BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2025
Gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to help people with mental health issues, as you dive into counselling and psychotherapy on our course. Take advantage of the specialist facilities that professional psychologists use day to day, including virtual reality facilities, laboratory facilities and state-of-the-art equipment.
On our Counselling and Psychotherapy course, you will learn about the skills and techniques to counsel people through a range of issues, deal with complex healthcare needs and conduct research into subjects you care about.
Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) works with a wide range of professional psychologists from various disciplines who contribute to the course and your learning experience. Thanks to the varied background of our lecturers, you can gain experience in different types of psychology from counselling for athletes to psychotherapy for young offenders. With such a wide and diverse range of experience, you'll feel both comfortable and prepared to go out and seek roles in psychology.
Human minds, behaviours and societal influences are changing, and the research we do has to reflect this. Our counselling and psychotherapy degree course keeps up to date with the psychology community. We provide you an accredited degree with the latest research and knowledge incorporated into real actionable practice. At BNU, you’ll be at the cutting edge of counselling and psychotherapy practice.
By its nature our counselling and psychotherapy degree course pushes into deep and traumatic experiences, including the brain and behaviour. As one of our students you will continually explore your boundaries, push your abilities and discover new things about yourself. You can emerge from this course a better, stronger, more resilient person complete with employable skills and a new perspective on education, society and career.
BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy is accredited by the and provides you with a widely recognized qualification throughout the country. The BPS is at the centre of the profession and acts as a benchmark to prove your skills and understanding. Upon graduation from a BPS accredited specialism, you’ll be eligible for the and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS.
With a simulated counselling and psychotherapy room, scenarios can be observed through a one way screen. Facilities are set up in such a way as to mimic real working conditions to give you the best preparation possible.
Lectures and seminars are always very informative, interactive and also a good laugh with plenty of open discussion between students and with the lecturers. They are always very supportive of ideas and opinions as well as with our work, through punctual turn arounds on assignments and quick responses through emails.Emily Crawshaw
Our specialisms
We believe in giving you the freedom to make your career your own. That's why we introduce you to various different subjects in your first year, and then allow you to choose a course after you've got a taste of them all, if your goals change. You can choose to stay on BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy or switch to BSc (Hons) Psychology, BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology, BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology, and BSc (Hons) Psychological Studies, after your first year in any.
These specialisms are also offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme and are available if you didn't meet the entry requirements.
I cannot fault the quality of teaching, it’s excellent. The lecturers do all they can to support students. They are well experienced, kind, passionate, supportive and always available to help students in any way they can. The lectures and seminars are well prepared and delivered. I am enjoying my course, my time at BNU and the whole learning environment.Homaira Merzai
What will I study?
Our BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy course will be of interest to you if you’re considering a career in counselling, behaviour therapy, psychotherapy and more. There is a range of modules to choose from, together with ongoing support from our specialist teaching staff. You’ll learn about Biopsychology, Personality, Social, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology. These topics will combine the study of important practical elements too, learning from experts in the field and people already working in counselling.
We want you to ask questions of us, develop your core skills, build your analytical mind, and more. This course offers you the skills and framework needed to become a chartered psychologist with the BPS. You’ll be eligible for the and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS.
If you choose to become chartered with the you can go on to practice psychology as a scientist, analyst, researcher, commentator, advisor or as a clinician.
- Understand the necessary framework needed to practice Counselling and Psychotherapy at a professional level
- Study key psychology topics
- Understand personality, cognitive and social development
- Work through a range of effective counselling and psychotherapy techniques
What facilities can I use?
On our psychology degree, you will benefit from hands-on learning, using our state-of-the-art facilities. In our laboratory and computing workshops, you’ll use software and equipment that social scientists use in the field to present research data. You will use industry standard equipment as part of these courses to build your own experience using a range of professionally recognizable equipment.
You can use our observation laboratory for the measurement of psycho-physiological responses using eye trackers as well as the activity of the cardiovascular system, brain, autonomic nervous system and more. You’ll use our eye tracking equipment and virtual reality software to test what happens when our local conditions change, and how the brain reacts to those changes.
How will I be taught and assessed?
This course is accredited by , which means certain modules are incorporated into the course, which you must pass to achieve the Graduate Basis for chartered membership.
Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible for the and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist, which is a highly desired accreditation.
There are many ways you can be assessed, and assessments are designed to help you learn and identify certain areas you need to improve. We use a variety of assessment techniques to look at your ability and areas you may need support with. You must pass the module assessments to progress with the course. Some of the methods we use are:
- exams
- presentations
- group work
- projects
- labs
- coursework
I have always loved psychology and the further along the course, the more freedom there is. The option to choose modules in the last year also lets me study exactly what I love. The facilities are really great; the library and other course-related facilities are super accessible to students.Emma Fraser-Mills
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 104 - 128 (Full-Time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.
For this course, you'll need at least two A-levels and a GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Those with no previous study, work experience, or who do not meet the specified entry requirements, including demonstrating the necessary knowledge and understanding, are welcome to apply for the 3-year BSc (Hons) degree, however may be offered the four-year programme which includes a Foundation Year.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 *
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Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 per year *
International
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Overseas/International Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 *
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
What are my career prospects?
With such a strong academic grounding, as well as the transferrable skills you’ll develop along the way, you are well-placed to succeed wherever you go.
There are many options to explore with your psychology degree; it’s the first step to starting postgraduate study in a more focused area.
If you’d prefer to dive right into the world of work and explore a career in health, education, local government, or the private and public sector, you could consider careers in local authorities, NHS and private or public counselling and community support services, as well as the prison system.
Graduates can choose to continue their studies at BNU and study a postgraduate course, such as our MSc Applied Positive Psychology, MSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education, or even the MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
There are numerous opportunities which your degree could help to open. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in psychology, clinical psychology, forensic psychology, therapy, nursing, and private and public businesses.
The course seemed very open and I knew it would keep my options open to then specialize later rather than specializing early and therefore restricting my options later in my career.Piers Bowden
- Associate Professor
- Course Leader for MSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education
- Head of the School of Human and Social Sciences
- Associate Professor of Education & Research
