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Birkbeck, University of London · Undergraduate
BA (Hons) Psychological Studies (BA): 4-year, part-time Bachelor's degree at Birkbeck, University of London
BA (Hons) Psychological Studies (BA): 4-year, part-time at BUL. Studying part-time over four years allows you to balance academic work with other commitments whilst building a rounded understanding of child psychology, from cognitive development to educational practice.
BA (Hons)
Award
–
Years
Part-time
Study mode
80%
in work/study (15m)
About this course
This BA Psychological Studies (Child Development and Education) gives you significant skills and understanding in how psychological theory and research can support children more effectively. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Psychological Studies (BA): 4-year, part-time is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at BUL, based in Birkbeck College. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Psychology (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 70% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £35,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Psychology, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
8.4
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Excellent88
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent80
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Excellent85
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 8 modules
- Psychology Study SkillsCompulsory
- Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations of PsychologyCompulsory
- Understanding Developmental PsychologyCompulsory
- Understanding Individual DifferencesCompulsory
- Understanding NeuroscienceCompulsory
- Understanding Research Methods for PsychologyCompulsory
- Diversity and CommunicationOptional
- Research Methods in PracticeOptional
Year 2 10 modules
- Developmental PsychologyCompulsory
- Individual DifferencesCompulsory
- Social Perspectives on DevelopmentCompulsory
- Understanding Applied Cognitive PsychologyCompulsory
- Understanding Applied Social PsychologyCompulsory
- CognitionOptional
- NeuroscienceOptional
- Perception and AttentionOptional
- Quantitative Research MethodsOptional
- Your Career DevelopmentOptional
Year 3 10 modules
- Psychological and Developmental Issues in Childhood and AdolescenceCompulsory
- Psychology for Personal and Professional DevelopmentCompulsory
- Micro-placementOptional
- Social PsychologyOptional
- Qualitative Research MethodsOptional
- Attachment Theory: Introduction and CritiqueOptional
- Careers and Counselling at WorkOptional
- Family StudiesOptional
- Health PsychologyOptional
- NeurodiversityOptional
Year 4 4 modules
- Psychology for EducationCore
- Theoretical DissertationCompulsory
- Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentOptional
- Clinical and Counselling PsychologyOptional
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course equips you with skills and understanding in how psychological theory and research can support children more effectively. You'll usually begin with foundations across cognitive, social and biological psychology, alongside research methods and statistics, the core of BPS-accredited training. In your second year, you'll progress through cognitive, social and developmental psychology, building advanced research skills. From year three onwards, a course like this normally moves towards specialist options such as clinical psychology, forensic psychology, child development, health psychology and neuroscience, alongside individual differences and psychopathology. You'll culminate in an empirical dissertation, your own supervised study, from design through data collection and analysis.
Who it's for
You're suited to this course if you're drawn to understanding how children develop and learn, and keen to see psychology applied in real settings. You'll work well here if you can balance independent study with engagement over four years, part-time study demands discipline, but gives you space to apply what you're learning to practice. Most entrants arrive with A-levels or equivalent. You'll benefit from curiosity about psychological research, an interest in education or child welfare, and the ability to work through complex ideas methodically.
Careers & job market
Across psychology courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 45% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Graduate earnings across the field sit at £22,250–£28,000 starting out, rising to £22,950–£32,400 after five years, based on national Graduate Outcomes data. Career paths range from educational psychology and clinical work to research, occupational roles, and child protection, your choice of specialisations will shape your direction.
University & format
This BA (Hons) in Psychological Studies is delivered part-time over 4 years at Birkbeck, University of London, a public university founded in 1823 and based at Birkbeck College. Teaching is in English. Birkbeck is a recognised UK degree-awarding body; your degree is nationally recognised. The course carries Bronze for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
2027 entry deadlineApply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
Open daysBook open days
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
2026 entryLive availability check
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent65% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check BUL's official course page for the current offer.
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 65% |
| a previous degree | 10% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Offer-based entry
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
Apply byApply directly to the providerfor this course
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask BUL whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£13,875 / yr
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at BUL →For students who normally live in England
illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
Check providertuition used per year, no published course home fee, total not estimated
total borrowing, course length not published
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Funding matched to this course
All BUL funding →Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check
Careers & earnings
What Psychology graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £35,000 | £27,000 – £49,500 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £25,000 | £16,500 – £39,000 | 45 |
| 5 years after | £26,500 | £13,000 – £38,500 | 45 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
80%
in work or further study 15 months on
70%
in highly skilled work or study
85%
continue past their first year
90%
find their work meaningful
65%
say work fits their future plans
- 1Assistant / Graduate roleAssistant psychologist or research · 0–2 yrs
- 2Trainee / PractitionerDoctoral training or applied role · 2–6 yrs
- 3Qualified PsychologistChartered / HCPC-registered · 6–10 yrs
- 4Senior / ConsultantLeading services or research · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Psychology nationally
Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£35,000
£22,250 – £28,000After 3 years LEO
£25,000
£19,125 – £27,000After 5 years LEO
£26,500
£22,950 – £32,400national rangethis course’s medianaxis £18,000 – £36,500
National figures for Psychology graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
80 of 100
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
65% working5% working and studying5% in further study70% in highly skilled work or study
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Psychology courses at the same study level.
This course £26,500Peer median £26,500Middle 50% £25,000–£30,500
41st percentile
Compared with 758 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Abertay UniversityBSc (Hons) Psychology with Development and Education£26,500Abertay UniversityBSc (Hons) Psychology with Forensic and Investigative Psychology£26,500Abertay UniversityBSc (Hons) Psychology with Forensic Scene Investigation£26,500Bangor UniversityBA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and Psychology£26,500
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Caring personal servicesSOC 2020 613 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,668
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Therapy professionalsSOC 2020 222 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £37,338
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 35; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Psychology graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Psychology courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes45%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuationHow AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Survey scoring and data cleaning
- Literature-search summaries
- Routine report scaffolding
- Standard statistical runs
More human than ever
- Clinical judgement and formulation
- Empathy and the therapeutic relationship
- Designing and interpreting studies
- Ethics with vulnerable people
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Psychology graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- The NHS
- Schools
- Research & consultancies
- Charities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Psychology graduates.
Psychology GraduateAcademicsPsychology Graduate: ABA Support for AutismAxcis Education RecruitmentPsychology Graduate for SEND school LincolnAspire PeoplePsychology GraduateTradewind RecruitmentPsychology Graduate TA – Special Needs School ExperienceStepintoteachingPsychology Expert Witness Lead: QA & TrainingSomek & AssociatesLive from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
💷
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
📈
Where graduates go
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £35,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
⭐
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.4 out of 10: NSS 87.6% · in work or study 80% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Birkbeck College
All students7,720
International12%
Aged 25+66.6%
Psychology across the UK
Students138,290
Aged 25+37.3%
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Birkbeck College - Bloomsbury Campus
14,111 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Theft From The Person 3001Other Theft 2876Violent Crime 1994Anti Social Behaviour 1989Shoplifting 1625
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Psychology right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to BUL from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £13,875 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check BUL’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with BUL and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at BUL
Psychology at other universities
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
Set by BUL. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For Psychology (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 70% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £35,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
What will it cost me?
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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