BSc (Hons) Psychology with Applications in Education with foundation year
Course Overview
Psychology is a core component of the BSc (Hons) Psychology with Applications in Education with foundation year, and the University of Bolton offers one of the oldest and most established psychology courses in the UK. Taught at our town-centre campus in Greater Manchester, our BSc (Hons) Psychology with Applications in Education with foundation year course provides invaluable insight into optimising learning environments and supporting student well-being through the exploration of psychological principles and their practical applications in educational contexts.The foundation year is the first year of this degree. Designed to prepare you for degree-level study, it offers an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of psychology, social sciences and research methods alongside study skills development.
Our friendly and experienced team will guide you as you develop knowledge of the theories, methods and debates central to the application of psychology in education. We'll support you as you explore psychology, gain knowledge of multi-agency working in education, and consider broader social issues that impact the role of a special educational needs practitioner. You'll consider the intersection between psychology and education and investigate the impact of parenting, cultural dynamics and socioeconomic status on children and young people who are experiencing barriers to education. We'll also focus on developing your knowledge and skills in using psychological theory to inform planning for educational purposes.
Developing communication, problem-solving, numerical, analytical, self-management, and IT skills tailored to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) contexts is vital. You'll gain a solid understanding of psychology and the significant role it plays in SEND education from our dedicated team.
Highlights
- We emphasise interpersonal, transferable and employability skills as well as academic success. After graduation, you could progress to an MSc in a relatively broad range of topics in psychology.
- We focus strongly on employability skills, the practical application of your studies, and academic success. Workshops will involve analysing case studies and using different educational approaches to support your understanding. You can also benefit from final-year work-related activities in the Applied Experience module.
- Throughout your degree, you'll also have support from your personal tutor, who is part of our team of helpful and approachable psychology staff with a diverse range of research interests.
- We have invested in creating a learning environment that offers innovative teaching and assessment methods using top-class facilities, such as our observation laboratory with video cameras, microphones, and video editing equipment, and our Virtual Reality lab, which offers real-world experiences with innovative technology.
Key Features
- Throughout the programme, we emphasise applied psychology and experiential learning so that you can go on to earn further professional qualifications in educational psychology or work in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) field.
- We'll examine the principles and methods of psychological research, including data collection, analysis, reporting, and interpretation. You'll undertake an individual research project tailored to educational contexts in your final year.
- Teaching is dynamic and diverse, incorporating lectures, small groups, discussions, case studies, and work-related activities. Our approach to learning will be tailored to your interests, with plenty of opportunities to engage and gain applied experience.
- We're proud to have an experienced faculty that's dedicated to education. The educational elements are based on real-world experiences and case studies and taught by a trained and practicing educator.
- During the course, you'll receive personalised supervision to help you reach your potential.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants, and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the Northwest of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline, and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- 48 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
If you wish to pursue a career supporting individuals within educational settings or seek further training in educational psychology or other applied psychology fields, our BSc (Hons) Psychology with Applications in Education with foundation year course is ideal.
Upon successfully completing this course, you'll be able to demonstrate graduate skills highly valued in psychology, such as problem-solving skills, critical evaluation, independence of thought, deductive reasoning, interpersonal awareness, and excellent communication skills.
What can I do with this qualification?
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification to step into a range of other careers. Relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required for some of these roles. Some of these careers include:
- Coaching and guidance services
- Mentoring
- Family mediation
- Teaching and education
- Nursing
- Retail management
- Human resources
- Market research
- Social work
- Psychological wellbeing practitioner
- Mental health support worker
Professional Recognition
We have submitted an application for accreditation to the British Psychological Society.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
| Year of study | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | |
| 2024-25 | £9,250 | £9,250 | £9,250 | £9,250 | - | £37,000 |
| 2025-26 | - | |||||
International Fees
| Year of study | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | |
| 2024-25 | £15,950 | £15,950 | £15,950 | £15,950 | - | £63,800 |
| 2025-26 | - | |||||
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.
A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:
Free of charge to apply
Secure, simple and streamlined
Contact us directly for any admissions queries
Regular updates on your application directly from the University
Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Applied Educational Psychology w FDYR - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
-
Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Applied Educational Psychology w FDYR - 22 September 2025
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
The overall teaching and learning strategy for psychology is student-centred. We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to ensure you acquire and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge, and skills. Active learning is promoted via practical classes, laboratory workshops, seminars, tutorials, self-directed study, lectures, videos, IT sessions, and guided study. For most modules, we offer a one-hour session each week where a member of staff will be available to answer questions and give guidance relating to that module.
All modules have a presence in our virtual learning environment (VLE), where you can access lecture materials and additional resources. You can also use the VLE to communicate with fellow students and the teaching team.
Our assessment strategy helps you organise and develop your learning and evaluate your achievement of the learning outcomes. Many different forms of assessment are employed, including time-limited examinations (seen or unseen), essays, practical reports, statistical assignments, seminar presentations, portfolios, poster presentations, in-class assessments, and projects. Much of your assessed work is submitted online, and feedback is also given through the VLE.
In addition to assessed work that contributes to your overall module grade, you'll also take part in formative assessment. This is designed to provide you with feedback on your progress and can help you develop your skills and understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses. This formative assessment takes place during lectures and workshops, as well as using activities on the VLE.
We use a blended style of learning and teaching, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate.
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
