Psychology with Sociology with Social Sciences Foundation Year
Southampton, Solent University
UCAS Code: PWS3 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Southampton, Solent University
UCAS Code: PWS3 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
In combination with other qualfiications
Access to HE Diploma
In combination with other qualifications
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma
Pearson BTEC 90-Credit Diploma (QCF)
In combination with other qualifications
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
In combination with other qualifications
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
T Level
Pass grade (D or E)
UCAS Tariff
A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at PPP or BTEC Diploma at MP or equivalent. GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C / 4. Applicants over the age of 21 may be considered based on relevant experience, without having the required tariff points.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
About this course
Want to explore the areas of psychology or sociology but not quite ready to study at degree level? The social sciences foundation year provides the perfect introduction to studying this fascinating subject, and will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to progress on to a related full undergraduate degree.
Students will study a range of topics that are central or highly relevant to the study of the social sciences. You’ll explore areas such as mental health and wellbeing, contemporary issues in social sciences, and professional practice to help prepare for undergraduate study.
The course has an applied focus – students are encouraged and enabled to apply their theoretical knowledge to real world problems, such as mental health, psychological wellbeing and everyday problem-solving.
On successful completion of the foundation year, students will be eligible to progress onto one of our psychology undergraduate degrees, which are accredited by the British Psychology Society, or our sociology programme. Students interested in social work can apply and be interviewed for our social work degree.
During this foundation year, you’ll begin to develop the academic writing and independent learning skills necessary to study a scientific discipline. You’ll also begin to learn the basics of thinking and writing in social sciences.
You’ll be taught by an experienced team who are accessible and approachable, and ultimately dedicated to providing an inclusive learning environment.
Modules
FOUNDATION MODULES
Professional Practice
Contemporary Issues in Social Sciences
Crime and Risk in Society
Media Project in Social Sciences
Investigating in the Social Sciences
Psychological Approaches to Mental Health
If you successfully complete the foundation year, you will automatically progress onto the BSc (Hons) Psychology and Sociology degree course. Please note that some of the modules below may change.
YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Thinking and Writing Psychologically
Beginning as a Researcher
Developing as a Researcher
Sociological Imagination
Social Inequalities
Work, Policy and Diversity
YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Behaviour and the Brain
Individual Differences and Social Psychology
Psychological Research Training
Social Movements and Protests
Contemporary Social Theory
Bodies and Identities
YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Advanced Counselling Theory and Practice
Conceptualising Psychopathology
Cognitive-Behavioural Theory and Practice
Applied Psychology Research Project
YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each year)
Behaviour Change
Cyberpsychology
Animal Behaviour
Mindfulness-Based Practice and Approaches
Issues in Educational Psychology
Critical Psychology
Issues in Forensic
Assessment methods
Students are assessed by a combination of presentations (individual and group), essays, practical reports, portfolios (i.e. non-essay written assignments consisting of a variety of written pieces based on independent learning), and in-class electronic tests.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries
The Uni
Southampton, Solent University
Department of Social Science and Nursing
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Psychology (non-specific)
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Sociology
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Psychology (non-specific)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
20 years ago, this was a specialist degree for would-be psychologists but now it is the model of a modern, flexible degree subject. One of the UK's fastest-growing subject at degree level, and the second most popular subject overall (it recently overtook business studies), one in 23 of all graduates last year had psychology degrees. As you'd expect with figures like that, jobs in psychology itself are incredibly competitive, so to stand a chance of securing one, you need to get a postgraduate qualification (probably a doctorate in most fields, especially clinical psychology) and some relevant work experience. But even though there are so many psychology graduates — far more than there are jobs in psychology, and over 13,800 in total last year — this degree has a lower unemployment rate than average because its grads are so flexible and well-regarded by business and other industries across the economy. Everywhere there are good jobs in the UK economy, you'll find psychology graduates - and it's hardly surprising as the course helps you gain a mix of good people skills and excellent number and data handling skills. A psychology degree ticks most employers' boxes — but we'd suggest you don't drop your maths modules.
Sociology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
We have quite a lot of sociology graduates, although numbers fell last year. But graduates still do pretty well. Most sociology graduates go straight into work when they complete their degrees, and a lot of graduates go into jobs in social professions such as recruitment, education, community and youth work, and housing. An important option for a sociology graduate is social work - and we're short of people willing to take this challenging but rewarding career. Sociology is a flexible degree and you can find graduates from the subject in pretty much every reasonable job — obviously, you don't find many doctors or engineers, but you do find them in finance, the media, healthcare, marketing and even IT. Sociology graduates taking further study often branch out into other qualifications, like teaching, law, psychology, HR and even maths, so don’t think a sociology degree restricts you to just one set of options.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Psychology (non-specific)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£21k
£25k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Sociology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£23k
£25k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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