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BSc (Hons) Psychology in Education

Start date
September
Duration
3 years
UCAS code
C8X3
Course Type
Undergraduate, Single Honours
Fees

For 2025-2026
£9,535(UK) 
£24,470 (International)

More detail.



The BSc (Hons) Psychology in Education will give you a theoretically rich and practical understanding of the contribution of psychology to the field of education. The course is accredited by the British Psychological Society.

On the BSc (Hons) Psychology in Education degree you will be taught by world-leaders in the field of Psychology of Education, with a distinctive social justice perspective. You will study psychological accounts of learning as a process of human development, that take place in contexts that include the family, early years provision and schooling. 

Each year of study is worth 120 credits. The course includes core and optional modules in a range of areas within psychology such as biological, cognitive, developmental and social psychology, with a specific focus on their application to education. Our modules are regularly updated to include the newest research in the field, and to reflect the changing role and influence of psychology in education. You can select additional modules from our BA (Hons) Education and understand the role of psychology in the context of the contributions of sociology, history and philosophy of education. 

Why study this course?

  • Research methods training and developing an understanding of the contribution of psychological research to education, will be an important feature of this programme and is accredited by the British Psychological Society.
  • A vocational placement within the UK or overseas in an educational setting which will provide you with valuable reflective practical learning. 
  • Option to study overseas - you will have the option to study overseas at one of our partner institutions for a year.
  • The School of Education is ranked 3rd in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the UK, and it aspires to be among the QS top 45 best Schools of Education in the world by 2030.
  • Turing scheme - you can apply for the year-abroad and the Turing Scheme grant to enrich your learning experience overseas.

Please note that a range of different placement and dissertation options are available to students on this programme, and for some of these options you may need to have a DBS check. If necessary, support will be provided to complete the process at the appropriate point in the programme. 

Alongside this course, you will have the option to join the Education Society, run by students, which aims to bring together people with a common interest in Education. They host a number of social and career opportunity events throughout the year.

The BSc (Hons) Psychology in Education will prepare you for a range of postgraduate training and career options, including Educational Psychology, teaching and research. 

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society

The British Psychological Society


The BA Psychology in Education degree offers exciting exchange opportunities for studying overseas. Through the European Educational Exchange Programme and the International Exchange Programme, students can choose to study at a number of selected institutions in countries across the world including Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, China and the USA. These exchanges enhance your critical knowledge and understanding by promoting a diverse and international approach to the interdisciplinary social sciences. Modules are taught and assessed in English so you won’t have to worry about language barriers. You will be in regular contact with our departmental International Study Abroad Coordinator as you plan your exchange.

My degree allows me to explore further my passion of psychology with application to the classroom while still attaining the highly desired BPS accreditation. This research-based focus degree is not only giving me a diploma but beneficial life skills.

Holly Parkes

You may also be interested in the following degrees:

Modules

Unless indicated otherwise the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2025.

First year modules

Compulsory

  • Introduction to Cognitive Psychology 
  • Introduction to Developmental Psychology
  • Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology – Part 1
  • Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology – Part 1
  • Contemporary Issues in Education

Optional: choose one module

  • Equality and Diversity: Children, Families and Society 
  • Young People and Social Change

Second year modules

Compulsory

  • Biological Psychology 
  • Cognitive Psychology 
  • Individual Differences and Learning
  • Social Psychology and Learning 
  • Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology – Part 2
  • Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology – Part 2  

Third year modules

Compulsory

  • Placement
  • Dissertation

The Placement
To prepare for the placement you will attend workshops in the Spring of the previous academic year and then negotiate your own placement in an educational context or setting.  A minimum of 70 hours of placement learning is expected, although many students do significantly in excess of this.  The placement is undertaken at the end of the summer term of the previous academic year to when the module is assessed, over the following summer holiday period or in the early autumn term of the year in which the module is assessed.  The assignment is a 4000 word reflective learning journal and you are carefully prepared for writing this. 

Recent and past placements have been undertaken in a range of settings, for example: as voluntary teaching assistants in schools; shadowing an education professional; working on an educational research project; leading educational activities on a summer camp or language school; shadowing a prison educator; working in a tutorial school, and; helping in an outdoor education centre. Placements can be based in the UK or in another country overseas.  A risk assessment process will help you plan safely for your placement.

Optional 

  • Adolescence: Mind and Brain
  • Critical Approaches to Psychology in Education 
  • Children as Citizens
  • Language and Literacy in Education
  • What motivates you?
  • The neurobiology of mental illness
  • The Development of Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence and Applications to Education
  • Identity, Politics and Everyday Life
  • Reclaiming Education: Past, Present and Futures

Year abroad

Those who transfer to the Year Abroad course will undertake their third year overseas in one of our partner institutions. The modules followed in the host university will build on existing knowledge from the first two years of your degree. In the fourth year, you will complete the third year of your BSc (Hons) Psychology in Education at the University of Birmingham.

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

For more information on this degree programme please email ug-education@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Alternatively, please contact Admissions for more information on admission and entry requirements. Email admissions@bham.ac.uk or telephone 0121 414 5488.

Fees

Fees 2025 - 2026

UK Students

The University will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. If your offer is for 2025 year of entry, we expect that the tuition fee for your first year of study will be £9,535. If Parliament agrees on an increase in tuition fees, the University will increase fees for each year of study normally in line with these changes and will communicate any change in the fees to you without delay. If you are applying for 2026 year of entry, you will be advised of the annual tuition fee closer to the time.

International Students

For International students beginning their studies in September 2025, the University of Birmingham will charge £24,470 for the first year of study.


Visit our tuition fees pages for more information on all these fees.

Accommodation

Find out more about accommodation at the University of Birmingham.

Scholarships

Learn more about our scholarships and awards

How To Apply

Apply through UCAS at www.ucas.com using code: C8X3

University of Birmingham's UCAS code number is B32.

Learn more about applying including information on how to write a great Personal Statement and how to make your application stand out.

Standard offer

International Requirements



Number of A levels required:
3
Typical offer:
ABB
Required subjects and grades:
ABB
General Studies:
not accepted

  • T Levels: all subjects considered; Standard offer: Distinction overall with B in the Core Component.
  • Accepted subjects for the BTEC Extended and BTEC Diploma are Children’s Play, Learning & Development, Health & Social Care.
  • All subjects are considered for the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma when offered in combination with 2 A levels.
    BTEC Extended Diploma DDD; typical offers when offered in combination with A Levels: A in A Level plus DM in the BTEC Diploma; or AB in A Levels plus D in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma.
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma: 655 at Higher Level (Plus 32 points overall).

Mathematics and English at GCSE grade C or above. Please note, a GCSE Science at grade C is preferred but not essential. (For students wishing to pursue a career in Primary teaching, it is essential to hold a GCSE Science at grade C).

We are keen to encourage applicants with a wide range of qualifications and prior learning experiences. These include the International Baccalaureate, international foundation programmes and BTEC and CACHE. We will only consider Access to HE Diploma courses in Social Sciences or Humanities. Please address any queries about qualifications, APL or mature entry to the Admissions enquiry contact address: ug-education@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Learn more about entry requirements.

Alternative offers through our Pathways to Birmingham programmes and our Contextual Offer scheme

Students who are eligible and successfully complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive special consideration from admissions tutors and an alternative offer (typically two grades below the standard offer). In addition, our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the contextual offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer.

International Students

Standard English language requirements apply
Learn more about international entry requirements

You may be interested in one of our Foundation Pathways, which offer specially structured courses for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Our Foundation Pathways at the University of Birmingham combine the highest standards of one of Britain’s leading global universities with a fully integrated student experience. The foundation pathways are is equivalent in learning to year 13 of the UK education system. There are no particular subject requirements but evidence of essay writing is beneficial and IELTS scores are required.

English language support - during your studies

Birmingham International Academy (BIA) provides free English language services to international students who are currently studying on undergraduate or postgraduate courses at the University of Birmingham.  Services include Open-access English classes, online self-assessment, online materials through CANVAS, email answers to quick questions and individual one to one tutorials.  For a small fee, BIA also offers classes for partners of international postgraduate students and staff, social events including day trips and HOST visits.   

Your learning will take place in a range of different settings, from scheduled teaching in lectures and small group tutorials, to self-study and peer group learning (for example preparing and delivering presentations with your classmates).

To begin with you may find this way of working challenging, but you will have access to a wealth of support to help you make this transition. Personal tutors and welfare tutors can help with both academic and welfare issues, and offer help for any particular areas where you need support. You will also have the use of dedicated e-learning, IT and library facilities within the School and university to support your studies.

Students in the School of Education are taught by experienced specialists. Many have published widely in their area of expertise and can offer a unique perspective of their subject.  Our teaching and assessment strategy reflect our concern with real life practice. As well as learning in lectures and seminars, students are asked to undertake a variety of enquiry based learning activities; undertaking small research projects, participating in public debates and working in groups to solve problems. 

As an undergraduate student, you will be part of a lively School which is actively engaged in the education sector. We hold regular events to which you will be invited. Previous speakers have included Michael Gove MP, Liam Bryne MP, Baroness Doreen Lawrence OBE and Baron David Blunkett.

Contact Hours

Throughout your Psychology in Education degree you can expect about 12 hours of contact time per week. The precise number of contact hours will vary from year to year and will be affected by the particular module choices you make. Contact hours consist of lectures, seminars and a variety of other activities designed to help you to develop your learning.

Assessment Methods

Studying at degree-level is likely to be very different from your previous experience of learning and teaching. You will be expected to think, discuss and engage critically with the subject and find things out for yourself.  

We assess students not only on the basis of the knowledge they have gained, but also the skills that they have acquired. You will be assessed in a variety of ways, and these may be different with each module that you take. 

You will be assessed through coursework which may take the form of essays, group or individual presentations, as well as formal exams. Our assessment strategy does not just deliver grades. It seeks to widen horizons and to promote self-development so that our graduates are valued for their leadership and problem-solving capabilities. 

At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed for that particular programme of study. You will receive feedback on each assessment within four weeks, so that you can learn from and build on what you have done. 

During your first year you will undergo a formal ‘transition’ review to see how you are getting on and if there are particular areas where you need support. This is in addition to the personal tutor who is based in your school or department and can help with any academic issues you encounter.

Our award-winning Careers Network team can help you develop your career from the moment you arrive with us, through bespoke training and events. Careers Network support is tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialist College team who can give you expert advice.

A University of Birmingham degree is highly sought after by employers as evidence of the ability to succeed in a demanding academic environment. Transferable skills from the programme include: 

  • written communication developed through writing essays; 
  • oral communication skills gained through reasoned debates during seminars and presentations;
  • ability to work as part of a team, through collaborative group work;
  • research and analytical skills with the ability to judge and evaluate information;
  • organisational and time management skills by prioritising tasks to ensure academic, social and work commitments are completed on time; 
  • negotiation, informally with peers and formally with staff;
  • problem solving; 
  • IT skills.

We expect graduates on our programme to use these skills in combination with subject knowledge gained throughout the degree to pursue successful careers in roles directly related to the programme such as:

  • Educational Psychologist
  • Child Psychotherapist
  • Counsellor
  • Social Worker
  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Primary of Secondary School Teacher
  • Special Educational Needs Teacher
  • Learning Mentor
  • Researcher

Graduates can also continue into related postgraduate study at Masters and Doctoral level. Find out more about our postgraduate programmes.