Psychology and Special Educational Needs
Psychology and special educational needs is a combination that brings together the scientific study of mind and behaviour with a specialist focus on the educational, developmental, and social needs of children and young people who learn differently. Psychology provides the theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding cognition, emotion, development, and social behaviour. Special educational needs adds a professional and applied orientation, examining the specific conditions, such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and learning disabilities, that require additional support in educational contexts, and the approaches, strategies, and ethical frameworks through which that support is most effectively provided.
At Liverpool Hope University, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year that provides a supported entry into degree-level study for those who did not quite meet standard entry requirements or who would benefit from additional preparation. A Psychology degree at Liverpool Hope equips students with the knowledge and practical skills needed for a wide variety of careers, and the special educational needs combination focuses specifically on applying psychological principles to real-life contexts involving children and young people with diverse learning profiles. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placements, giving you direct professional experience in educational, psychological, or support settings before graduation.
With a typical entry tariff of 88 UCAS points, this programme is accessible to students with genuine commitment to working with and for children with additional needs. Graduates pursue careers as SEN support workers, teaching assistants, learning mentors, educational support specialists, family support workers, and in roles across schools, special schools, and local authority SEND services. For those wishing to become educational psychologists, further postgraduate study and supervised experience are required.
Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in educational psychology, SEND, or social work.