Psychology (with a professional placement year) BSc (Hons)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Sussex

Program Overview

Psychology with a Professional Placement Year BSc (Hons) at the University of Sussex combines academic study of human behaviour with a full year of real-world work experience. It is a strong choice if you want to develop solid psychology knowledge while also gaining practical industry experience before graduating, helping you build confidence and employability.

Curriculum structure:

Year 1
In your first year, you develop a strong foundation in psychology and how it is studied scientifically. You cover core modules such as Psychology as a Science, Individuals and Groups, and Cognition in Clinical Contexts, alongside Psychobiology and Psychology of Childhood. You also build essential research skills through Analysing Data, helping you understand how psychological evidence is gathered and interpreted.

Year 2
The second year deepens your understanding of human behaviour and research methods. You study Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Social Psychology, along with Brain and Behaviour, Discovering Statistics, and Quantitative and Qualitative Methods. This year focuses on strengthening your analytical ability and applying psychological theory to real-world contexts.

Placement Year
In your third year, you take a full-year professional placement in a relevant organisation. This gives you valuable experience applying psychology in practice while developing workplace skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. It also helps you gain insight into sectors such as healthcare, business, research, or public services.

Year 4
In your final year, you return to university for advanced study and independent research. You complete a Research Dissertation and choose optional modules in areas such as forensic, clinical, health, or cognitive psychology, allowing you to shape your degree around your interests and career goals.

Focus areas (in a string):
Cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, brain and behaviour, research methods, statistics, applied psychology, workplace experience, behavioural science

Learning outcomes (in a string):
Understand psychological theories of behaviour, apply scientific research methods, analyse psychological data, develop professional workplace skills, conduct independent research, evaluate evidence critically, communicate findings effectively, link academic knowledge with real-world experience

Professional alignment (accreditation):
The degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society, supporting eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership and progression into professional psychology training routes.

Reputation (employability rankings):
Psychology at Sussex is highly ranked in the UK, known for strong teaching quality, research excellence, and excellent graduate employability, supported by its integrated placement year.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At the University of Sussex, Psychology with a Professional Placement Year is designed to help you build real, practical experience alongside academic learning. You won’t just study psychological theories—you’ll learn how to apply them through research projects, data analysis, and lab-based teaching. A key strength of the course is the full-year professional placement, where you step into a real workplace and apply psychology in a professional setting, gaining experience that strengthens both your confidence and employability. This is supported by research-active teaching staff and specialist facilities that help you understand how psychology works in real-life contexts.

This practical learning is supported through facilities, tools, and applied opportunities such as:

Child development research suite used for observing behaviour and developmental psychology studies
Human psychophysiology laboratory for studying attention, emotion, and biological responses
Training in research methods, statistics, and data analysis used in psychological research and applied work
Full-year professional placement in organisations such as the NHS, CAMHS, and the Office for National Statistics
Careers support for placement applications, CV writing, and interview preparation
Research-led teaching from academics working in cognitive, clinical, social, and applied psychology
Group projects and collaborative research tasks across psychology modules
Access to University of Sussex Library with specialist psychology journals, databases, and research resources
Opportunities to engage with real psychological research and apply findings to case-based learning
Optional study abroad opportunities to gain international academic and cultural experience.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of Psychology with a Professional Placement Year at the University of Sussex are well prepared for careers where understanding human behaviour, data, and decision-making is important. With both academic training and a full year of real workplace experience, you build a strong profile for roles in healthcare, research, business, and public services. Typical career paths include psychology assistant, research assistant, mental health support worker, data analyst, and roles in social care or organisational support. The placement year often gives students a clear career direction and can lead directly into employment after graduation.

The university also supports your transition into work through structured employability services and industry connections:

Dedicated Careers and Entrepreneurship support including Career Lab programmes, employer networking events, internships, and employability workshops
One-to-one careers guidance for CV development, interview preparation, and long-term career planning tailored to psychology pathways
Placement support team that helps students secure and prepare for professional work experience during their degree
Strong links with organisations such as the NHS, CAMHS, Office for National Statistics, and other public and research bodies
Around 86% of Sussex students complete work experience by the time they graduate, strengthening employability
Graduates progress into organisations such as the NHS, Metropolitan Police, Barnardo’s, Samaritans, National Autistic Society, and other public and third-sector employers
The placement year provides real workplace experience that often leads to graduate employment opportunities
Development of key transferable skills including research, data analysis, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this degree, students can continue into postgraduate study in areas such as Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Neuroscience, Mental Health, or Social Research. It also provides a pathway into professional psychology training routes such as clinical, counselling, educational, or occupational psychology, as well as research-focused master’s degrees and PhD programmes.