BSc (Hons) Mental Health and Wellbeing with Foundation Year

Foundation Year: Building Your Confidence and Knowledge

This introductory year is designed to equip you with the essential academic skills and subject knowledge needed to succeed at degree level.

• Academic and Research Skills: Learn how to write compelling essays, research effectively, reference correctly, and deliver confident presentations – the core skills for university success.

• Introduction to Psychology and Sociology: Discover the key thinkers and foundational theories that explain how individuals and societies function, providing a crucial context for understanding health.

• Foundations of Health and Social Care: Explore the structure and key challenges of the UK’s health and social care systems, understanding the real-world environment you could one day work in.

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Develop vital active listening, empathy, and professional communication techniques through practical workshops and role-play scenarios.

• Human Biology and Lifespan Development: Gain a basic understanding of human physiology and how our physical, cognitive, and emotional needs change from infancy to old age.

• Inquiry-Based Learning Project: Undertake a guided research project on a health topic of your choice, putting your new academic skills into practice in a supportive environment.

Year 1: The Core Principles of Mental Health

Your first year of degree-level study establishes the fundamental concepts that underpin the rest of the programme.

• Fundamentals of Mental Health and Wellbeing: A core introduction to key definitions, concepts of normality, and the distinction between mental health and mental illness.

• Introduction to Psychological Theories: Go beyond the basics to explore the major schools of thought—from psychodynamic to cognitive-behavioural—and how they explain human experience.

• Sociology of Health and Illness: Analyse how factors like class, gender, and ethnicity shape health outcomes and access to care within our society.

• Lifespan Development: Examine the psychological journey from childhood and adolescence through to adulthood and later life, focusing on key mental health challenges at each stage.

• Professional Practice and Ethics: Investigate the ethical dilemmas and professional responsibilities of working with vulnerable people, learning to navigate complex situations with integrity.

• Research Methods for Health: Develop the ability to read, critique, and understand scientific research, an essential skill for evidence-based practice.

Year 2: Applying Knowledge and Specialising

You will deepen your expertise in core areas and begin to tailor your studies to your career interests through a choice of optional modules.

Core Modules:

• Applied Therapeutic Approaches: Gain a practical understanding of the theory and application of key interventions like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, and Person-Centred approaches.

• Public Mental Health: Move beyond individual support to explore community-wide strategies, prevention campaigns, and government policies designed to improve the nation’s mental wellbeing.

Optional Modules (Choose two):

• Mental Health in Children and Young People: Focus on the unique challenges facing children and adolescents, exploring issues such as school-based anxiety, developmental disorders, and early intervention strategies.

• Addiction and Behavioural Change: Investigate the psychology of addiction (from substance misuse to gambling) and learn about established models for supporting behavioural change.

• Mental Health and the Workplace: Explore the growing field of organisational wellbeing, including stress management, creating mentally healthy work cultures, and supporting employees.

• Digital Health and Wellbeing: Critically evaluate the role of technology, from mental health apps to online therapy, in modern healthcare delivery.

Year 3: Independent Research and Advanced Topics

Your final year focuses on high-level analysis and a major independent project, demonstrating your mastery of the subject.

Core Modules:

• Dissertation: Plan and execute a major research project on a mental health topic you are passionate about, working one-on-one with a dedicated academic supervisor. This is your chance to make an original contribution to the field.

• Complex Mental Health Conditions: Develop a nuanced understanding of conditions such as psychosis, personality disorders, and complex trauma, with a focus on recovery-oriented models and stigma reduction.

Optional Modules (Choose two):

• Global Mental Health: Compare mental health systems and cultural understandings of distress around the world, analysing the impact of globalisation, conflict, and poverty on wellbeing.

• Counselling Skills in Practice: A practical module focusing on advanced communication skills, building therapeutic relationships, and self-reflection. (Note: This is not a professional qualification to practise as a counsellor).

• Trauma-Informed Care: Learn how to apply the principles of trauma-informed practice across different settings, creating environments that are safe, supportive, and empowering for service users.

• Arts, Creativity, and Wellbeing: Explore the evidence behind therapeutic uses of the arts, from music and art therapy to creative writing, as powerful tools for promoting mental health.