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Details of the minimum academic requirements for entry into the programmes described above are tabulated below.
The following applies to both BSc Psychology (C800) and BSc Psychology with Professional Placement (C810).
English Language/Welsh 1st Language: B
Mathematics: B
GCE Students should offer three A-levels at A2 level. A combination of AVCE (including double award) and A2 is acceptable. The School does not consider applicants offering fewer than three A-Levels with a combination of AS Levels.
The typical offer is AAA or AAB.
If the student has taken at least one of the following subjects – Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics – a typical offer for entry would be AAB.
If the student has not taken any of these subjects, a typical offer would be AAA.
General Studies is not acceptable at AS or A Level.
Applications from students offering the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma (WBQ) are welcomed. In addition to a pass in the Core, an A grade is required in each of 2 GCE A level subjects, at least one of which must come from the following list: Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics. General Studies is not acceptable at AS or A level.
Graduate applicants should have achieved a minimum of grade ‘C’ in GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics plus grade ‘C’ in GCSE English Language or Welsh First Language. At A level, they are expected to have achieved a minimum of ‘BBC’ grades (or BCC if the student has taken one of the following subjects: Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths). Graduate applicants must have, or expect to achieve, at least an upper second class Honours degree.
‘AAAAB’ grades in Scottish Highers, AA at advanced highers.
‘AAAABB’ grades at Higher level in final year qualifications.
Applicants require an overall total of 35 points for entry, no fewer than 18 of which must be at Higher level. This points total excludes those awarded for the extended essay and theory of knowledge, although the School would expect applicants to complete both of these aspects of the Diploma.
Applicants must offer the Diploma with a final overall mark of at least 85% (8.5).
BTEC National Diploma: 3 Distinction grades overall, no individual modules below Merit, at least 6 Distinction grades in Year 2 modules.
BTEC National Certificate: 2 Distinction grades overall, no individual modules below Merit, plus a GCE A-level at Grade A.
BTEC National Award: Distinction grade overall, no individual modules below Merit, plus two GCE A-levels at grades AA.
Access qualifications are considered as a basis for entry only when accompanied by the presence of significant personal and/or occupational experience (typically a minimum of 3 years), preferably relevant to Psychology. The typical requirement is 60 credits overall, with 45 at Level 3 and 15 at Level 2. Distinction grades should be achieved in at least 50% of Level 3 subjects. If Maths is studied at Level 2, a Distinction must be obtained. If Maths is studied at Level 3 it must be passed with a minimum grade of Merit. The School may invite applicants offering an Access course to interview and to provide examples of written work as part of the basis for assessment.
Typical requirement: 60% overall, no module scores below 50%, at least 65% on all modules assessing English proficiency. Other Foundation courses may be considered – a high level of academic performance prior to the Foundation course, in combination with a high level of performance on the Foundation course, would then be used as the basis for an offer. Information on the acceptability of non-Cardiff Foundation courses can be obtained by contacting the Admissions Team.
For applicants offering a combination of qualifications and work experience, the following general criteria apply. The admissions team recognises the difficulties involved in assessing a combination of relevant personal and occupational experiences alongside some formal qualifications, and will scrutinise all borderline cases closely.
English/Welsh 1st Language and Mathematics/Statistics (Grade C GCSE or equivalent).
and
Evidence of successful completion of recent academic study (i.e. in the same year as the application is made).
A minimum of 3 years during which professional and/or personal experience (preferably relevant to the selected degree programme) has been acquired.
Either 1 or 2:
Applications from students with diverse social, cultural and educational backgrounds are encouraged. Minimum entry criteria for a range of qualifications are given above. The list above is not exhaustive, and information on criteria for qualifications or combinations of qualifications not provided there can be obtained by contacting the School of Psychology.
Applications from overseas students are welcome. Our typical entry requirements for international students are around AAB to BBB at A-level, or 32-35 points overall in the International Baccalaureate.
The School of Psychology offers scholarships to international students of full fee-paying status. Our scholarships are based on academic achievement and reward students who achieve excellence in their examinations. Those students who successfully obtain a scholarship receive a substantial reduction on fees for the following year. Please refer to the International Scholarships section of the School of Psychology's website for more information and terms and conditions.
Overseas applicants should ensure that they have adequate financial resources to support them throughout the undergraduate course. The University will require a financial guarantee that all fees can be met.
Overseas applicants who have not been educated in the UK and for whom English is not their first language are required to offer an internationally recognised English Language qualification (this may be waived in certain cases where the primary language of tuition has been English). The qualification must include reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
The requirements listed below are guidelines; we make decisions on a case-by-case basis. Note also that we require a demonstration of competence in mathematics, which typically means evidence that this subject has been studied for at least five years from the age of 11 onwards, and that a good grade has been acquired. For more information, or if your country is not listed here, please contact a member of the Admissions Team.
France:Pass in the Baccalauréat, with a grade of 14/20.
Germany: Abitur with a grade of 1.4 or lower.
Hong Kong: BBB in the HKALE or 3.4 in the Associate Degree.
India: School-leaving certificate (Standard XII) with 85% overall; no individual subjects below 70%.
Malaysia: BBB in STPM. SPM English 1119 Grade C or above is accepted as an English Language qualification in lieu of IELTS requirement.
Norway: Vitnemål fra den Videregående Skole (Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate) with a mark of at least 5.0 overall. This qualification should be endorsed with "general studiekompetanse".
Singapore: SIPCAL with BBB at H2.
USA: SAT1 with score of 600 or above in Maths and Critical Reading, AND Grades 4 or 5 in two or more Advanced Placement tests.
There are no specific additional requirements for admission.
The School of Psychology takes the view that one important indicator of ability is achieving appropriate qualifications while having a high workload. For this reason, applicants re-sitting will be considered only when there are exceptional circumstances (e.g. serious medical or personal issues) that can explain the initial under-achievement. These circumstances should be noted on the UCAS form where appropriate or provided to the School of Psychology Admissions Team.
Back to Psychology Admissions Criteria
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