BA (Hons) Counselling and Psychology in Community Settings

Psychology Modules encourage you to think critically about humanity and theories of how the mind works. Counselling Modules offer you the opportunity to develop a theoretical understanding as well as practical counselling skills. Through the learning process you will also enhance your self development.

Level 4:

• Counselling Theory and Practice 1 – Introduction to the Person Centred Approach
• Psychology of Self and Identity
• Interpersonal Communication
• Politics of Social Policy
• Introduction to Psychology and Personal Development
• Introduction to Psychology and Human Development

Level 5:

• Counselling Theory and Practice 2: Developing Counselling Practice
• Understanding Interpersonal Behaviour
• Inter-professional Practice
• Counselling Theory and Practice 3: Group Supervision
• Critical Analysis and Research Methodology
• Fieldwork Placement

Level 6:

• Critical Issues in Psychology 1
• Critical Issues in Psychology 2
• Independent Research Project
• Counselling Theory and Practice 4: A Comparative Perspective
• Counselling Theory and Practice 5: The Person-centred Approach in Context

Entry to this course requires 96 UCAS tariff points. Standard entry qualifications are passes in 5 GCSE subjects including 3 at GCSE Grade C or above (including both English and Maths) and two A levels, or the equivalent, such as AS levels, BTEC, GNVQ Advanced, or successful completion of an accredited Access course.

We require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and health check for admission to this course.

Direct entry into Level 6 is available for candidates with relevant Foundation Degrees or HND.

You will be invited for an interview prior to the offer of a place on the course.

The programme caters for a range of applicants and welcomes applications from students with skills acquired in practice in a variety of health and social welfare roles or on short courses.

We also consider individual applicants who can demonstrate relevant learning, work/voluntary experience, using our Recognition of Prior Learning process. Please contact the admission team for further information and support.

To help us understand how you’re learning and growing on the course, we’ll use a mix of activities to assess your skills, such as:

• Coursework: This could be essays, presentations, or projects where you show your knowledge.
• Putting it into Practice: Sometimes you’ll learn by doing, so there will be assessments based on real-world counselling scenarios.
• Exams: There will be two exams to check your understanding of key concepts.
• Independent Project: You’ll get to delve deeper into a topic that interests you with an independent project.

For the Counselling Practice modules specifically, we’ll focus on how you reflect on your learning, get feedback from classmates (peers), and your tutors. This will help you develop as a counsellor!

You will undertake a fieldwork placement in Level 5 (Year 2) for three days a week over a 12-week period. By this time, other modules in the programme will have helped prepare you for this experience, which can be demanding but is invariably rewarding. A wide variety of fieldwork agencies and community settings are currently in use and we will work with you closely to find the placement opportunity that meets your needs.

What can you do with this course? Here are some paths you can take:

• Counselling and Psychology: Many graduates become counsellors, therapists, or support workers tackling issues like addiction, homelessness, or mental health.
• Helping Professions: This course can also open doors to careers like social worker, police officer, nurse, or teacher, where you make a real difference.
• Become a Specialist: If you love learning, this course sets you up perfectly for postgraduate studies in counselling or psychology, allowing you to deep-dive into a specific area.
• Get Accredited: The course prepares you for professional accreditation, a key step to launching your counselling or psychology career.

Full-time: £9,000 per year.

This is representative of the most common fees scenario, but actual fees can vary depending on a number of factors. Please contact us if you need more guidance.