Program Overview

Why study Psychology (with a Foundation Year)?
A Psychology degree provides you with a scientific understanding of human experience, including behaviour, mental processes, emotions and development. This will prepare you for starting your career working directly in psychology-based jobs. These include counselling, clinical work, education, and mental health work.

A degree in psychology will make you attractive to employers for roles working with people and positions requiring good communication, relationship and data analysis skills. Psychology therefore provides superb preparation for a wide range of other career paths.
Why St Mary's?
The BSc Psychology programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society. Graduation through the accredited route means that you will be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society.

With a smaller size year group than many universities, the Psychology department creates a community environment where students are provided with more support by staff and fellow students.

Staff are research active and their work covers areas such as non-traditional romantic relationships, understanding intergroup relationships, attentional biases associated with anxiety, intergenerational relationships within the family context, decision making and visuomotor processing.

The department also has a strong relationship with the Student Psychology Society, working together to enhance the student learning and experience at St Mary's. The Student Psychology Society aims to bring together those who have an interest in the subject through academic and social events. Throughout the year they aim to give members the chance to enjoy a variety of experiences ranging from appearances by guest speakers to psychology socials.

You will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement during your degree, organised alongside the Workplace Learning Team and in a location that is convenient to you. Previous students have worked with charities, schools, hospitals and care settings, and within businesses.
About the Foundation Year:
Our four-year degree programmes (including a foundation year) provide an alternative route to undergraduate study at university if you do not have the grades to access higher education in the traditional way.

On successful completion of the Psychology Foundation Year pathway you will progress on to the three-year undergraduate degree in Psychology.