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The latest HESA data shows Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ has the highest rate of full-time employment for Psychology BSc graduates for East Midlands universities.

Undergraduate courses/ Psychology courses/ Psychology with Health and Wellbeing in Society

Key facts

Typical offer

UCAS points:

112

A Level:

BBC

BTEC:

DMM

Contextual Offer:

Minimum of one to two grade reduction from our typical offer. Full details at dmu.ac.uk/contextual

Key facts

Duration:

3 yrs full-time; 4 yrs with placement

Study mode:

Full-time

UCAS code:

C8B9

Institution code:

D26

See all the key facts and full entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

112

A Level:

BBC

BTEC:

DMM

Contextual Offer:

Minimum of one to two grade reduction from our typical offer. Full details at dmu.ac.uk/contextual

UCAS code

C8B9

Duration

Three years full-time; four years with a placement

Study mode

Full-time

See all the key facts and full entry requirements

BPS accredited and blending psychology and health and wellbeing, this course prepares you for a variety of roles in psycho‑social and wellbeing‑related fields.

Overview

Psychology is a dynamic science, blending biology, sociology, and philosophy to explore and explain how our minds and environments shape our actions. It answers everyday questions (why do we crave certain foods when we are stressed? Why do we remember song lyrics better than shopping lists? Why do we make impulsive purchases and irrational choices?) and plays a critical role in improve lives; understanding and treating mental health, optimising how we learn and make decisions, designing better technologies, and shaping human habits.

This BPS accredited course combines psychology with health and wellbeing in society. It offers an exciting deep dive into everyday life; exploring how the brain and physiological factors (e.g., genetics, hormones) influence behaviour and experience (biological psychology), how we think, learn, reason, and understand the world around us (cognitive psychology), and how humans develop physically, mentally, and socially throughout their life (development psychology). You will learn how social context, interactions, and group processes influence human behaviour (social psychology), why people vary in behaviour, personality, intelligence, and motivation (individual differences), as well as how we can measure these things, and use psychological knowledge to treat mental health conditions. You will develop industry-sought-after research skills and use scientific methods to understand why people behave the way they do, supplemented with a focus upon health and well-being. Anyone interested in working within a substance abuse, mental wellbeing, or health-related behavioural change context would find this programme to be rewarding.

Our state-of-the-art facilities – featuring research and computer labs, research cubicles, and an observation suite – will support your learning, with expert technicians on hand. The programme builds critical thinking, communication, and research skills, plus industry-specific expertise in data analysis and presentation. Our graduates go on to succeed in fields like criminal justice, education, social work, healthcare, research, advertising, and HR.

This BPS-accredited degree is your first step towards becoming a psychologist and comes with the chance to tailor your learning with optional modules in your second and third year to align with your passions and career goals.

Key features

  • Focused learning: Modules are delivered through our block teaching approach, so you can concentrate on one subject at a time.
  • Personalise your course: Choose from a wide range of optional modules in Year 3 to align your degree with your career goals.
  • Gain industry experience: Take advantage of an optional credit-bearing year-long placement opportunity to develop your professional skills in applied settings. Past students have secured roles with organisations such as PwC, St Andrews Healthcare, Turning Point, HMPPS (Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service), Warwickshire County Council Educational Psychology Services, Leicestershire Life Links, and the NHS.
  • Graduate destinations: This course prepares graduates for roles in health, wellbeing, and organisational support. Alumni have secured roles with major employers including Capital One Bank, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, and the University of Warwick, in areas such as occupational therapy, HR, and risk operations.
  • Authentic facilities: Dedicated labs, research spaces, and the latest analysis software.
  • Research-informed teaching: Learn from researchers in Health Psychology, Cognition & Neuroscience, Psychology & Technology, and Self & Identity.
  • Global experience: Enrich your studies with Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Global, offering international opportunities like exploring mental health history in Paris or cross-cultural psychology in Kuala Lumpur. Or gain valuable life experience and the chance to travel, with an optional study year abroad. Psychology students have studied in universities across the world, including Germany, the USA, and Japan.

Scholarships

Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International student scholarships

Find out about available international scholarships or visit our fees and funding page for more information.

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What you will study

This course is block taught. Block teaching is taught in roughly 6-week sessions, allowing you to concentrate on one subject at a time, working closely with your lecturers and classmates before moving on to the next block.

Professional Skills for Psychologists

Build the key academic and professional foundations that will shape your degree. This module develops important skills such as searching for and evaluating evidence, referencing, essay writing and professional communication; all while exploring your own identity, values, and the career possibilities which Psychology offers. You will engage with core areas of Psychology, and key contemporary topics shaping the discipline today. In this module, you will build your confidence and a sense of belonging that will carry you through your degree.

Cognition, Brain, and Development: Research and Theory

You will explore the foundations of psychology across three core areas of Biological, Cognitive, and Developmental Psychology, and discover how the brain, the mind, and human development combine to shape behaviour throughout life. You will engage with key theories and research examining topics from neural communication and memory to attachment and lifespan development, all through a holistic and internationally informed perspective. Alongside this, you will build essential quantitative research skills from data collection to statistical analysis, equipping you with the practical foundation needed to think, question, and investigate like a psychologist.

Psychological and Social Theories of Health and Illness

This module introduces a range of psychological and sociological approaches, theories and concepts, which are relevant to understanding an individuals’ health and wellbeing. You will develop the skills needed to explain the impact of illness on the individual from psychological and sociological perspectives.

Individual Differences and Social Psychology: Theory and Research

Provides a concise overview of the core paradigms in psychology, namely social, personality and intelligence, and international perspectives, while embedding qualitative research methods.

Mind, Brain and Behaviour

This module explores how the brain gives rise to thought and behaviour, bringing together biological psychology, cognitive psychology, and quantitative research methods. You will examine key topics including brain function, attention, memory, language, learning, and reasoning, and develop an understanding of the methods psychologists use to investigate these processes. You will participate in hands-on learning with classic cognitive and psychophysiological experiments, using specialist software to collect behavioural data, and work with specialist equipment to acquire and analyse physiological data. You will experience classic applications of psychophysiology, including investigating the principles and validity of lie detection. You will also develop study design skills, working with complex datasets, and applying advanced statistical techniques. By engaging with the full research process, you will develop an integrated understanding of the links between mind, brain and behaviour, alongside essential research skills.

Psychology Across the Lifespan

Ever wondered how we become who we are, from conception to old age? This module delves into lifespan development, mapping out how humans grow, adapt, and change through every stage of life. You will explore the ways our social, cultural, and historical worlds shape us, our social relationships, mind and identity, and different developmental pathways. You will also develop important research skills getting hands on experience with qualitative analytic tools to uncover the deeper meaning behind lived human experiences.

Application of Psychological and Social Theories of Health and Illness

This module critically examines the way in which psychological factors contribute to health and illness. You will develop the skills needed to apply psychological concepts and theories within the field of health and health care to understand the occurrence, development and progression of illness.

Module choice

Choose one of the following:

  • Psychology and Mental Health - explores how we define, classify and explain psychological problems
  • Psychology of Social Problems – applies psychological theory and research to topics that cover current important debates and issues, directly informed by local, national and global priorities such as Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s commitment to decolonization and net zero, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Developmental Goals.
  • Clinical Psychology: Theory and Practice - Through this module you will gain an overview of clinical psychology practice in the UK, including professional practice, research methods and ethical issues, as well as how to become a clinical psychologist.
  • Clinical Psychology -Through this module you will gain an overview of clinical psychology practice in the UK, including professional practice, research methods and ethical issues, as well as how to become a clinical psychologist.

Personality and Social Psychology

From what shapes our personalities to why we conform, judge others, form relationships and behave differently in groups, this module explores the psychology behind our everyday social lives. You will discover how personality and social psychology can help us make sense of ourselves, other people, and the world around us.

As part of this course, you can apply for a supervised optional placement year in a wide range of industry settings, including clinical, educational, forensic, or occupational psychology contexts to gain hands-on experience. These placements offer excellent preparation for postgraduate training, graduate jobs, or professional registration. Roles have included honorary psychology assistant, recovery worker, educational psychology placement student, and mental health support intern, giving students real-world insight into psychological services across healthcare, education, and the justice system.

Our award-winning Careers Team can help you secure a placement through activities such as mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and you will be assigned a personal tutor to support you throughout your placement.

Our extensive range of final year options allow you to tailor your study to specific career pathways. The range of modules available are subject to change and are dependent on student numbers enrolled and could be withdrawn without prior notice due to limited numbers or staff availability.

Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology

In this module you will interactively explore contemporary debates about human nature and the historical background that has made these debatable issues fundamental to understanding what make us tick. You will join the debate on conceptual issues such as: What makes us happy? What are emotions? Does the unconscious mind make us do things? Can we truly be rational? What is reality, or do we live in the matrix?

Employability Skills and Psychology

You will undertake a period of work experience and consider how psychological theory can be applied in a work environment.

Module choice 1

Choose one of the following:

Counselling Psychology

This module introduces you to the theory and practice of counselling. You will learn about major theoretical approaches underpinning counselling practice, including psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive-behavioural perspectives, and consider how these inform practice. You will explore the nature of the counselling relationship, including the role of empathy and active listening, as well as key ethical issues. You will also be introduced to core counselling skills, with an opportunity to practise and reflect on their use.

Clinical Psychology

In this module, you will learn about clinical psychology practice in the UK, including how key theoretical perspectives and important factors can be used to understand how psychological problems develop and are maintained. You will evaluate the role of clinical psychology research in informing professional practice and develop an understanding of relevant ethical and professional issues.

Cognitive Neuropsychology

This module explores how brains change following head injury such as strokes or trauma and the impact on memory, perception, attention, speech and language. You will also examine developmental changes that produce neurodiversity.

Wellbeing and Positive Psychology

This module introduces you to key concepts of wellbeing and positive psychology - ultimately all about how to live your best life. You will study what wellbeing and positive psychology mean, their key concepts, how to measure and research them, and how to put them into practice. You will discover strategies from positive psychology to apply to your own life and discover how psychologists use them to better understand what makes life worth living.

Disability and Inclusivity in Society

Disability affects as estimated 25% of the population. This module explores some of the challenges those with disabilities face and how we can be more inclusive. This module combines theory and research with applied examples and the opportunity to learn about lived experiences of those with disabilities.

Psychology and Culture: Global Issues and International Perspectives

How does culture shape who we are, how we understand others, and the ways we experience an increasingly interconnected world? This module brings cultural and cross-cultural psychology to life through immersive learning and contemporary research, exploring topics including identity, multiculturalism, intercultural relations, trauma and resilience, mental health and sexuality. You will challenge assumptions about whether psychological knowledge is truly universal, explore how culture can be studied without bias, and develop the critical and culturally responsive thinking needed to apply psychology to complex real-world issues.

Module choice 2
  • Gender and Education
    Examines current debates concerning gender and education
  • Adult Learners and Lifelong Learning
    Explores the differences between adult education and adults in education, including Further and Higher Education and HE in Further Education

Psychology project

This module brings everything you’ve learnt together. You will design, implement, interpret, and report the findings of a research study that you devise with the support of a dedicated psychology staff supervisor. Bring your questions, skills, theories, and curiosity for human behaviour. We can't wait to see what you will do!

Disability and Inclusivity in Society

Disability affects as estimated 25% of the population. This module explores some of the challenges those with disabilities face and how we can be more inclusive. This module combines theory and research with applied examples and the opportunity to learn about lived experiences of those with disabilities.

Psychology & Culture: Global Issues & International Perspectives

How does culture shape who we are, how we understand others, and the ways we experience an increasingly interconnected world? This module brings cultural and cross-cultural psychology to life through immersive learning and contemporary research, exploring topics including identity, multiculturalism, intercultural relations, trauma and resilience, mental health and sexuality. You will challenge assumptions about whether psychological knowledge is truly universal, explore how culture can be studied without bias, and develop the critical and culturally responsive thinking needed to apply psychology to complex real-world issues.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Our inclusive block teaching approach makes learning accessible to all students, following Universal Design for Learning principles. This method incorporates a variety of teaching, learning, and assessment styles.

Teaching formats:

  • Lectures: Ranging from small groups (10-20 students) to larger ones (100-300 students), primarily presentation based.
  • Seminars and workshops: Interactive and practical exercises in small groups (10-20 students).
  • Tutorials: Offered one-to-one or in small groups.

Assessment methods:

  • Essays, written exams, multiple-choice exams, presentations, and critical reviews.
  • Portfolios, podcasts, blogs, and grant applications.
  • A dissertation of 6,000-8,000 words in your final year.

Contact hours:

Contact hours vary by year and chosen modules, typically ranging from 8-12 hours per week. For example, you might have:

  • Large group teaching: 3-5 hours of lectures.
  • Medium group teaching: 4-5 hours of practical classes, workshops, or seminars.
  • Personal tutorials/small group teaching: 1-2 hours per block.
  • Personal study: 20-25 hours per week including library research, group work, and writing assignments.
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Our facilities

The field of psychology thrives on innovative thinkers who can develop fresh ideas and approaches. Our modern labs and facilities provide you with the tools to experiment and test psychological theories, preparing you for real-world applications in areas like research, therapy, and mental health. Here, you’ll gain hands-on experience that mirrors what you’ll encounter in practice.

We have additionally invested in a cutting-edge food lab where innovative food and eating-based research is being conducted.

Psychology lab

Our psychology students have access to dedicated lab space in our Portland and Hawthorn buildings.

Psychology lab

Hawthorn Building

The Hawthorn Building is home to students and staff from Health and Life Sciences courses and disciplines.

Hawthorn Building

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Our expertise

Teaching across the programme is informed by the research interests and expertise of our staff group. Four key research clusters exist within the division: Health Psychology, Cognition and Neuroscience, Self and Identity, and Psychology and Technology. Staff members have diverse research interests including areas such as decision making, language, vision, eating behaviours, reproduction, identity processes, cybersecurity, and cybercrime.

For more information on our Health and Wellbeing in Society staff, see Health and Wellbeing in Society BSc (Hons).

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Dr Vicki Aldridge

Associate Professor in Psychology

Vicki has been the programme leader for undergraduate psychology courses since 2019. She is an active researcher within the Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Food Lab, with interests and expertise in eating behaviours and disorders across the lifespan. She also has a long history in teaching of quantitative research methods to diverse audiences from education, healthcare, and industry.

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Dr Olivier de Condappa

Senior Lecturer

Olivier is a psychologist and researcher with expertise in psychological science. With a strong academic background, he contributes to the field through teaching and research. His work and interests focus on various psychological themes, such as spatial cognition and learning, wayfinding, and navigation, making valuable contributions to both student learning and scholarly advancement.

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Dr Nabeelah Ahmed Omarjee

Lecturer

Nabeelah earned her PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ in 2021. Her research focuses on divided attention, memory, and the Attentional Boost Effect. She explores cross-modal interactions and ways to enhance attentional capacity. She also serves as the link tutor for Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s Malaysia campus (APU).

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Dr Josef Toon

Lecturer

Joe's research interests lie in cognitive and health psychology. His PhD explores semantic memory retrieval using behavioural methods like cursor-tracking and EEG. He also studies obesity interventions, focusing on health behaviours and psychosocial outcomes.

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Dr Jonathan Farnell

Senior Lecturer

Jonathan's research interests involve the psychology of computer games, human-computer interaction, quantitative methods, and health-related behaviour change. Currently, he serves as the Admissions Tutor for our undergraduate psychology programmes. Jonathan is also a co-lead for the department's new virtual reality and gaming laboratory.

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Dr Victoria Ruby-Granger

Senior Lecturer

Victoria is the Interim Lead of the Health Psychology and Psychological Wellbeing Research Cluster, with a research interest in mental health and hoarding behaviour. Her broader interests include OCD and the psychological benefits of martial arts, yoga, and fitness. Victoria is also an Associate Editor for the BPS Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin.

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Dr Angelina Wilson Fadiji

Senior Lecturer

Angelina’s research interests involve understanding the predictors of psychological well-being and positive mental health within the African context, particularly how young people in deprived areas thrive. She is also interested in developing a culturally relevant framework for well-being, with previous work on meaning in life, relational well-being, hope, and happiness.

Accreditations

This course confers eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society, provided the minimum standard of a second-class honours is achieved. This is your first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist.

In addition to meeting BPS requirements, this accreditation gives your qualification an important hallmark of quality, industry-wide recognition, boosts your career prospects, and ensures you’re starting your journey toward chartered status with a degree that employers and professional bodies trust.

BPS logo

BPS accredited

The field of psychology thrives on innovative thinkers who can develop fresh ideas and approaches. Our modern labs and facilities provide you with the tools to experiment and test psychological theories, preparing you for real-world applications in areas like research, therapy, and mental health. Here, you’ll gain hands-on experience that mirrors what you’ll encounter in practice.

We have additionally invested in a cutting-edge food lab where innovative food and eating-based research is being conducted.

What makes us special

Æß²ÊÖ±²¥-global

Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Global

Through Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips, volunteering, and international exchanges.

Students on this course have undertaken Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Global trips to destinations such as Malaysia, where they explored cultural influences on psychology and wellbeing, and Paris, where they examined the history of mental health and neuropsychology. Students have also travelled to New York to consider inequality and segregation in the city, and to Berlin to support and assist refugees.

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Block learning

With block teaching, you’ll learn in a focused format, where you study one subject at a time instead of several at once. As a result, you will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, have a more simplified timetable, and have a better study-life balance. That means more time to engage with your Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ community and other rewarding aspects of university life.

Where we could take you

Students discussing placements

Placements

As part of this course, you will have the opportunity to complete a self-sourced work experience placement, which helps you apply your knowledge of academic theory and professional skills to practical applications. Students are encouraged to source opportunities in line with their own career ambitions from different schemes and providers both inside and outside of the university.

Our Careers Team can help you secure a placement through activities such as mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and you will be assigned a personal tutor to support you throughout your placement.

Students at the Careers Hub

Graduate careers

Graduates from this course have gone on to work in a variety of roles across a range of well-respected industries including police services, teaching, social work, human resources, healthcare, research, and advertising.

Recent graduates have gone on to work at:

  • Capital One Bank as Front Line Risk Operation Senior Coordinators
  • Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust as Occupational Therapy Assistants
  • University of Warwick as HR Administrators

Other roles include learning support in educational settings such as Willow Dene School.

Psychology graduate Shanley Lewis is now working as an assistant psychologist for the NHS, after she was inspired to pursue a career helping others when her dad suffered a stroke.

"Studying at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ was exceptional,” she explained. “It was challenging and I learned a lot about myself and had to develop skills such as time management, which still helps me today."

Many of our graduates progress into further postgraduate study, including courses such as Health Psychology MSc and Mental Health and Well-being MSc.

Take your next steps

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Open Days - Book your place

We’d love to welcome you to one of our university Open Days where you can see for yourself what we have to offer.

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Find out about Leicester

We’re a campus-based university situated in the city centre, with the hub of activity in Leicester right on your doorstep - we’re one of the few universities in the UK where you’re getting the best of both worlds.

How to apply

Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Psychology with Health and Wellbeing in Society BSc (Hons)
Programme code:
C8B9

UCAS applications

  1. Register on UCAS Hub (create an account)
  2. Fill in your UCAS application form:
  3. Personal details (name, contact, residency)
    • More about you (any mental health conditions or long-term illnesses, parenting responsibilities, whether you’ve served in the armed forces)
    • Education history (qualifications taken or pending)
    • Employment history (if applicable)
    • Course choice
  4. Write your personal statement (why you want to study the course, skills, achievements, future goals)
  5. Get your reference (usually from a teacher/tutor/employer)
  6. Pay the UCAS fee (single choice or multiple choices)
  7. Submit the UCAS application before the deadline.
Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Psychology with Health and Wellbeing in Society BSc (Hons)
Programme code:
C8B9

Apply directly as an international student

Find out more and apply
  1. Visit Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s international section and select the course you wish to apply for as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
  2. Prepare your documents - gather the essentials:
    • Academic transcripts and certificates
    • Personal statement
    • English language proficiency evidence (e.g., IELTS)
    • Portfolio (if required by the course)
    • Copy of your passport
  3. Complete the application - submit via the Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Online Portal
  4. Submit the application and supporting documents - you can still receive a conditional offer even if some documents will follow later
  5. Application review and offer - Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s Admissions team will assess your application and issue:
    • A conditional offer (pending remaining docs, test results, etc.)
    • Or an unconditional offer, if all requirements are fulfilled

Key facts

Course title

Psychology with Health and Wellbeing in Society

Award

BSc (Hons)

UCAS code

C8B9

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Start date

September

Duration

Three years full-time; four years with a placement

Fees

2027/28 UK tuition fees:
£10,050

2027/28 international tuition:
£17,600

Fees in subsequent years may rise. See the undergraduate tuition fees page for details

Additional costs

Entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

112

A Level:

BBC

BTEC Extended Diploma:

DMM

Contextual Offer:

Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ operates a generous contextual offer for students from underrepresented backgrounds in Higher Education.

This is a minimum of one to two grade reduction from our typical offer and full details including eligibility criteria can be found at dmu.ac.uk/contextual

T Levels:

Merit

Access to HE:

Pass with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit

International Baccalaureate (IB):

26

GCSEs:

5 x GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English and Maths

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 overall is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Additional costs

The core textbooks for all modules are available in the Kimberlin Library, and journal articles in your reading lists are also mostly available electronically from your myÆß²ÊÖ±²¥ login.

Some students like to purchase their own text books or print course documents and we suggest allowing approximately £200 per year for this.

All students are required to pay for their DBS check if required for your programme or placement.

In addition students will be required to pay for their travel costs to placements or project locations.

All students are provided the opportunity to participate in Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Global trips. These trips are subsidised by the University, and the cost and subsidy varies by location.

Learn more about fees and funding information.