Psychology
with a Year in Professional Practice
Gain an understanding of human behaviour and open doors to a wide range of careers, at a Top 100 university for Psychology.
Gain an understanding of human behaviour and open doors to a wide range of careers, at a Top 100 university for Psychology.
How do people think, perceive and feel? Psychology is the scientific understanding of human behaviour that opens doors to a wide range of careers, from clinical, business and forensic psychologist to social work and roles in marketing, public relations and human resources.
Our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degree enables you to confront the issues that humans face with psychology's scientific principles. From brain injury to prejudice reduction, child development to offending behaviour and rehabilitation. We provide you with the tools to develop interventions for hospitals, schools and businesses, making a difference to society through innovations in policy and research.
This is a four-year course where you spend a year in practice between your second and final years. You undertake project work with professional applied psychologists in organisations such as the NHS, the Prison Service or a research establishment.
Gain practical experience of ongoing research projects or gain an insight into the workplace and the local community.
Kent is in the top 100 for Psychology in the QS World Rankings by Subject 2024.
Psychology alumna Rebecca Pfaff tells us how her degree in Psychology prepared her for her career as an assistant psychologist.
We have 25 years’ continuous accreditation by The British Psychological Society.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. All applications are assessed on an individual basis but some of our typical requirements are listed below. Students offering qualifications not listed are welcome to contact our Admissions Team for further advice. Please also see our general entry requirements.
ABB
Distinction, Distinction, Merit
128 tariff points - typically H5, H6, H6 or equivalent
Mathematics grade C or 4
Pass the University of Kent International Foundation Programme.
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 45 at level 3 Credits with 18 credits at Distinction and 24 credits at Merit
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.
You spend a year on placement within an organisation that delivers a form of psychological service, such as the National Health Service, Home Office, Department for Education or social services (subject to availability of placements and achieving an average mark of 60% at Stages 1 and 2).
The marks awarded for this year are based on performance on the placement, a Reflective Diary kept by the student (marked on a pass/fail basis), a poster presentation about the placement experience, and the report of a research project conducted while on placement. The research report and the Reflective Diary must be submitted before the autumn term of Stage 3.
Modules are taught by weekly lectures, workshops, small group seminars and project supervision.
We use varied methods of assessment and feedback in a structured fashion to support our students in developing confidence in their academic and professional skills, preparing them to be competitive in the world of work.
Assessments for different modules will be determined by the nature of the module and the learning outcomes each covers, with the nature and order of assessments carefully considered so that skills can be developed throughout modules, stages, and the course as a whole.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.
Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For course aims and learning outcomes please see the course specification.
Our graduates currently have excellent graduate employment prospects, working in clinical, forensic and occupational psychology or in allied fields related to therapy, teaching, or social work. Many work in communication-focused roles in marketing, public relations and publishing.
If you choose an undergraduate programme with a placement year you can spend a year working with professional psychologists in, for example, the NHS, the Prison Service or another government agency or in a business setting and gain experience that will enhance your employability.
Our experience schemes allow students to either gain practical experience of ongoing research projects or to gain an insight into the workplace and the local community.
The 2025-26 annual tuition fees for UK undergraduate courses have not yet been set by the Department for Education.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
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.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,850.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Students will require regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. Please see information about the minimum computer requirements for study.
There may be additional costs associated with the Year in Professional Practice such as travel or accommodation, which will need to be covered by the student. Please see Careers and Employability webpages for more information.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Student Life
In the QS World University Rankings 2024, Kent has been ranked 39th within the UK and is in the top 25% of Higher Education Institutions worldwide.
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Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
An unmissable part of your student experience.