Psychology and Counselling Studies
Psychology and counselling studies is a combination that brings together the scientific study of mind and behaviour with the reflective, relational skills that are central to supporting people through difficulty. Psychology provides the theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding how people think, feel, and act, while counselling studies develops the practical and ethical dimensions of working therapeutically with individuals in distress. Together they equip you to understand people both analytically and empathically, a combination that is valuable across health, education, social care, and many other people-centred professions.
This four-year programme at Birmingham Newman University, which includes a foundation year, offers a thoughtful and encouraging learning environment in which you can explore human behaviour while building the reflective and empathic skills that counselling requires. You will study psychological theory, research methods, developmental psychology, and applied areas including mental health and wellbeing, alongside the theoretical frameworks, practical skills, and ethical principles of counselling studies. The course combines academic rigour with opportunities to apply learning in real-world settings, supporting you to link theory to practice in ways that are directly relevant to professional roles.
Graduates from psychology and counselling studies programmes go on to careers in mental health support, counselling services, wellbeing roles in education and the workplace, social care, youth work, charity and voluntary sector roles, human resources, and healthcare settings. Many graduates pursue further postgraduate training to qualify as counsellors or psychotherapists, or continue to postgraduate study in psychology with a view to specialising in clinical, educational, or health psychology. The combination of scientific grounding and relational skill that the degree develops is widely applicable wherever supporting human wellbeing is at the heart of the work.