BSc Psychology and Language Sciences

Discover the inner workings of the human mind, how language develops and the disorders that can arise, all through this exciting and challenging BSc Psychology and Language Sciences degree.

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society and enables you to move on to further training as a professional psychologist. Our staff are actively engaged in world-class research in psychology and language sciences, and you will benefit directly from discoveries made in areas such as linguistics, language development, language pathology, and bilingualism. 92% of students in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences said our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (91.8% National Student Survey, 2023).

The first two years will give you a grounding in psychology and linguistics. This enables you to analyse and understand typical speech and language, together with a range of disorders. During the final year you will be able to choose from a wide variety of optional modules, allowing you to tailor the degree to your specific interests.

Throughout the course you will be able to learn a modern language, such as French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic or Russian. No prior language knowledge is required in order to do this. In addition, you can further your professional experience by undertaking a work placement.

During the course you will gain practical experience, and learn how to devise and run your own experiments. During the final year you will carry out an original piece of research on a topic of your choice. Past examples have included the effects of emotion on cognition, the effects of Huntingdon's Disease on quality of life, and projects examining bilingual and multilingual language comprehension. You may even have the opportunity to present your work at conferences, and a number of past projects have won awards from the British Psychological Society.

Furthermore, the School houses state-of-the-art facilities to support research and learning including eye-tracking and specialist equipment for electrophysiology and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We also have various in-house NHS clinics, including our Anxiety and Depression and Speech and Language Therapy clinics, the Centre for Autism, as well as the world-renowned Charlie Waller Institute for evidence-based psychological treatments on site.

For more information, please visit the School of Psychology website.

Placement

You will have the chance to put your skills and knowledge to use through work placements. These take place in non-NHS settings, such as schools or nurseries. The Psychology Department has a dedicated placements officer who will support you in finding a placement, and can provide guidance for writing a CV.

Additionally, in your second year you can apply for a summer vacation placement, which will be spent working with a member of staff on a piece of research.

Overview

Discover the inner workings of the human mind, how language develops and the disorders that can arise, all through this exciting and challenging BSc Psychology and Language Sciences degree.

For more information, please visit the School of Psychology website.

Placement

Additionally, in your second year you can apply for a summer vacation placement, which will be spent working with a member of staff on a piece of research.

Entry requirements A Level AAB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

ABB

International Baccalaureate

32 points overall including minimum 4 in English at standard level.

GCSE

English at grade B (5) and Science at grade C (4).

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Compulsory modules

Debates in Mental Health

Explore key current and historical issues in clinical psychology and develop your understanding of psychological disorders, their assessment, and current evidence-based interventions.

Introduction to Psychological Research

Explore quantitative and qualitative research methods, and develop skills in planning, data gathering and dissemination stages of psychology-related research.

Learning about Learning

Develop an understanding of learning and memory and use this knowledge to reflect on their own learning. You’ll gain knowledge on the nature of learning and the theoretical models underpinning these processes.

The Person and the Brain

Build a broad understanding of psychology and its fundamental concepts and theories. You’ll gain knowledge on key principles of organisation of systems while covering topics such as neural and hormonal function, genetic contributions to behaviour, personality, and group dynamics.

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Cognitive and Biological Psychology

Develop an understanding of biopsychology and cognition, perception, and neuroscience through the study of topics such as attention and consciousness, object and face recognition, multisensory integration, pain, and cognitive control.

Development Across the Lifespan

Discover how individuals change and develop from the neonatal period, throughout childhood, into adolescence and old age. Explore theories and research in typical and neurodivergent development and enhance your knowledge about observational methods.

Professional and Clinical Practice

Develop a range of work-related skills required of professional psychologists. You’ll participate in workshops, complete a placement in a psychology-related career field, and gain knowledge and expertise to boost your employability.

Research Methods in Psychology

Extend your knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods in psychology, examine methods of conducting and analysing quantitative and qualitative research, and enhance your data analysis and critical evaluation skills.

Social Psychology and Individual Differences

Deepen your knowledge and understanding of the complex interplay between social psychology, typical social phenomena and individual differences.

Compulsory modules:

Project

Conduct an independent piece of original research that involves literature review, planning, ethical considerations, data collection, data analysis, and a final written project report.

Optional modules

Language in the Brain

Discover how the brain correlates with language acquisition and processing. You’ll examine the aspects of language including comprehension (reading and listening) and production (spoken and written) as well as development language disorders and the methods employed in the study of the neuroscience of language.

Health Psychology and Behaviour Change

Study psychological theories to understand key topics in Health Psychology. You’ll consider them in relation to different developmental stages such as food preferences in children, sleep among adolescents, stress in adults and chronic illness in older adults. You’ll develop practical skills as you apply scientific theory and prepare for further study.

Emotion and Motivation

Enhance your understanding of the science of emotion and motivation as you study historical perspectives and current theory related to topics such as emotional expression and regulation, brain-body interaction, and behaviour change. You’ll learn by engaging with conceptual and historical issues, social and biological psychology, individual differences and key research methods of the past and present.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,535 per year for 2025/26 then fixed per year at this fee for the standard duration of your course.

New international students: £29,950 per year for 2025/26 then fixed per year at this fee for the standard duration of your course.

Tuition fees

To find out more about how the University of Reading sets its tuition fees, see our fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

As a graduate of this course you will be qualified for further training as a professional psychologist, for example clinical or educational psychologist. It is accredited by the British Psychological Society and provides you with the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. The degree is also ideal if you wish to enter postgraduate study and training to become a speech and language therapist.

You could go on to work for organisations such as the NHS, civil services, schools, or charities. Skills learned on the course also open up many doors within the private sector, within areas such as HR, recruitment, management consultancy, publicity, finance and journalism.

BSc Psychology and Language Sciences

Placement

Tuition fees

Additional costs

Financial support for your studies

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