BA (Hons) Education with Psychology and Counselling Bachelor's degree at Sheffield Hallam University
BA (Hons) Education with Psychology and Counselling at SHU. You'll explore psychological theory and its applications across educational and counselling contexts, developing knowledge of how people learn, develop and seek support.
About this course
<p> Take a critical approach to the study of education, psychology and counselling with a particular focus on social justice in educational contexts. </p> From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Education with Psychology and Counselling is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at SHU, based in City Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Counselling, psychotherapy and occupational therapy graduates from this provider, 87% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 50% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £28,500. (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)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 55; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 87% (2021-23; 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.
Year 1 4 modules
- Educational ContextsCompulsory40 credits
Module details
This module explores the range of learning and language theories that can explain development and learning throughout the lifespan. Sociology of education offers the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of wider social, historical and cultural factors. As this is a work experience module, you will learn about professional behaviours and values that ensure inclusive practice in educational contexts.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
- Introduction To CounsellingCompulsory20 credits
Module details
The module introduces students to the discipline of counselling and different theoretical approaches. This module will also introduce counselling skills and working in triads which will be covered further in the Level 5 Counselling Skills for Professional Practice module.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
- Introduction To PsychologyCompulsory40 credits
Module details
This module will provide students with an understanding of key psychological theories and different areas of psychology such as developmental psychology and social psychology. The learning on this module is vital for understanding behaviour in your future placement setting.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
- Learning To LearnCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module will explore key learning theories and philosophies which have had an impact on the development of educational policy and practice. It will enable students to understand the significance of learning theories and philosophies to different teaching approaches and classroom practices and to reflect on their own and others' learning experiences.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
Year 2 7 modules
- Counselling Skills For Professional PracticeCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module builds on the Level 4 Introduction to Counselling module. This Level 5 module aims to introduce you to the skills required for counselling roles. You will work in triads, in the role of counsellor, client and observer, to practice counselling skills and reflect on this process.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
- Educational PsychologyCompulsory40 credits
Module details
The module will consider how psychology informs educational theory and practice. The module will focus on four themes: Philosophical issues in Educational Psychology, Subject matter in Educational Psychology, Practices using in Educational Psychology, Issues of Difference and Diversity.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
- AutismElective20 credits
Module details
The aims of this module are to reflect on how children's behaviour is conceptualised, experienced and responded to as 'challenging' in relation to autism and to consider the role of communication skills within this process. This module offers the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of autism and approaches and strategies which can support practice.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
- Childhood And PlayElective20 credits
Module details
This module will explore the theoretical concepts of childhood and play and the rights of the child/youth in relation to this. You will explore national and international policy and perspectives on childhood and play and learn how these impact on practice.
Assessment: Practical (100%)
- Forest SchoolsElective20 credits
Module details
This module focuses on a critical analysis of national and international approaches to outdoor learning and sustainability though an experiential approach, within the context of childhood and adult education. It offers the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills to prepare you for working with children and adults in alternative environments.
Assessment: Practical (100%)
- School And The CurriculumElective20 credits
Module details
To explore the current issues and debates active within education. To help students to consider their attributes as potential future practitioners. In this module a critical appreciation of theory and practice used when planning and developing a creative and engaging curriculum will be considered.
Assessment: Practical (100%)
- Study Abroad - Sheffield Institute Of EducationElective60 credits
Module details
This module is for undergraduate students to study abroad in their second year, Semester 2 (only for courses that offer this option). With this module, you can spend a semester at one of the University's approved partner institutions worldwide – from Europe to the Americas, Asia Australia or Canada.
Assessment: Coursework (100%)
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 takes a critical approach to education, psychology and counselling, with particular focus on social justice in educational contexts. You'll usually begin with foundational psychology, introduction to the field's core areas, research methods and statistics, and biological psychology. In year two, you'll progress to cognitive psychology, social and developmental psychology, and advanced research design. Year three typically offers specialist options such as clinical psychology, forensic psychology, neuroscience, child development and health psychology, alongside individual differences and psychopathology. You'll complete an empirical dissertation, a supervised research project where you collect, analyse and write up your own study.
Who it's for
This course suits those interested in understanding psychological principles within educational and counselling settings. You'll need strong foundational knowledge: most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent, with a typical UCAS tariff of 80–95 points. The course is taught in English on Sheffield Hallam's City Campus. If you're considering psychology as a career path but want grounding in education and counselling practice, this combination offers practical breadth alongside theoretical depth.
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 earnings data shows starting salaries (at 15 months) ranging from £22,250 to £28,000; after five years, this rises to £22,950–£32,400. These figures reflect the broader labour market for psychology graduates rather than university-specific outcomes. Your career path may lead into educational psychology, counselling services, research, or related fields requiring psychological expertise.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is delivered at Sheffield Hallam University, a university founded in 1992, based at its City Campus. The course runs for 3 years full-time, taught in English. Degrees are nationally recognised as products of a UK degree-awarding body. The university holds a Gold award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework 2023. The course is eligible for BPS accreditation.
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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
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 | 92% |
| an Access course | 6% |
| another higher-education qualification | 2% |
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. 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 SHU →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 | £28,500 | £27,000 – £28,500 | 55 |
| 3 years after | £25,000 | £19,000 – £28,500 | 135 |
| 5 years after | £29,000 | £22,500 – £32,000 | 120 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 55; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
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: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 55; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. 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.
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 ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Teaching and Childcare Associate ProfessionalsSOC 2020 323 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £20,261
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: 125; response rate: 50%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) Education with Psychology and Counselling worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) Education with Psychology and Counselling 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 3 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 23.7. 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 £9,790/yr over 3 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 £9,790/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
87% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £28,500. 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 7.8 out of 10: NSS 65.7% · in work or study 87% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Sheffield Hallam 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 City Campus
3,427 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 SHU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,000 / 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 SHU’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 SHU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at SHU
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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