How to Make a Strong Application for a

Psychology degree

What qualifications will I need ? Psychology is one of the most competitive and popular

university subjects so you will need to achieve AAA or AAB or equivalent in many cases

Good numeracy skills are important because statistics figure heavily on Psychology courses

Many courses require at least one science A Level (or evidence of the applicants' scientific ability at GCSE level if no science A Levels have been taken)

A recent survey by the British Psychological Society shows that 25% of accredited courses now require or prefer a science A Level.

You are not required to have AS or A level Psychology Check whether or not you need a fourth AS level

Check your predicted grades with your teachers. Make sure they are good enough to meet likely offers

Offers are made on the basis of predicted grades NOT on what you think you can get at the end of the course

Check the ‘Course Specific Requirements’ on the Entry Profile for each course on the UCAS website

It is strongly recommended to take a degree which is accredited by the British Psychological Society

Even if you have no plans at the moment to become a professional psychologist you will need to have done an accredited course if you do decide to do this and become a member of the BPS.

BUT!!!!

There are over 12,000 psychology graduates a year but relatively few opportunities to work as a professional psychologist in areas such as Educational, Forensic, Clinical or Occupational Psychology

In order to even compete for these jobs you will also need to get at least a Masters degree after your first degree and in the case of Clinical, a PhD, as a basic requirement

However psychology will equip you for a wide range of other careers including teaching, nursing and personnel management

You will also be able to go on to a range of careers not related to your degree

The British Psychological Society website

BPS Careers and Qualifications page

Accreditatation: check on BPS website

Apart from straight Psychology there are other course options

Check the content of each course carefully

Make sure the course is right for you

Beware!! Courses with same title in different universities can be very in terms of their content.

Look at what you will do in all three years of the course

Check on course options offered in each year

Do the course assessment methods suit you ?

Look at Entry Profiles on UCAS website

Use ‘course search’ on UCAS APPLY

Choose a course at a university

Look at ‘entry profile’ for History for that course

Psychology at Southampton

Link takes you to further information on the Southampton University website

Link tells you about personal qualities you will need

What skills will I need?

Good numerical skills and the ability to use statistics The ability to write clearly The ability to present arguments and research evidence

effectively The ability to grasp scientific ideas and concepts a well

as to have an insight into how humans think and behave The ability to draw conclusions from written material as

well a psycholgogical experiments

What will I cover on a typical course?

Research universities and courses at open days Book early Watch out for

subject specific open days

Don’t go to too many!

Use website to:

Search Access open days

calendar Book for many of

them Get advice Subscribe to

newsletter

opendays.com website

Open days calendar

Useful article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/may/18/university-open-days

Find out about the history of the subject Look on Wikipedia for a short history of

Psychology

If you want to dig deeper try:Psychology a Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press

Understand that there are different kinds of Psychologists

Read!!

Think about the contemporary relevance of the subject

Develop your own ideas on the following:

Why is psychology worth studying?

What does it offers the individual?

To what extent does it help us understand how humans behave?

What benefits it has to offer society

Read Psychology Review

Listen to All in the Mind on Radio 4 and use the programme archive on

the website

Use the online archive of ‘The Psychologist’ magazine

Finding work experience Work experience is not always easy to organise because of

confidentiality issues but you may be able to:

Talk to and perhaps shadow an educational psychologist who works in your local authority

Talk to a psychologist who works in a prison Talk to and perhaps observe a psychologist working in a

children’s unit in a hospital Contact children’s charities who may employ psychologists eg

Barnardo’s or NSPCC You could also support special needs children in your own

school/college on a regular basis The BPS has a Directory of Chartered Psychologists on its

website which will give you contact details

What should I put in my Personal Statement?

Use the ‘Entry profiles’ for your courses on the UCAS website to give you pointers about skills you will need and what is being looked for by selectors.

Details about your reading, and reason for wanting to study Psychology should dominate rather information about extra-curricular activities, gap year plans, etc.

80% on Psychology 20% on general interests

Concentrate on interests and experiences that are relevant to the course you are applying for

Do not list every book. Explain what you especially admire, or find interesting, about particular history books you have read. Emphasise recent reading

Be able to say what you have read since you wrote your Personal statement!

Remember, not all universities will interview you so the PS is all they may see BUT keep a copy in case you are interviewed

Don’t claim knowledge you don’t have or mention books you have not read, you will get caught out at interview

What to avoid in your Personal Statement? Being pretentious and trying to hard to impress. Write

clearly and concisely.

Being boastful

Poor written English

Following a formula

Plagiarism. You will get caught out

Writing in note form rather than continuous prose.

The interview

Not all universities interview for Psychology so make your application a good one

You need to be able to listen to what is said, but also weigh up different arguments and interpretations of texts you have studied or read for yourself

Above all you need to show that you can think for yourself.

Remind yourself of the things you wrote about in your Personal Statement . They will probably ask you about this

General questions Tell me about yourself? How would you describe yourself? Tell us about your current courses? What are you best at? What are your main interests? Do you have any weaknesses

These are self awareness questions, so prepare by thinking about: 1) Your key personality characteristics 2) Your general and study interests 3) Try and be relevant and talk about those personality qualities and

interests that match the course.

Questions about your motivation for the course and the university

Why do you want to study for a degree?

Why did you choose this course?

What do you think university can offer you?

What else, apart from study, interests you about this university?

Why do you want to study at this university?

Why do you want to study in this town/city?

Subject related questions Why do you want to study this subject?

What do you know about the course?

What attracts you to this course?

Are there particular aspects of the course that attract you ? Why?

What have you read recently that is relevant to your interest in this course?

What experiences /work experience/ visits/ independent study have you done which is relevant to this course?

You may want to study the subject because:

1) You want to study it further and in more depth2) It is a strong interest and/or your best subject3) You will need it for your future career plans4) That a particular university has a type of course that is

suited to you5) Or some other reasons of your own.6) Use supporting evidence and examples where possible.

Topical questions

Interviewers may ask your opinion on something topical, that is something in the news or related to your subject.

Prepare for the interview by looking in the media to see what is current

You can reading the national serious newspapers online or in hard copy and pick out current stories that seem linked to your subject.

Collect them in a folder and think about how you could respond to a question on these topics.

Watch TV documentaries related to the subject

Hypothetical situation or problem solving questions

Be prepared to have to think on your feet and do not over rehearse prepared answers

Give me an example of a time when... you dealt with a problem, or overcame some obstacles, or worked in a team to achieve an outcome etc

If you were asked to....do something creative about ......what would you do?

What skills will a Psychology degree give me?

Prospects.ac.uk website Click ‘Careers advice’ link

Click ‘Options with your subject’ link

Two page ‘Options with Your Subject’ sheets Skills the degree will give

you

Job options related to your degree

Jobs for which your degree would be useful

Links to each of the jobs for further details

Career Areas chosen by those with your degree

Where are the jobs?

What next: other possibilities after your degree

Examples of jobs directly related to a Psychology degree Teacher or lecturer

in Psychology in a school or FE

Higher education lecturer

Clinical psychologist Educational

psychologist Forensic

psychologist

Health psychologist Occupational

psychologist Special educational

needs teacher

Examples of jobs for which a Psychology degree would be useful

Careers advisor/personal adviser

Counsellor Human resources

(personnel) officer Psychotherapist

Retail manger Probation officer

What do graduates do with a Psychology degree?

The HESA Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey