Psychology with Foundation Year

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour, encompassing everything from the firing of neurons to the dynamics of crowds, from the development of infants to the treatment of mental illness. It is a discipline that sits at the boundary between the natural sciences and the humanities, using rigorous experimental and statistical methods to investigate questions that are fundamentally about the human experience. Studying psychology develops both a scientific way of thinking and a deep curiosity about why people think, feel, and act as they do.

At the University of Surrey this four-year full-time programme opens with a foundation year, designed to build your academic skills and scientific confidence before you progress to the main psychology degree. The foundation year ensures you are well prepared for the demands of degree-level study, whichever starting point you come from. Across the programme you will study the core areas of psychology, including cognitive, developmental, social, biological, and clinical psychology, developing both conceptual understanding and practical research skills.

Surrey's commitment to integrating digital skills and AI literacy into the curriculum means you will also develop the confidence with emerging technologies that employers increasingly value in the workplace.

Psychology is one of the most versatile degrees available, and graduates move into an exceptionally wide range of careers. Those who wish to work as qualified psychologists, in clinical, educational, forensic, occupational, or sport psychology, typically continue to postgraduate professional training after the undergraduate degree. Others move directly into roles in human resources, marketing, research, counselling, social work, the civil service, and the charity sector, where psychological insight and research skills are valued.

Teaching, health and wellbeing, and user experience design are further common directions.