About the Courses

Course Details

Psychology is a core component of psychotherapy and counselling, and the University of Bolton offers one of the oldest and most established psychology courses in the UK. Taught at our town-centre campus in Greater Manchester, our BSc (Hons) Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling with foundation year degree gives you the chance to learn about the interaction between these disciplines, appreciate the diversity of perspectives involved, and understand their therapeutic use.

The foundation year is the first year of this degree, offering an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of psychology, social sciences and research methods alongside study skills development. It's designed to prepare you for undergraduate study.

At the degree level, our friendly and experienced team will guide you as you develop knowledge of the theories, methods and debates central to the three core elements. We'll support you as you explore psychology, gain specific counselling skills, and consider broader social issues that impact the roles of psychotherapist and counsellor, such as assumptions, stereotyping, diversity and prejudice. We'll also focus on developing your knowledge and skills in using psychological research methods and your appreciation of the ethical issues involved.

Interpersonal and transferable skills are vital, so we'll challenge you to develop sought-after communication, problem-solving, numerical, analytical, self-management, and IT skills. Overall, our dedicated team will focus on helping you gain the skills employers value and a detailed understanding of psychology, counselling and psychotherapy.

Highlights

• Our Psychology courses are ranked top 10 in the UK and first in Greater Manchester for student satisfaction for the fourth year running, according to the Complete University Guide 2022.
• This course is one of only a few Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling degrees in the country accredited by the British Psychological Society. Accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), this degree is the first step toward becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
• Integrated into this degree are opportunities for you to gain accredited qualifications in counselling skills. Through successfully completing this degree, you'll also achieve the Level 2 and Level 3 Certificates in Counselling Skills conferred by ABC Awards.
• We emphasise interpersonal, transferable and employability skills as well as academic success. After graduation, you may have the opportunity to progress onto a professional qualification in applied psychology, such as our MSc in Counselling and Positive Psychology.
• We focus strongly on employability skills and the practical application of your studies as well as academic success. Workshops will involve analysing life events and role-playing scenarios using case study material. You can also benefit from final year applied sessions in counselling skills.
• Throughout your degree, you'll also have support from your personal tutor, part of our team of helpful and approachable psychology staff who possess a diverse range of research interests.
• We've invested in creating a learning environment that offers innovative methods of teaching and assessment using top-class facilities, such as our observation laboratory with video cameras, microphones and video editing equipment.