Psychology BSc

The Psychology BSc at UCL is a three‑year, British Psychological Society (BPS)‑accredited degree that teaches you to explore human behaviour through rigorous scientific methods, from basic cognitive processes to the mechanisms behind mental health. It suits curious, research‑minded students who want to apply psychology in real‑world contexts—whether influencing behaviour, supporting wellbeing, engaging in neuroscience or preparing for postgraduate study.

Curriculum structure

First Year
In your first year you’ll dive into foundational courses like Introduction to Psychological Experiments, Introduction to Statistical Methods in Psychology, and Concepts and Methods in Psychology alongside modules such as Memory and Decision, Social Psychology, and The Psychology of Individual Differences. You’ll begin writing lab reports early, learn R programming for data analysis, and even take one elective module from elsewhere at UCL to broaden your perspectives.

Second Year
Year two builds on this scientific foundation with advanced courses like Research and Quantitative Methods in Psychology, Design and Analysis of Psychological Experiments, and Brain and Behaviour. You also study Health and Clinical Psychology, Perception, Attention and Action, Cognition and Language, and Developmental Psychology. You’ll hone your quantitative and experimental skills and begin shaping your ideas about potential research or career paths.

Final Year
In your third year you undertake a major Research Project under the supervision of faculty members, applying everything you’ve learned to an original empirical study. Alongside the project, you choose from a wide selection of optional modules—such as Behaviour Change, Cognitive Neuroscience, Organisational Psychology, Human‑Computer Interaction, Applied Decision Making, and more—letting you tailor your studies to your academic and career interests.

Focus areas
Behavioural science, cognitive and social psychology, developmental and health psychology, experimental methods and data analysis, neuroscience, decision‑making, and individual differences.

Learning outcomes
You’ll gain scientific research and statistical analysis skills (including R programming), experimental design competence, evidence‑based critical thinking, and the ability to apply psychological theory to real‑world challenges in mental health, education, business, and policy.

Professional alignment (accreditation)
This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), making graduates eligible to become Associate Members and pursue chartered psychologist pathways in areas like clinical, educational, health, or occupational psychology.

Reputation (employability rankings)
UCL’s Division of Psychology and Language Sciences is among the UK's largest and most research‑intensive. In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, more than 90% of research was rated world‑leading or internationally excellent. UCL is consistently ranked in the global top 5 for Psychology in QS rankings. Within 15 months of graduation, around 80% of graduates are working or in further study, with most securing highly skilled roles in business, research, IT, finance, education, and health sectors.