Applied Psychology BSc (Hons)

BPS Accredited Undergraduate degree

Develop the scientific, analytical and research skills to become a future psychologist with our online British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited psychology degree.

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Key facts about your online degree

How you'll study

This course is studied 100% online

Application deadline

Our next deadline is 27th May 2026

Professional accreditation

British Psychological Society

Course length

Study this course over 4 years

Fees: £17,700

Payment plans available

Start dates

Start in September

Course overview

Kick-start your future with this BPS-accredited Applied Psychology BSc (Hons) - a flexible online psychology degree designed for distance learning in the UK. This course allows you to study psychology online while balancing work, family, and other commitments.

Delivered through distance learning, this psychology degree online explores the science of mind and behaviour across a wide range of psychological approaches. You’ll study applied and social psychology alongside biological psychology and cognitive neuroscience, developing strong academic knowledge, research skills, and critical thinking for a broad range of psychology-related careers. As a distance learning psychology degree, it offers the same academic rigour and professional recognition as on-campus study.

Why choose this course?

Build a strong foundation to support your future career in psychology and progress towards professional training
Fully accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), providing a recognised route towards further study and chartered status
Study flexibly through online distance learning, with support from expert tutors and interactive learning resources
An applied focus that helps you connect psychological theory with real-world practice
Gold-standard teaching and student support, recognised by TEF 2023
Study at a University of the Year (THE), with a strong reputation for teaching excellence

What you’ll gain

A strong foundation in core psychological theory, aligned with all BPS-accredited psychology degrees
Practical research skills, including study design, data analysis, and writing professional psychological reports
Experience completing an independent research project, supervised by an expert academic
Work-ready skills through at least 35 hours of psychology-related work experience, completed alongside your studies
Preparation for a wide range of careers or further study, including clinical, forensic, health, educational and neuropsychology, as well as research, teaching, and counselling

Next application deadline: 27th May 2026

Apply now

Course modules and assessments

Modules

Due to the structure of this course, there will be instances where you will study two modules simultaneously during a trimester. You will be supported by your tutors to help manage your workload and assessment deadlines.

Please contact one of our advisers to discuss the pacing of this course and the options available to match your circumstances.

Becoming a Researcher

All psychologists require basic skills in understanding, designing, reporting and communicating research and this module will provide a grounding in these areas. As a science, psychology is driven by the empirical analysis of human behaviour. In this module you’ll start with a question of interest and formulate hypotheses to test, design, and implement a study to collect data to be analysed. You will then go on to develop an understanding of how to apply statistical analysis to data in order to draw valid and reliable inferences as to how and why people think and behave in a certain way.

The Psychology of Everyday Life

Clinical and Health Psychology

This module provides an introduction to clinical and health psychology and the application of psychological knowledge to an understanding of health and illness, as well as interventions which can be used to improve health or relieve the symptoms of illness. You will also examine how we define and classify mental ill-health, and the different models that psychologists have used to understand the causes of mental ill-health. You’ll study specific problems, both physical and mental health issues, including eating disorders, stress, trauma, and sexual disorders, and review the different methods that can be used by clinical and health psychologists to enhance people's physical and mental health, on individual, family and population levels. This module will be of real interest to those who would like to pursue a career in clinical or health psychology, or related areas, such as forensic psychology.

Self and Society

Here you will be introduced to social psychology, developmental psychology and individual differences. You’ll explore topics such as social cognition, attribution and group processes, the foundations that make up social psychology and also how language and cognitive and emotional development affect developmental psychology. You will discover how to apply your learning to contemporary and social challenges, and the real world; allowing you to observe how social groups form and function, as well as applying psychological theories to real issues and global challenges.

Mind and Behaviour

Research in Action: Statistical Thinking

This module develops your statistical thinking, enabling you to approach research questions with skill and understanding. You’ll develop a critical understanding of the principles of data collection and analysis in Psychology, and consider the theoretical bases, merits and limitations of various quantitative methods. You will focus on theoretical and conceptual ideas underpinning statistics and research design with an emphasis here on understanding the logic behind the techniques covered, and behind choices that researchers make. You will gain experience with practical and computer-based examples before applying your skills by conducting a formal piece of research.

Social Psychology, Development and Difference

Building on your knowledge from "Self and Society" you will explore the deeper content of this subject, looking at how certain behaviours are shaped through our individual development and through different social contexts. This will challenge you to combine your knowledge across different subject areas and will present a coherent view of a person, where our social and developmental changes are related to the actual, imagined or implied presence of others. You will learn by focusing on an issue (e.g. attraction, relationships) and consider each topic issue from an individual, social and developmental view.

Brain, Body and Mind

Brain, Body and Mind draws heavily on psychology, neuroscience, individual differences, and evolutionary approaches to provide a critical understanding of mind and behaviour. You’ll explore a range of topics that are critical to understanding the biological and evolutionary theory which supports human and animal behaviour before examining cognitive and individual difference models of the mind and behaviour.

Research in Action: Qualitative Methods and Psychology in Practice

This module will include the teaching of qualitative methods in psychology. It will examine the design, collection and analysis of qualitative data. The module will also outline key aspects of a qualitative approach such as reflexivity and epistemology. There will be specific sessions dedicated to particular approaches in qualitative research methods including thematic analysis, grounded theory and discourse analysis. As part of this module, you will analyse qualitative data and utilise your findings to formulate research questions. Through this you will develop an awareness of the ethical and practical implications of conducting professional research, including the application of professional codes of conduct and ethics in research and practice.

Psychology in the Workplace

Our Psychology in the Workplace module explores how psychological principles shape professional environments, helping you develop key insights into workplace motivation, team dynamics, leadership, and employee well-being. Through real-world case studies and contemporary research, you’ll gain the knowledge to apply psychological theories to organisational challenges. Alongside your studies, you’ll complete at least 35 hours of psychology-related work experience, which can be paid or unpaid and undertaken in any location—including your current role—so long as it involves working with or for others. To support your learning, you can complete this experience up to a year before the module begins, ensuring you have the time and flexibility to integrate it seamlessly into your professional development.

Diagnosis and Formulation in Mental Health

Here you’ll be introduced to diagnosis and formulation in mental health as well as a variety of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorders. You’ll focus on developing your knowledge of the diagnostic criteria for mental illness, looking at the diagnostic classification systems, and also establishing an understanding of the current view of mental health problems through formulation.

Educational Psychology

Educational psychology is concerned with children and young people in educational settings. The role of the Educational Psychologist is to support teachers, parents, and children with a range of issues, from developmental disorders to social and emotional problems. In this module, we examine cutting-edge scientific research that supports our understanding of the cognitive and well-being issues that affect children’s learning and well-being in education setting. We discuss how the application of learning theories in a classroom setting from the teachers’ and students’ perspectives, providing concrete examples. We also simulate such applications in class to involve students in experiential learning experiences and allowing them to reflect on their learning in relation to the discussed theories. We enter the nascent science of educational neuroscience, where you will discover how the findings from neuroscience now allow us more in-depth knowledge of brain development than ever before and will be challenged to consider how useful such findings are in the classroom.

We zoom out to consider the impact of socio-emotional learning practices on students’ wellbeing and success in school and beyond. We also discuss how play and music could be used as interventions to support students’ behaviours and support neuro-diverse learners. We take a practical focus, with lectures and seminars explicitly considering direct applications, career pathways, and the opportunity for students to talk to practitioners directly. The module will be taught by experts in educational psychology, teacher training, and in music and drama/play therapy, and lectures will include coverage of their own research findings and practice. Through the assessments, students will reflect on their learning journey in relation to learning theories and will gain experience in communicating to a non-specialist audience, and will gain experience in psychological report writing.

Consumer Psychology

This module introduces you to a selection of issues in the area of consumer psychology. It will explore how theories within social, cognitive and developmental psychology can help explain consumption behaviours. The module will address issues related to positive and negative influences of a consumer society upon individual's psychological process and functioning. It will also look at how aspects of consumption can influence development at an early age as well as affect behavioural outcomes in later life. Other areas covered will include processes involved in consumer decision making, and controversial ethical arguments surrounding marketing practices. You will learn practical transferable skills such as how to manage information and communicate effectively in written format.

Psychological Therapies

This module provides an introduction to some of the main methods of psychological interventions used by clinical, counselling and health psychologists in therapeutically treating people. These interventions are used to assist people in strengthening their coping capacities and help work through emotional difficulties. The module will cover some of the core theoretical principles and techniques used in various psychological interventions, when working with individuals (both children and adults) as well as with families and groups.

Clinical Psychology

You'll learn what it takes to work in the profession of Clinical Psychology, including an understanding of the historical context, as well as the current political and cultural context of the practice of clinical psychology. Over the course of the module, you will be introduced to the core skills (Assessment, Formulation, Intervention, Evaluation, Communication, Research and Reflection) used by clinical psychologists, and encouraged to critically evaluate their application across a range of settings and with a variety of client groups.

Psychology Project

Your major project gives you the opportunity to develop your own research project, from initial planning through to conducting and collecting your data and then analysing the results. You will evaluate your research, carry out an in-depth literature review of that area, formulate hypotheses based on that review and design a study to test these, whilst at all times ensuring you maintain an ethical approach. This project also gives you the opportunity to explore a topic that is of interest to you at a much deeper level.

Cyberpsychology

The Internet is an essential part of 21st century living. This module will look at psychological explanations of being online and will approach questions such as do we behave differently online? And how is the Internet used to initiate and maintain relationships? This will include theoretical explanations of how people communicate online, including research that looks at positive attributes of Internet use (e.g. developing relationships) and negative outcomes of Internet use (e.g. 'addiction' or ‘trolling’). This module will explore the role of social network sites in our everyday lives, with particular reference to self, identity, social influence, relationships and group dynamics.

Modules are subject to change and availability.

How you’ll be assessed

Throughout the course, we’ll use a range of assessment methods to help you and your tutors measure your progress. These will include exams, essays, reports and presentations. You’ll write a dissertation in your final year to demonstrate your learning and show us you’ve developed the knowledge and skills to complete the course.

Accreditation

BPS Accreditation

Our Applied Psychology BSc (Hons) is accredited by the British Psychological Society. BPS accreditation is an important hallmark of quality that is extensively acknowledged by employers and an essential stepping-stone for those looking to progress to Chartered Psychologist after graduation.

Upon successful completion of this BPS accredited course you will become eligible for the society’s Graduate Chartered Membership.

How you'll study

100% Online study

Dedicated support

Study online and graduate on campus

Our Applied Psychology BSc (Hons) degree is studied 100% online.

Alongside your studies, you’ll complete at least 35 hours of psychology-related work experience, which can be paid or unpaid and undertaken in any location—including your current role—so long as it involves working with or for others. To support your learning, you can complete this experience up to a year before the Psychology in the Workplace module begins, ensuring you have the time and flexibility to integrate it seamlessly into your professional development.

You’ll study through Canvas, our world-class online Learning Management System (LMS), which can be accessed from your phone, pc or tablet at home or on the move. Canvas provides instant access to study materials, forums, and support from tutors and classmates, as well as enabling easy submission of your assignments.

On successful completion of your studies, you’ll be invited to attend a graduation ceremony on campus. If attending the ceremony in person is not possible then we’ll arrange to have your certificate sent to you.

Entry requirements

What you’ll need to start this course

120 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 3 A Levels (or equivalent), Psychology and Science subjects are preferred.

3 GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and Maths.

If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.5 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by ARU.

As a distance learner, you'll also need a suitable computer with internet connection, together with sufficient IT competence to make effective use of our online learning management system (LMS) with high-speed internet and email.

Please note: Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements. Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course.

Fees and Funding

Fees

The full tuition fee for our online Applied Psychology BSc (Hons) course is £17,700.

The tuition fees you pay each year for the psychology degree will be £4,425. You will study the course over 4 years.

Accredited Prior Learning may reduce the tuition fees. This will be confirmed once your application has been submitted.

Funding

Government-backed part time student loans are available to cover the cost of studying your online psychology degree. These are subject to eligibility and terms and conditions.

We offer payment by instalments, so you can spread the cost of studying with us.

For military students: You can use your ELCs towards this course. ARU is a recognised ELCAS provider (number 1007). Please contact your Learning Centre for details of ELC, eligibility and how to apply.

For more information on how you fund your studies please see our funding page.

Meet your course leader

Meet Early Childhood Studies Student Jess

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Meet your course leader Suzanna Forwood

Hear more about our online Applied Psychology undergraduate degree from course leader, Suzanna Forwood. Suzanne talks about the modules, flexible design, and how this distance learning course is applicable to not just a career in psychology, but also professional life and employability in general.

What our students say

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Meet Psychology student Arianna

Arianna tells her story of how studying via distance learning is allowing her to gain a qualification that aligns with her passions and long-term goals to switch careers and work as a therapist. She explains how studying flexibly with ARU helps her maintain a healthy balance between work, study and family life. Read more student stories

Awards and recognition

Be part of the University of the Year

We're proud to be the Times Higher Education (THE) University of the Year 2023. The prestigious THE awards honour ’exceptional performance during the 2021-22 academic year, and reflect ARU’s success in delivering high-impact projects during this period, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The award recognises the difference we make in the region and our communities – while also acknowledging the broader impact of our world-leading research, and the contributions our students and graduates make to society.

Gold-standard education

We're proud to have received a Gold award for the quality of our education in a UK-wide review of university teaching standards.

Why we're rated Gold

Our course content and delivery is rated as outstanding with the review citing ‘innovative and highly effective course design and content that inspires students to actively engage and commit to their learning’.

We’re also rated outstanding in the areas of:

student engagement in learning
learning environment and academic support
learning resources
student engagement in improvement
approaches to supporting student success
intended educational gains
approaches to supporting educational gains.

What is the Teaching Excellence Framework?

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students that focuses on the areas students care most about: teaching, learning, and achieving positive outcomes from their studies.

It has three outcomes: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

This rating was awarded in September 2023, and lasts for four years.

Supported distance learning

We understand that distance learning is different to traditional campus study and if you’re new to online study you may have concerns or apprehensions about studying your online psychology degree remotely, and that’s natural.

To help put your mind at ease we have a dedicated Distance Learning Support Team to help and support you throughout your time at ARU, starting with your first online induction and staying with you right through to graduation. In addition, you’ll also be supported by specialist psychology tutors, well experienced in supporting distance learning students.

Once you start your online psychology degree, we encourage the creation of online communities and many of our learners find these connections with others invaluable, helping them to stay motivated, share concerns or make new friendships.

Visit our support page to learn more about our support services.

Visit Support

Careers

Everything you need to know about building your career in psychology

What could an Applied Psychology BSc do for my career?

Our BPS accredited undergraduate degree gives you the core knowledge required to specialise in the future. Armed with a thorough understanding of theory, as well as the research and analytical skills this degree will teach you, you’ll be well equipped to pursue specialisms of your choosing and flourish in any number of psychology-based careers.

An Applied Psychology BSc can lead to a wide range of career opportunities. These include but are not limited to therapy and counselling roles, health and sport psychology, industrial and organisational positions and forensic psychology, amongst others.

All BPS-accredited online psychology degrees share a common core syllabus, ensuring that all graduates have a shared foundation to support the wide range of specialisms that you may go on to pursue. You can find further information on the BPS website.

Although these are amongst the most common fields for psychology graduates, this degree is highly appealing to employers across industries as it equips you with a number of universally applicable skills, including insight and analytical abilities, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.

For this reason, it’s a versatile qualification with rich career potential, and with a distance learning degree from ARU, you’ll also master several additional soft skills which are highly useful in the workplace – these include organisation, time management, the ability to work independently and a high level of IT literacy thanks to our online learning platforms.

Those graduating from BPS accredited courses are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the society.

What job roles can I consider with an online psychology degree?

An Applied Psychology degree can lead to a wide range of career opportunities. These are just some of the job roles that Applied Psychology BSc (Hons) graduates may consider:

Clinical Psychologist
Counselling Psychologist
Educational Psychologist
Occupational Psychologist
Forensic Psychologist
Health Psychologist

If you are looking for more information about these job profiles and potential salary earnings see Prospects.ac.uk. It’s important to note that salaries can vary widely depending on the job role, employer, industry sector and location.

What skills will I get from an Applied Psychology BSc to help my career?

What can I study after an Applied Psychology BSc (Hons)?

Depending on your long-term goals and interests you may decide to explore a postgraduate qualification such as Clinical Child Psychology MSc, Applied Positive Psychology MSc or Foundations in Clinical Psychology MSc. A Master’s degree is the most common type of postgraduate qualification and usually focuses on a specific area of a wider subject which may support your future career development. Having a bachelor’s degree under your belt is a key entry requirement in opening doors to postgraduate study.

Careers Advice Service

Once you become an ARU student you will be able to access our Employability Service to help you whatever stage your career, whether that’s landing your dream job or the next progression step.

We offer:

careers advice, including one-to-one online and telephone appointments with our experienced advisers
help with your CV, job searches, applications and interview preparation
an online portal packed with useful careers resources
our Employability Programme, which helps you hone the skills employers say they want in graduates.

FAQs

A selection of popular questions

Why study an online psychology degree?

In its simplest form, psychology is the study of the human psyche. It offers valuable insight into our identities and explores the scientific reasoning behind our innermost thoughts and feelings.

But beyond this, the study of psychology is crucial to understanding not just the individual, but their impact on society and vice versa – it explores how we interact with one another, how our structures and organisations operate, and how group environments influence us.

Therefore, a degree in psychology is not simply a study of the human mind – it is a path to tackling the societal challenges of the future.

In the 21st century, the subject is more relevant – and more necessary – than ever. With a rising awareness of mental health and increasing demand for support, psychologists are at the forefront in dealing with some of the most pressing issues of our time and understanding how our current circumstances influence these, from major events such as the COVID-19 crisis to changing societal factors, such as the ubiquity of social media and its impact on our daily lives.

Our Applied Psychology BSc will give you a broad understanding of the complexities of human behaviour, mental health and wellbeing, and social psychology amongst other topics, as well as research methodology and data analysis, helping you build a strong foundation for further study and future specialisation.

What skills will I learn on this course?

Whilst studying, you’ll undertake an in-depth exploration of research methods and data analysis, a subject you’ll engage with first-hand throughout your learning. You’ll learn how to formulate hypothesis and devise research methods to test these, collecting and analysing data to find answers. You’ll also explore the potential ethical issues that sometimes face researchers and have the opportunity to make your own application to a human research ethics panel whilst conducting research of your own.

As part of the course, you’ll also have the opportunity to pursue topics of your own choosing and conduct research on subjects of interest, as well as gaining a wider understanding of psychology which will enable you to specialise in the future.

Why choose ARU Distance Learning?

Our course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) – a must for those looking to pursue psychology careers. With our Applied Psychology BSc, you’ll have the chance to study this fascinating subject from a range of different perspectives, using an interdisciplinary approach to delve beyond the surface of the subject to ask questions and discover answers.

At every step of your distance learning journey with ARU, you’ll receive outstanding support from your course tutor, with frequent communication whenever you need it and written feedback on all assignments. You’ll study via Canvas, an online Learning Management System which gives you access to learning resources and allows you to communicate with staff and other students.

This course is designed to be completely flexible, meaning no matter what your schedule looks like, your studies fit around your life, not the other way round, so you can learn at a pace that suits you.

Is an online psychology degree right for me?

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in psychology, this degree is the stepping stone that will bring you closer to your ambitions, and our standard entry requirements for this course are listed above.

But there are other qualities we look for in a psychology student, and if you have an interest in human behaviour, what makes us who we are and what factors influence our behaviour, this course is ideal for you.

Equally, if you have a curious nature, you’ll fit right in – this course highly encourages inquisitive students to ask challenging questions and find answers through research and analysis.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to study Applied Psychology with us, apply today.

Take the next step, apply today

Next application deadline: 27th May 2026

Your future, on your terms. Apply now before the application deadline.

Apply now