BA (Hons) Psychology And Counselling With Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at Lincoln Bishop University
BA (Hons) Psychology And Counselling With Foundation Year at LBU. The foundation year supports students who may not have the typical entry qualifications, preparing you for the main honours programme.
About this course
BA (Hons) Psychology And Counselling With Foundation Year is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at LBU. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Psychology (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 40% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (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.
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)
Stronger evidence Published sample: 8,050. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (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.
Foundation Year 7 modules
- Academic SkillsCore
Module details
Gain theoretical understanding and practical application of core academic skills. Understanding of academic integrity and key skills for effective academic practice. Development of academic and information literacies, ability to locate, evaluate, and reference academic sources. Guidance on academic writing conventions, critical reading strategies, reflective practice, and effective communication skills.
- Introduction to Higher EducationCore
Module details
Identify and develop personal tools for effective learning as a student in Higher Education. Explore nature and purpose of Higher Education, independent and autonomous learning. Reflect on own skills as a learner and establish goals for self-development. Development of functional, organisational, and practical skills including time management, personal organisation, professional etiquette, and digital skills.
- Critical Thinking and EngagementCore
Module details
Define critical thinking and engagement and apply these in construction of academic discussion. Develop critical thinking practices and research, construct, and defend academic arguments. Practice critical engagement with academic sources and develop skills of summary and synthesis. Apply critical thinking and engagement skills to an area of inquiry in chosen subject area.
- Working with EvidenceCore
Module details
Explore nature and use of documentary and evidence-based sources within academic practice. Investigate variety of evidentiary sources such as documentary sources, case studies, archival material, and policy. Learn to analyse and evaluate sources critically and consider them within broader context of academic research. Explore use of documentary and evidence-based research across disciplines.
- Introduction to DataCore
Module details
Explore nature and use of data within academic practices. Investigate variety of data sources and types, including qualitative and quantitative. Learn to interpret, analyse, and represent data in a meaningful way. Learn about different methods of data collection and the use of data across disciplines.
- Big Thinkers and IdeasCore
Module details
Explore key ideas, theories, and philosophies that underpin range of academic disciplines. Learn how these ideas developed and influenced thinking and evaluate their importance within context of academic discipline. Explore how ideas have evolved over time and their influence on academic practice and broader contexts. Develop and apply skills of critical analysis.
- Community and Social PurposeCore
Module details
Explore role and impact of academic practices within context of local communities. Explore social purposes of education, specifically Higher Education, and how academic research intersects with community and social practices. Explore how different academic disciplines can provide insight and enable interventions into local communities. Develop and apply skills of critical analysis.
1 5 modules
- Researching Psychology ICore
Module details
Introduce core areas and methods integral to discipline and study of psychology. Provide historical and contextual backdrop to psychology as scientific discipline with focus on research methodologies. Explore aspects of research design, underpinnings of statistical theory, core statistical techniques such as t-tests and correlation. Analyse data using statistical software. Introduction to qualitative research methods, range of applied qualitative methods in psychology, core philosophical underpi
- Introduction to Psychology across the LifespanCore
Module details
Provide understanding of developmental psychology across lifespan, exploring physical development, cognitive development, social and emotional development throughout childhood and into maturity. Gain deeper understanding of theories, themes and concepts in developmental psychology. Learn about current issues and methods involved in lifespan research, empirical studies addressing developmental research questions, and contemporary and cross-cultural developments.
- Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology (CHiP)Core
Module details
Immerse in origins of psychology, early understandings of psychology (Plato; Aristotle), development and establishment of Psychology as discipline in its own right. Introduction to history of science and Scientific Revolution, developments in metaphysics and epistemology in The Enlightenment, emergence and shaping of psychology as experimental science. Understand debates within psychology concerning its standing as science. Historicisation of psychology to evaluate perceptions of Psychology. Exp
- Introduction to Counselling: History, Ethics and PeopleCore
Module details
Explore main exponents in shaping world of counselling today against backdrop of their historical contexts. Introduce theoretical origins and core concepts of three main approaches used in contemporary counselling: psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural and humanistic approaches. Consider issues pertaining to equality, power-structures and ethics in light of socio-political history of field.
- Introduction to Core Counselling SkillsCore
Module details
Learn and practice core counselling skills as key aspect of professional development. Counselling involves the use of skills with clients in the context of the therapeutic relation.
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 degree integrates psychology with counselling practice from the outset. You'll typically begin with the field's core foundations, introduction to psychology, research methods and statistics, and biological psychology, before moving to cognitive, social and developmental topics in year two. As you progress, you'll usually specialise in areas such as clinical psychology, forensic psychology, health psychology, child development and neuroscience, whilst advancing your statistical and qualitative research skills. A key feature is the emphasis on counselling alongside psychological theory, preparing you for practice-based work. In your final year, you'll undertake an empirical dissertation, your own supervised research project, and engage with individual differences and psychopathology. The foundation year provides preparation if your prior qualifications need strengthening.
Who it's for
This course suits students interested in understanding human behaviour, mental health and psychological practice. The foundation year is particularly valuable if you're returning to study or don't hold A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Most accepted students over recent years held A-levels or equivalent, with the most common UCAS tariff band among entrants being less than 48 points. You'll develop knowledge applicable to clinical settings, research, counselling and organisational contexts.
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 pursuing further study. National Graduate Outcomes data shows starting salaries (15 months post-graduation) typically range from £22,250 to £28,000, rising to £22,950–£32,400 after five years. These figures reflect the broader psychology graduate market rather than guarantees specific to this institution.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied full-time at Lincoln Bishop University, a public university founded in 1862 and located in Lincoln. The course runs for 4 years and is taught in English. It is a recognised UK degree-awarding body with degrees that are nationally recognised, and has received a Silver rating for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. The degree is eligible for BPS accreditation, supporting progression to professional practice in psychology and counselling.
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 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| Other | 10% |
| a previous degree | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
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.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code BC9F). 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 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. 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.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at LBU →For students who normally live in England
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.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
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 | £25,000 | £22,000 – £28,000 | 8050 |
| 5 years after | £22,000 | £18,500 – £26,500 | 15 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 8,050. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 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
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.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 8,050. Cohort 2021-22. 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.
Compared with 758 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 20% of published destinations
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Caring personal servicesSOC 2020 613 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,668
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Customer service occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
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: 50; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) Psychology And Counselling With Foundation Year worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) Psychology And Counselling With Foundation Year earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 4 years of wages given up while studying. The model remains below break even after 30 years. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £5,760/yr over 4 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Psychology graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How 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 & AssociatesIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £5,760/year for this course. 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
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.9 out of 10: NSS 72.3% · in work or study 85% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Lincoln Bishop University
Psychology across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Lincoln Bishop University
1,277 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
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 LBU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by LBU; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 LBU’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 LBU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at LBU
Psychology at other universities
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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