendly approach to teaching and you get a high level of academic support via lectures, seminars and one-to-one feedback.
Year of professional experience
You have the option to take this programme with a year of professional experience. For more details, see Applied Psychology.
Year abroad
If you’d like to spend a year studying or working in Europe as part of your degree, see Psychology with Studies in Europe.
Study resources
The School of Psychology is in a modern building with state-of-the-art teaching facilities and two computer rooms. Our specialised equipment includes:
- eye-tracker technology
- electroencephalography (EEG) equipment for monitoring brain function
- brain stimulation laboratories
- physiology laboratories
- child-friendly testing spaces
- a virtual reality laboratory
- group dynamics laboratories
- observation suites.
Extra activities
The Psychology Society is run by Kent students. Previous activities include talks by guest speakers and the chance for students to publish work in the Student Journal of Psychology.
The School of Psychology also puts on many events that you are welcome to attend. These may include:
- professional development workshops
- informal staff presentations followed by open discussion.
Independent rankings
Psychology at Kent was ranked 12th in The Complete University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, 93% of Psychology students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
For graduate prospects, Psychology at Kent was ranked 2nd in The Guardian University Guide 2017. Kent was 4th in the UK for the percentage of Psychology students who found professional jobs after graduation in 2015 (DLHE).
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
In Stage 1 you take three compulsory modules: SP300 Psychology Statistics and Practical; SP301 Introduction to Biological and General Psychology, and SP302 Introduction to Social and Developmental Psychology. You also take two optional modules from across the University. The School of Psychology offers two option modules: SP306 Introduction to Forensic Psychology and SP311 Business Psychology: An Introduction.
In Stage 2 you take seven compulsory modules in Psychology. These modules, together with the final-year project, are required for professional recognition by the British Psychological Society. There is a further double module in Study Skills.
In Stage 3 you take two compulsory modules: SP633 Applying Psychology and SP582 the Psychology Project. You also take four optional Psychology modules, allowing you to follow specialist interests and benefit from staff research expertise.
Teaching and assessment
Modules are taught by weekly lectures, workshops, small group seminars and project supervision. The Psychology Statistics and Practical modules include laboratory practical sessions, statistics classes, computing classes and lectures in statistics and methodology.
Most modules are assessed by examination and coursework in equal measure. Both Stage 2 and 3 marks count towards your final degree result.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- meet the needs of those contemplating a career in the psychological professions, as well as those motivated by an intellectual interest in psychology
- attract candidates from a variety of educational backgrounds
- provide an understanding of the principal perspective in psychology (for example, social, cognitive, and biological)
- introduce students to a range of theoretical and methodological approaches
- enable students to study chosen areas of psychology in depth
- cover the foundations of psychology to provide entry into the British Psychological Society
- provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship and engages with work at the frontiers of knowledge
- enable students to manage their own learning and carry out independent research
- develop critical, analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied within non-applied psychological and extra-psychological settings
- develop skills appropriate for graduate employment, both in the psychology professions and other fields.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- psychology statistics, practical experimentation and research
- cognitive and social development
- interpersonal and group behaviour
- cognition and cognitive neuropsychology
- personality and individual differences
- philosophical and theoretical issues in psychology
- the relationship between psychology and allied disciplines
- different frameworks in psychology and levels of description and explanation.
Intellectual skills
You develop intellectual skills in:
- critical reflection
- oral discussion
- written analysis and interpretation
- critical evaluation and exposition of ideas
- development of writing and reading skills
- time management and preparation
- self-reflection and development, responding to feedback from different sources (for example staff and peers, information technology)
- clarity in thinking, critical thinking, problem identification.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in:
- conducting an empirical study, under supervision
- the design and conduct of psychological research
- evaluating and selecting frameworks and methodologies for exploring issues in psychology
- using the major analytic techniques employed by psychologists
- employing the inferential method of science (deductive methods, single case methods, semiotics)
- psychological statistical methods and their interpretation.
- the use of psychology-oriented software applications (for example, database programmes, experiment generators, statistical packages)
- disseminating psychological information to appropriate bodies.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in:
- communication – how to organise information clearly; respond to written sources; present information orally; adapt style for different audiences; use images as a communication tool
- numeracy – how to make sense of statistical materials; integrate numerical and non-numerical information; understand the limits and potentialities of arguments based on quantitative information
- information technology – how to produce written documents; undertake online research; communicate using email; process information using databases
- working with others – how to define and review the work of others; work co-operatively on group tasks; understand how groups function
- improving own learning – how to explore personal strengths and weaknesses; time management; review your working environment (especially the student-staff relationship); develop specialist learning skills (for example by taking a foreign language); develop autonomy in learning
- problem solving – how to identify and define problems; explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them.
Careers
Graduate destinations
Our graduates have gone on to work in:
- government administration
- social welfare
- the Home Office
- the probation service
- teaching
- special needs work
- NHS and health charities
- social work
- public relations
- marketing
- publishing.
Many continue their studies at postgraduate level to qualify as a:
- clinical psychologist
- educational psychologist
- forensic psychologist
- neuropsychologist
- occupational psychologist.
Help finding a job
The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which can give you advice on how to:
- apply for jobs
- write a good CV
- perform well in interviews.
Work experience
The School of Psychology has valuable links with educational establishments, hospitals and prisons in the area, offering you the possibility of both visits and work placements. We also offer a Research Experience Scheme that gives you a taste of working within a research environment.
Career-enhancing skills
Studying for a degree is not just about mastering your subject area. Employers also look for a range of key transferable skills, which you develop as part of your degree.
These include:
- computing skills
- writing and presentation skills
- analytical and problem-solving skills
- the ability to respond to challenges.
You can also gain extra skills by signing up for our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
Professional recognition
The programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership with Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (provided you graduate with at least second class honours and pass your final-year research project).
This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist, which is important if you want to work within the NHS or a local education authority.
Independent rankings
For graduate prospects, Psychology at Kent was ranked 2nd in The Guardian University Guide 2017. Kent was 4th in the UK for the percentage of Psychology students who found professional jobs after graduation in 2015 (DLHE).
According to Which? University (2017), the average starting salary for graduates of this degree is £18,000.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
New GCSE grades
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | AAB excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking |
| GCSE | Mathematics grade C |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 17 points at HL with Mathematics 4 at HL or SL |
International students
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
UK/EU fee paying students
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
General additional costs
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
University funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
Government funding
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.
Scholarships
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.