Psychology Foundation Year

Our full-time Psychology Foundation Year will provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to progress with confidence to our Psychology BSc.   

What you will study

The aims of the Psychology Foundation Year are to introduce you to a range of psychological topics alongside developing core academic skills that will prepare you for the Psychology BSc (Hons) degree course. The foundation year takes a reflective approach to learning: you will spend time not just learning about psychology, but also learning about yourself and how you learn – an essential skill for any psychologist.

During the foundation year you will study three modules: 

  • In our ‘Thinking Psychologically’ module, you will be introduced to the world of psychology. You’ll learn how to think like a psychologist, developing the skills to work at university level. 
  • In our ‘Psychology in the Real World’ module, you will explore how psychology operates in our day-to-day lives in several different fields. You will learn from research-active staff who will introduce you to current ideas and their application in the real world. 
  • In our ‘Issues in Social Research’ module, you will consider the wider context within which research takes place.  

The course has been carefully designed to be suitable for those who have no prior knowledge of psychology, and those who may already have an A-level or other psychology qualification. 

I am extremely proud of the Foundation Year programme that we offer at Surrey. It introduces students to a range of psychology topics, whilst developing the skills that are essential for academic success. At the end of the year, students know more about psychology and, just as importantly, have greater insight into themselves as learners. They leave us ready to hit the ground running when they start Year 1. Dr Sarah Hack, Psychology Foundation Year Lead

Teaching and learning

You’ll be taught by a core team with specialist experience in psychology and learning development, ensuring the development of learning occurs alongside learning about psychology:

In addition, you will learn from other academics from the School of Psychology, who will introduce you to their specialist areas of research, such as cognitive neuroscience, environmental psychology, health psychology, developmental psychology and social psychology.

Day-to-day learning 

A variety of learning and teaching methods are used which may include: 

  • Lectures 
  • Interactive workshops 
  • Flipped learning (where the teaching session builds on activities that have been completed beforehand) 
  • Assessment and feedback tutorials 
  • Guided group work and peer evaluation 
  • Independent study, self-directed learning and reflective learning. 

All foundation students are assigned a personal tutor to support you while you study.   

Assessment

The assessments on this course have been designed to help you develop the skills you need to be successful on your degree course and beyond. These include: 

  • Academic essays 
  • End of year reflection on your learning journey 
  • Annotated bibliography 
  • Government-style report 
  • Research project proposal. 

In some cases, you will have the opportunity to submit a formative piece of work for feedback. In all cases you will be supported by assessment-focused workshops and will have the opportunity to seek guidance and advice from experienced lecturers who are there to support you. 

The Psychology Foundation Year offers students a great introduction to, and preparation for, university life and study. Students develop confidence in their academic abilities, make friends and kick-start their university experience. And it all takes place in a supportive learning environment where lecturers work closely with learners to extend their knowledge of psychology and to develop good study habits. Laura Hamilton, Lecturer in Learning Development

Explore our course

Visit our course pages for more information on the Psychology Foundation Year, including:

  • Module details
  • Entry requirements
  • Fees and funding
  • How to apply.