Congratulations on your offer of a place to study Psychology at Bangor University
As you consider your options, explore what makes Bangor special—from cutting-edge research and practical learning opportunities to a vibrant community passionate about psychology. Take a look at our resources to see what awaits you here in September!
What to expect as a Psychology student
Our Psychology courses are taught by world-class academics, passionate about their subjects. You will learn from experts at the forefront of their fields, and you will have access to a wealth of resources to support your studies.
Psychology students can access various laboratory equipment during their studies at Bangor. These psychology facilities are invaluable for helping us better understand human behaviour.
Our facilities include:
- Bangor Imaging Unit with its own dedicated MRI/fMRI scanner
- Open Access Electrophysiology Laboratory
- Brain Stimulation Lab
In the Psychology department, you will benefit from excellent student support. A tutor is available every working day to deal with pastoral care issues and you will also benefit from guidance from a dedicated academic personal tutor. The academic support available to ensure you maximise your potential includes skills sessions and statistics sessions, And as psychologists, we have used our skills to incorporate a mental health skills programme into our courses.
Message from Professor Dave Richardson, Head of School
We are pleased you have applied to study at Bangor University. Bangor offers a truly exceptional student experience in an unrivalled location.
You are at a very important point in your academic career – perhaps you are about to undertake final examinations, or you are finishing a year out. Maybe it’s been a while since you have studied formally, and you are rediscovering your love of learning. Whatever your background, we are ready to help you in your next steps towards your future career.
Our British Psychological Society accredited degrees provide a broad basis for graduate pathways in psychology and cover fundamental cognitive neuroscience including neuroanatomy and brain imaging techniques using our own MRI scanner, through to psychological and therapeutic care through counselling and mindfulness.
In your free time, you can try a wide range of activities from photography to amateur dramatics, from baking to sea-kayaking, by joining our student-led clubs and societies. Our sector-leading pastoral support also means you will be welcomed and looked after whilst you are here.
We hope to welcome you here in September.
Professor Dave Richardson
Head of School of Psychology and Sport Science
Watch our video
Hi, I'm Doctor Simone Calabrich. I'm one of the lecturers here in the School of Psychology and Sport Science at Bangor University, and I would like to congratulate you on receiving an offer to study psychology here with us.
Now, you might be wondering why choose Bangor? Our psychology department is one of the largest and most prestigious in the UK, with a world-leading reputation in research. This research directly informs our teaching, so you'll be learning from academics at the very top of their game.
We have several state-of-the-art facilities here, including an MRI scanner, EEG labs, eye-tracking labs, and motion capture technology. Plus, in your very first year, you will have the unforgettable experience of holding a real human brain in one of our anatomy labs.
And to make sure you're getting the highest quality education, our degrees are accredited by the British Psychological Society. This means that our courses meet rigorous standards, so you can be confident that you're getting the best possible education.
We take pride not only in our excellent teaching, but also in the supportive environment that we offer. There is always someone available, whether you need academic guidance or personal support. We're here to help you succeed and to ensure you feel supported throughout your studies.
As a Bangor student, you'll also have the opportunity to attend career fairs, which are fantastic for exploring jobs and volunteering opportunities here in this beautiful region. And speaking of the area, Bangor is surrounded by stunning natural beauty with mountains, lakes, and beaches nearby, which is perfect for relaxing and finding inspiration outside of class.
Congratulations once again on your offer, and if you're ready to join us, simply log into your UCAS account to accept. We hope to welcome you to Bangor soon.
Come to an Applicant Day
Every decision we make is shaped by psychology. Right now, you're making one of the biggest decisions of your life—where to study next.
But what if the best way to make a decision was to experience it for yourself?
When we make decisions, we engage both our cold and hot decision-making processes.
The cold process is logical and rational—the research, the comparisons, the careful consideration of courses and universities. You’ve already done that.
Now it’s time to engage the hot decision-making process—your emotions, instincts, and gut feeling.
How do you feel about a place? Does it feel like home? Like somewhere you belong?
We’re inviting you to our applicant day so you can experience Bangor for yourself. This visit will give you the clarity and confidence to make Bangor your first choice.
Psychology tells us that familiarity leads to preference—the mere exposure effect. The more you experience something, the more you connect with it.
By stepping onto campus, seeing our labs, and immersing yourself in university life, you’re not just visiting—you’re taking the first step in your journey to success as a Bangor University student.
Your future in psychology starts with curiosity, exploration, and making the right decisions.
Our applicant day is your chance to ask questions, meet the experts who will support and teach you, and see if this is the place where you’ll thrive.
Come and see what’s possible. We can’t wait to welcome you.
Graduate Success
You never know how or where the information you learn in your Psychology modules will come in handy. Alumnus Jess Howard completed her degree in Psychology in 2017 and as part of that, undertook the Born to Run: Achieve your Goals module. In this class, students learn theories of positive and motivational Psychology and apply those lessons to the challenge of training for and running a marathon. Jess’ confidence grew through this process, and she developed a sense of self-belief that she says led to her landing her dream graduate job in global marketing.
Jess has carried on with running and has now run six marathons including New York, London and Berlin and has also qualified as a running coach, inspiring and supporting others to ‘achieve their goals’ Jess says: “My experience has not only changed my life but has had a positive impact on those around me”.
00:00:00,170 --> 00:00:05,122 Hi, I'm Jess, and I completed the born to run module in 2017.
00:00:05,122 --> 00:00:10,125 I just wanted to kind of talk through my experience with the module,
00:00:10,125 --> 00:00:14,841 my running achievements after the module and even, you know,
00:00:14,841 --> 00:00:15,928 how this whole,
00:00:15,928 --> 00:00:18,377 the whole experience really changed my
00:00:18,377 --> 00:00:20,905 life and who I am today as a person.
00:00:20,905 --> 00:00:25,047 So I was in actually the first born to run cohort.
00:00:26,221 --> 00:00:28,378 Before I set out to do the module,
00:00:28,378 --> 00:00:29,753 I didn't run, I didn't move.
00:00:29,753 --> 00:00:31,665 I was a couch potato.
00:00:31,665 --> 00:00:35,489 And every time we went out training, I was at the back.
00:00:35,489 --> 00:00:39,385 I was always last, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that,
00:00:39,385 --> 00:00:41,962 but I didn't have a lot of confidence.
00:00:41,962 --> 00:00:45,280 I didn't feel like I would be able to do it.
00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,938 but 16 weeks later in May 2017,
00:00:48,938 --> 00:00:52,569 I ran my first marathon across the Liverpool Rock and Roll finishing
00:00:52,569 --> 00:00:56,577 line, hand in hand with who is now one of my best friends,
00:00:56,577 --> 00:00:58,504 another person from the course.
00:00:58,504 --> 00:00:59,955 So on this module, I even
00:00:59,955 --> 00:01:03,449 met friends for life and, yeah,
00:01:03,449 --> 00:01:06,305 it was just an absolutely amazing experience.
00:01:06,305 --> 00:01:09,250 I feel like the module really changed who I am.
00:01:09,250 --> 00:01:10,097 as a person,
00:01:10,097 --> 00:01:14,401 I'm a lot more confident than I was going into it and also,
00:01:14,401 --> 00:01:16,322 I'm also a lot more positive.
00:01:16,322 --> 00:01:19,937 And this positivity doesn't just come through with my running.
00:01:19,937 --> 00:01:24,274 It really changed my whole life and my whole attitude.
00:01:24,274 --> 00:01:27,345 So even when it came to things like getting a job,
00:01:27,345 --> 00:01:30,361 a lot of my friends thought I was being a little bit ambitious when
00:01:30,361 --> 00:01:33,169 I was applying for roles, but I was like, no, I can do this.
00:01:33,169 --> 00:01:36,929 And I did, and I landed myself a brilliant job that I absolutely love,
00:01:36,929 --> 00:01:39,320 that I get to travel the world with
00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:45,080 and I really don't think I would have even applied for it if I hadn't
00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,753 embarked on this whole experience and
00:01:47,753 --> 00:01:49,915 learned everything that I learned.
00:01:49,915 --> 00:01:50,833 so, yeah,
00:01:50,833 --> 00:01:54,727 I could say it had a pretty life-changing impact on who I am
00:01:54,801 --> 00:01:59,650 as a person. In terms of running, since that first marathon,
00:01:59,650 --> 00:02:02,889 I will have ran five, in three weeks time.
00:02:02,889 --> 00:02:04,506 I've got the Manchester Marathon.
00:02:04,506 --> 00:02:06,578 I've ran in a New York City Marathon,
00:02:06,578 --> 00:02:08,746 which was absolutely unbelievable.
00:02:08,746 --> 00:02:12,370 A brilliant experience! I've run in the London marathon,
00:02:12,370 --> 00:02:15,144 I did the Hamburg Marathon last year.
00:02:15,144 --> 00:02:18,320 I had the Berlin Marathon in September.
00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,034 So my goal now is, I set myself another goal of doing the World Series.
00:02:23,034 --> 00:02:25,841 So, there's five marathons. There's London and New York,
00:02:25,841 --> 00:02:29,889 which I've done. Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, sorry, there six!
00:02:29,889 --> 00:02:30,530 And Boston.
Discover the Human Mind: Psychology Webinar Series
Explore the fascinating world of psychology with our exclusive free webinar series, brought to you by one of the UK’s leading psychology departments.
Whether you're interested in a single topic or want to join them all, our webinars are tailored to fit your interests. Plus, you’ll get an opportunity to interact directly with our world-class academics during live Q&A sessions!
Frequently Asked Questions
A semester is one academic session. There are two semesters in an academic year. Semester 1 generally runs from late September to the end of January and Semester 2 generally runs from early February to early June. Each semester has 12 weeks of lectures and 3 weeks of revision and assessment. The Christmas and Easter vacations are each of three weeks duration.
A module is a unit of the degree; it is a topic-based course of 12 weeks duration. Performance on each module will generally be assessed by coursework and by means of an examination (but there are some exceptions—you will be notified of these at the start of the year).
New students will be sent lots of information about Welcome Week and the arrival process before the beginning of term. During Welcome Week there will be plenty of people, staff and students, to guide you around. These include Peer Guides, who are current students who volunteer to help new students to help during the settling-in process. Peer Guides are familiar, friendly faces in the early stages of university life.
Every student at Bangor University is assigned a Personal Tutor, an Academic Staff member who provides personalised academic support and guidance. Your Personal Tutor will meet with you throughout the year to review your grades, discuss employability, and direct you to appropriate student services when needed. They are also responsible for providing academic references for you.
Personal Tutors are dedicated to helping you succeed academically and personally. They can assist with a wide range of issues, from academic challenges to career planning. In addition to regular meetings, you can reach out to your tutor whenever you need extra support or advice.
The Department of Psychology at Bangor University is housed across several buildings, each offering state-of-the-art facilities to support your studies and research.
Most of the Psychology staff can be found in the Brigantia Building, making it the place to go for drop-in sessions, or to speak with your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor. Brigantia has several research labs, including one of our most prized facilities, the MRI scanner in the basement, which allows us to conduct cutting-edge brain research right on campus. Our MRI scanner simulator - which helps participants get accustomed to the experience and sounds of being in the scanner before undergoing actual scans – is also located in Brigantia, as a TMS lab and EEG labs.
The Wheldon Building is where many seminar sessions and workshops take place. It also houses a computer lab used for statistics classes as well as counselling training rooms for students enrolled in the counselling programme to practise their skills.
Another key facility for Psychology students is the Lloyd Building which contains several advanced research labs, including: EEG labs, eye-tracking labs, a motion-capture lab, and audio booths. You’ll likely visit this building if participating in research studies or collecting data for your final-year project.
On average, you will have about 10-12 contact hours per week. Contact hours include a mix of lectures, seminars, practical workshops, and more.
Lectures are delivered in large lecture halls in the Pontio and Main Arts buildings, while workshops and seminar sessions take place across campus. Seminar sessions are usually smaller groups (of approx. 15-25 students), often supported by graduate instructors or student mentors. Each module also offers drop-in sessions where you can simply turn up. Our lecturers are always helpful and willing to assist with any questions you have about the content.
As well as these contact hours you will spend time on private study, reading, consolidating your notes and preparing for assessments. This approach ensures you have plenty of opportunity to deepen your understanding of the material covered during classroom activities. Having free time within the working week also allows you to balance work-life commitments and provides flexibility to manage personal responsibilities and enjoy extracurricular activities.
We use a mix of assessment methods to fairly evaluate your skills. You'll get to create posters, give presentations, write essays, blog posts and science magazine articles, and of course, take exams. Most modules will require you to complete at least two pieces of assessment.
Our diverse assessment approach has been praised by external examiners and the British Psychological Society for effectively measuring student achievement.
You will receive your timetable during Welcome Week. Each students personalised timetable is finalised during the enrolment and registration period.
Welsh-speaking students can complete parts of their Psychology degree through the medium of Welsh. Several modules across in each include Welsh-language options. Additionally, any assignment submitted can be written in either English or Welsh, and bursaries are available for students who choose to study part of their degree in Welsh.
Students learning in Welsh benefit from smaller class sizes, excellent peer support, and a Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor. There is also a hall of residence specifically for Welsh speakers and learners, providing a natural Welsh-speaking environment outside of class.
