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Psychological Studies with Counselling

BA (Hons)

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
October 2026
Study route:

  • Three years full-time, on campus


    UCAS code: C804

  • Four years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Key information for 2027-28

Start date:
October 2027
Study route:

  • Three years full-time, on campus


    UCAS code: C804

  • Four years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Course Overview

Our new BA Psychological Studies with Counselling is ideal if you are interested in exploring psychology and counselling from both an academic and applied perspective. It will equip you with a comprehensive view of mental functioning, integrating key theories and practices from both disciplines to prepare you for a career related to psychology and counselling.

  • Why choose this course?
    • In psychology, you will be taught by research-active academics who bring their cutting-edge expertise into the classroom. In counselling, you will be taught by qualified and practising counsellors and psychotherapists who bring their extensive clinical experience to bear in their teaching.
    • This course can open the door to many opportunities for you beyond the traditional pathways where an understanding of human behaviour is key, such as career paths in human resources, marketing, social services, education, user experience and health care.
    • You will develop essential critical-thinking and analytical skills and emotional intelligence that will prepare you well for leadership and management positions across various settings.

  • What will I learn?

    On this course you will gain a strong foundation in psychology as we cover topics such as learning, memory, decision-making, human interaction, and the relationship between the brain and behaviour. Specialist counselling modules will first introduce you to core counselling approaches and then you will explore psychodynamic theory and counselling practice. You will also develop your active listening and other relevant counselling skills.

    Following your interests or career aspirations, you can then tailor this degree choosing from a wide range of options, including specialist modules on developmental psychology, individual differences, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, social psychology as well as a wide range of applied psychology modules.

  • How will I learn?

    You can study this course either full- or part-time. Classes take place in the evening with some modules offering daytime classes too. You will also need to attend occasional classes on Saturdays in your first year.

    You will be taught via a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops where you will engage actively in discussions and presentations, group and project work.

    In your final year you will follow your interests further in developing an independent theoretical dissertation on a counselling-related topic working closely with one of our academics.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: Three evenings a week, plus occasional Saturday classes, October to July.

    Part-time: Two evenings a week, plus occasional Saturday classes, October to July.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More Highlights

  • Birkbeck has been teaching counselling and psychotherapy programmes successfully for over 50 years.
  • You will study in our School of Psychological Sciences, a world-leading centre of research excellence, and in the Birkbeck Centre for Counselling, which holds our flagship counselling and psychotherapy master's courses offering professional qualifications in counselling.
  • We are consistently regarded as one of the top institutions teaching psychological sciences in the UK. In the most recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework, and for the third time, we were ranked in the top ten universities in the UK.
  • We welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds. Throughout your learning journey you will be supported by a senior tutor, our learning support team and a full programme of extracurricular enrichment, to ensure you are successful and get the most out of your course.
  • Birkbeck is strongly oriented towards research in psychological sciences and we are home to the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development (including the BabyLab and ToddlerLab), the Birkbeck-UCL Centre for Neuroimaging and the Centre for Cognition, Computation and Modelling. We also recently became members of the Bloomsbury Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Statistics.
  • Our Centre for Counselling is staffed by professional counsellors and has close links with professional counselling and psychotherapy organisations, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the British Psychoanalytic Council.

Modules and Teaching

School of Psychological Sciences

One of the oldest academic schools of psychology in the UK, and a world-leading centre of innovative psychological research and training.

Visit the school

Entry Requirements

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

  • Full-time study - how many UCAS points do I need?

    Three years full-time: 96 points (e.g. A-levels CCC)

    For full-time study on this course, you apply via UCAS. The UCAS tariff score applies if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a tariff calculator for you to work out what your qualification is worth.

  • Part-time study

    For part-time study our standard requirements are a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent.

  • What GCSEs do I need?

    Normally a minimum of GCSE Grade 4 (previously Grade C) or Functional Skills Level 2 in mathematics and English. Applicants who do not hold this level of qualification will be able to take our in-house admissions test.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

Clearing for 2026 is open
Apply now

Fees

Three years full-time, on campus

Academic year 2026-27, starting in October 2026

Full-time home students: £9,790 per year
Full-time international students: £18,500 per year

Academic year 2027-28, starting in October 2027

Full-time home students: £10,050 per year
Full-time international students: £19,320 per year

Four years part-time, on campus

Academic year 2026-27, starting in October 2026

Part-time home students: £7,335 per year
Part-time international students: £13,875 per year

Academic year 2027-28, starting in October 2027

Part-time home students: £7,530 per year
Part-time international students: £14,490 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see our Fees Policy.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully completing this BA Psychological Studies with Counselling you will also have gained valuable transferable skills, such as:

  • the ability to critically analyse and evaluate material
  • effective oral and written communication
  • problem analysis and solving
  • active listening
  • research
  • the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

This degree is not specifically a training programme for professional practice, but it offers you a foundation in counselling that will equip you with essential knowledge and skills should you later decide to apply for professional training in counselling, such as on our MSc Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Psychology graduates are highly employable and can be found across a wide range of sectors and roles, including in:

  • human health and social work
  • education
  • public administration
  • the leisure and communications industries
  • the arts and entertainment industries
  • counselling-related roles and further professional training.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student Support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to Apply

You apply via UCAS for our full-time undergraduate courses or directly to Birkbeck for our part-time undergraduate courses. For more detailed, step-by-step guidance on how to apply, visit our How to apply page.

  • How do I apply to study full-time (UCAS entry)?

    If you are applying for a full-time undergraduate course at Birkbeck you apply through UCAS. Use the Apply now button on this course page which will direct you to UCAS. There you will be prompted to sign in and create an account. You will have to give UCAS a few personal details, including your name, address and date of birth, and then you can start working on your application.

    The first UCAS deadline is in January, and the majority of university applications through UCAS are made by then. Find the exact deadline date on the UCAS website. We welcome applications outside of the UCAS deadlines, so you can still apply through UCAS after the January deadline, depending on the availability of places. We also take late applications via the UCAS Clearing system in August.

  • How do I apply to study part-time?

    If you are applying for a part-time undergraduate course (usually four or six years), you apply directly to Birkbeck online by using the Apply now button. You will need to prove your identity when you apply.

    Please note that online application opens in September.

  • When should I apply?

    You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places left, and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

    You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

  • How can I get help with my application?

    Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.

    Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.

  • International agents

    If you are an international agent applying to Birkbeck on behalf of an international student, please use Birkbeck's agent portal.

Related courses

Study routes for Psychological Studies with Counselling (BA (Hons))

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Important: Applications to study part-time in 2027/28 will open in October 2026.

2026-27

Full-time

Part-time

2027-28

Full-time