Date: 2nd March 2026 

Speakers: Peter Ludgate (Senior Student Recruitment Advisor) and Prof. Rebecca Knibb (Psychology Programme Director) 

Introduction 

Peter Ludgate: Hello everyone. Good afternoon, good morning, good evening, or even good midnight depending on where you are in the world. Thank you for joining us for today’s introduction to Aston University Online’s BSc and MSc Psychology programmes. 

My name is Peter Ludgate, and I am the Senior Student Recruitment Advisor at Aston Online. My role is primarily to support prospective students through the onboarding journey — from the moment you first enquire about the programme through to your first day of class, and sometimes even beyond that. 

Joining us today is Professor Rebecca Knibb, the Psychology Programme Director. 

Rebecca, how are you today? 

Prof. Rebecca Knibb: Thank you very much. Hello everybody. 

My name is Rebecca Knibb. I am a Health Psychologist based at Aston University in Birmingham, although today I am speaking to you from the Cotswolds. 

I am the Programme Director for the online psychology programmes. I work on the campus side of the programme, and there is also programme leadership on the online delivery side. Together we work as a team to ensure that all students studying on the online programmes receive the support they need. 

Peter Ludgate: Wonderful. Thank you very much, Rebecca. We will hear more from Rebecca shortly. 

 

Studying with Aston University Online 

Peter Ludgate: First, I would like to talk about why you might choose to study with Aston University Online. 

Aston University was voted University of the Year for Student Success in the Daily Mail University Guide 2025. Student support is extremely important to us. Whether you require academic guidance or pastoral support, there are dedicated teams available to help throughout your studies. 

We are also ranked in the top 5% of universities globally, according to the QS World University Rankings. 

Additionally, Aston University holds a Triple Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023). 

All of this reflects our focus on delivering a flexible, student-centered learning experience. 

So, what does that actually look like in practice? 

You will have access to expert tutors who provide feedback and academic guidance throughout your studies. While I would not say support is literally around the clock, tutors are very responsive and available to support your progress. 

We also have a dedicated Student Success Team. They provide pastoral support and can assist with any concerns that arise during your studies. If you need advice, encouragement, or even need to take a short break from studying, they are there to guide you through the process. 

Students have full access to Aston’s digital library, which includes a wide range of academic journals, articles, and learning resources available 24 hours a day. 

So, if you prefer studying late at night — even at 3 a.m. — you will have access to everything you need. I would not personally recommend studying at 3 a.m., but the option is there. 

Students also receive complimentary access to Adobe Creative Cloud throughout their studies. 

For those considering student finance, the programme is eligible for Student Finance England, provided you meet their requirements. 

If you prefer to self-fund, tuition fees can be spread across monthly instalments. 

Importantly, there is no need to leave your job to complete this programme. Both the BSc and MSc Psychology degrees are part-time programmes. 

We typically recommend committing 15–25 hours of study per week. This may vary depending on the assignments or tasks you are completing. 

The programmes re delivered asynchronously, meaning you can choose when to study. You can access the programme materials anytime and from anywhere, allowing you to balance your studies with your professional and personal commitments. 

If you have been considering returning to education — whether for your first degree or a master’s qualification — this flexible format makes it easier to fit study around your life. 

 

Psychology overview 

Peter Ludgate: Our psychology programmes are accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). 

We are also ranked in the top five universities in the UK for graduate prospects in psychology, according to the Complete University Guide 2024. 

The programmes combine psychological theory with practical, real-world insight, helping graduates succeed in people-focused industries. 

Of course, many graduates pursue careers directly related to psychology. However, the skills developed during the programme — such as research, critical thinking, and understanding human behaviour — are also valuable in many other sectors. 

Ultimately, the programme is designed to boost employability by developing in-demand skills. 

 

Entry requirements 

Prof. Rebecca Knibb: We’re very pleased to let you know that our programmes are now BPS accredited. This is especially important if you want to continue your education and training to become a practitioner psychologist. 

All of the training routes that we may touch on later in this webinar can be followed with a BPS-accredited degree. 

For the BSc Psychology degree, the entry requirement is three Bs at A-level, or an equivalent qualification. If you are not studying A-levels and have another qualification, we can review the equivalent tariff to determine whether you meet the entry requirements. 

That applies to the undergraduate BSc degree. 

If you are interested in the MSc, this is a conversion programme. The MSc conversion programme is designed for students who already have a degree, but not in psychology, and who want to move into psychology and possibly continue into further training as a practitioner psychologist. 

If you already have a degree, as long as it is a 2:2 honours degree or an international equivalent, you can apply to join the MSc. 

If you are an international student, there are also English language requirements. 

If you have other relevant experience, please do tell us about it. We can look at your experience, professional qualifications, and other background information, particularly if you do not hold a degree-level qualification and want to join the MSc conversion programme. 

If you do not meet the standard entry requirements, please still get in touch. We can review your profile and let you know whether you may still be eligible. 

 

BSc Psychology overview 

Prof. Rebecca Knibb: As we mentioned, the programme is BPS accredited. 

The total tuition fee for the BSc Psychology degree is just over $21,000, and you can pay this in monthly instalments. There are also government funding options available that may help to cover tuition fees. 

This is a part-time degree completed over four years. A standard full-time campus-based undergraduate degree usually takes three years, but this online part-time degree is structured so that you complete it in four years, rather than six. 

The reason it can be completed in four years is because of the way the programme is delivered. Typically, you will study one block of teaching, then have four weeks off, then begin another block of teaching, followed by another four-week break. 

Unlike campus-based students, who usually study from September to April and then have a long summer break, online students do not have that extended summer break. Instead, you have shorter breaks between modules, which allows you to complete the full programme in four years. 

Throughout the degree, you will gain a broad range of skills. 

You will, of course, develop a stronger understanding of human behaviour, but you will also gain many transferable skills, which is one of the reasons students value psychology degrees so highly. 

You will develop qualitative and quantitative research skills, along with communication skills, presentation skills, and numeracy skills, particularly through learning statistics and how to analyse quantitative data. 

By the end of the degree, you will have a wide range of career-ready skills. 

 

MSc Psychology Conversion programme 

Prof. Rebecca Knibb: The MSc Psychology is slightly different. As I mentioned earlier, it is a conversion programme designed specifically for students who do not already have a BPS-accredited undergraduate degree in psychology, but who want to move into psychology and possibly continue into further training or work in a psychology-related field. 

If you already have a degree, there is no need to complete another undergraduate degree. Instead, you can complete this conversion programme. 

This programme is also part-time, and it is completed over two years. 

The two-year part-time programme covers all of the core components required for BPS accreditation, meaning it includes what we call the core curriculum. 

You will study key areas such as cognitive psychology, social psychology, and developmental psychology, along with extensive research skills training. 

You will be trained in both qualitative and quantitative methods, and, just like students on the undergraduate programme, you will complete a specialist empirical research project. 

The tuition fee for the MSc is $11,000, and this can also be paid in monthly instalments. 

 

BSc programme structure 

Prof. Rebecca Knibb: This is the structure of the BSc undergraduate degree. 

The programme includes Levels 4, 5, and 6, and, as mentioned, is completed over four years. 

You begin at Level 4 with Foundations and Misconceptions in Psychology, which gives you a strong grounding across different areas of psychology. 

You then move on to modules in Biological and Cognitive Psychology, and Social and Developmental Psychology, before completing your first Research Methods and Data Analysis module. 

At Level 5, you continue covering the core curriculum, including topics such as individual differences, but you also study more specialist and applied topics that reflect the expertise and research background of our teaching staff. 

These include areas such as Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Health Psychology. 

When you move to Level 6, which is the highest level of the undergraduate degree, you will study more advanced topics such as Critical Social Psychology, Individual, Social and Global Wellbeing, and more content in Neuroscience, which is one of our specialist strengths. 

At this stage, you will also complete your Empirical Research Project. 

Each module is worth 30 credits, and each credit represents around 10 learning hours, meaning that each 30-credit module involves around 300 hours of learning. 

 

MSc programme structure 

Prof. Rebecca Knibb: The MSc structure is slightly different, as it is completed over two years. 

These are also 30-credit modules, apart from the research project, which is larger because the MSc is studied at Level 7. 

The taught modules cover Research Methods and Data Analysis, Cognitive, Developmental and Neuropsychology, and Social Psychology and Individual Differences. Together, these cover the core curriculum required for accreditation. 

You will also complete an Empirical Research Project, which is worth 60 credits. 

 

Career prospects 

Prof. Rebecca Knibb: I think this may be the final section from me, so I’ll just talk briefly about career prospects. 

This is what happens when you work from home and have dogs. One of mine was getting into her food and making a noise, which you may have heard. My Labrador may also want to come and say hello at some point, if anyone is interested. 

In terms of career prospects, there are many different practitioner psychology routes you can pursue, including counselling psychology, clinical psychology, health psychology, and forensic psychology. 

You can complete one of our degrees and then continue into further professional training in one of these areas. 

For areas such as health psychology, forensic psychology, and clinical psychology, you would normally train at doctoral level, and once you complete that doctoral training, you can register as a practitioner psychologist. 

There are also many other options available. 

You may remain within the psychology field and move into roles such as psychological wellbeing practitioner, or work in research or academia. 

Many of our students also go on to work in areas such as public health. 

You may also work within the NHS if you want a more clinical or health-related role. 

Those interested in forensic or criminal psychology may go on to work in settings such as the prison service or with the police. 

You may also decide to complete the degree and then move into a different field altogether. The research skills and transferable skills you gain can support careers in areas such as HR, advertising, and marketing. 

So, the degree opens up a wide range of career possibilities. 

I think that’s everything from me. Thank you. 

Peter Ludgate: Thank you again, Rebecca. That was greatly appreciated. 

So yes, the possibilities are very wide-ranging indeed. 

Learning Experience and the Aston Online Platform 

Peter Ludgate: How will you learn? Through our online digital campus, called Aston Online. 

It is a dynamic global learning environment that you can log into regularly around your own schedule. It is where you stay on top of your programmes, receive updates from tutors, and remain connected with fellow students. 

There is also a messages space where you can communicate easily with your classmates, tutors, and the Student Success Team. 

You can also customise the platform. For example, you can highlight favourite modules, change the display format, and archive completed programmes. 

If there are particular modules you found especially useful or enjoyable, you can highlight them for future reference. Once a module is completed, it remains available for you to access until you graduate, and even for a little while afterwards. 

There is also a navigation menu, which acts as the main hub for everything you need. It is where you access your study materials, plan your schedule with the calendar, track assignments, read module announcements, and contact the support team whenever needed. 

If you have not already done so, please sign up for our upcoming webinar, which offers a more detailed look at the Aston Online platform and what a day in the life of an online student looks like. 

It is a very useful tool that you will use from the start of your studies all the way through to completion. 

 

Application process 

Peter Ludgate: If you are interested in applying, we aim to make the process quick, simple, and supportive. 

The process begins by completing the online application form. Once that is submitted, a member of the admissions team, myself or one of my colleagues, will get in touch to discuss your career goals and the details of the programme. 

We want to make sure that the programme is the right fit for you, and that you are the right fit for the programme. 

If everything aligns, we will then ask you to submit the required documents, such as your CV, personal statement, references, and academic records. 

After that, you simply wait for a decision from the team. We normally aim not to keep applicants waiting for more than a few days, depending on application volume, so it is a good idea to apply sooner rather than later. 

Once you receive an offer, the next step is to accept it. 

If you are self-funding, or funding through the postgraduate route, you can accept your place by paying your deposit. 

If you are using Student Finance for undergraduate study, we will need confirmation of your student finance application. 

The final step, second only to graduation in excitement, is preparing to start the programme. 

 

Fees and funding 

Peter Ludgate: We believe that quality education should be accessible to everyone, so we offer flexible payment options to help you invest in your future. 

If you are self-funding, you can split your tuition fees into monthly instalments. The vast majority of self-funding students choose this option. There are no additional interest fees or charges. 

We can discuss the payment options in more detail with you individually if needed. 

In the UK, there are also government funding options available for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. All of our online programmes can be funded through Student Finance, subject to eligibility. 

If your employer is willing to support the cost of the programme, we can also arrange an employer sponsorship agreement. 

For some students, we also offer a 20% alumni discount for those returning to Aston after previous study. 

We also offer a 5% early deposit discount, additional merit scholarships, and a 5% upfront payment discount. 

So, there are many different ways in which we can support you as you work towards your first day of class. 

 

Student support 

Peter Ludgate: Speaking of support, before I open the floor to questions, I’d like to say a little more about our Student Success Team. 

Once you receive your offer, they will invite you to a welcome webinar and explain the support available to you. 

They will guide you through the onboarding process and help you settle in, including access to an induction programme. You will be given access to an induction module before your classes begin and before the programme materials go live. 

You will also have access to a student hub with a wide range of resources and support materials, along with continuous academic support throughout your studies. 

Some of these services are already described online, although you would need to be an Aston student to access them. We offer support such as academic writing guidance and similar resources. 

In addition, students have access to our award-winning careers team, and that support continues even after graduation. 

So, there are many ways in which we support students before, during, and after their studies with Aston University Online. 

Dislcaimer: 

This transcript is based on a recorded webinar and has been lightly edited for readability, clarity and conciseness. We’ve removed filler words, false starts, and repeated phrases (such as “um” and “ah”) without changing the meaning. All information remains accurate to the recording. 

Tuition fees may be subject to annual increases in line with inflation from 2026, in accordance with UK Government policy and maximum fee limits.