International Year One in Psychology*
Build a strong foundation in psychology, developing the essential knowledge and technical skills you’ll need to succeed in your degree and beyond.
*Subject to programme approval
Progress to a degree at the School of Psychology
The International Year One in Psychology will prepare you to join the second year of your psychology undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield.
Who is the programme for?
- Ambitious international students seeking a high quality education at a globally recognised, high-ranking university.
- Motivated students who want to learn scientific skills to investigate and understand human behaviour and society.
- Students who are interested in a practical way of learning to gain transferable skills that employers are looking for.
What will you study?
This two-semester programme is designed to prepare you for your second undergraduate degree at University Sheffield. Developed in collaboration with the University, the modules are aligned to your field of study. As part of the International Year One, you will also study dedicated English language content that is focused on improving your speaking, writing and academic language skills. You will enhance both your academic and English language skills needed for your undergraduate degree.
The Academic English Skills course teaches students the specific academic language skills they need to develop for success at University of Sheffield. The course focuses on the receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) skills through practice in semi and authentic task-based activities which build a strong foundation in preparation for each student's future studies. This critical module places particular emphasis on developing academic reading and research skills; research-based writing along with presentation and seminar speaking skills.
This unit provides an overview of core components of cognition and cognitive development including the principles of their investigation. The module covers perception, attention, performance, cognitive neuroscience, language, learning, memory and reasoning. It introduces and explores key concepts, theoretical perspectives and foundational methods. Examples of key studies in cognitive psychology will be considered critically.
This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the key principles within Neuroscience, Clinical and Neurodevelopmental psychology. The module will introduce students to the basic structure and function of the brain. Students will gain an understanding of techniques and assessments used within Neuroscience, Clinical and Developmental psychology along with an awareness of ethical issues linked to those techniques. The module will cover the aetiology, development, assessment and treatment of specific psychological and neurological disorders.
This module introduces the knowledge and skills that underpin the science of psychology. The module considers why psychological scientists conduct empirical research the way they do, and how to conduct research in psychological science. Topics span the various stages of the research process, including the logic of hypothesis testing; types of research designs, methodologies, and measurement strategies; descriptive statistics; simple qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques; and critical thinking about published research.
This module will provide an overview of the fundamentals of social psychology including social development from infancy to adolescence, and into later life. The module will introduce and explain key theories and research, and their application, for understanding social psychological phenomena. Content is organised around themes of how people think, how people feel and behave along with major developmental changes. The module discusses theoretical perspectives underlying Social and Developmental research via lectures that include instruction in how to critically evaluate psychological research and theories, as well as describe how social psychology theory can be applied to address real world issues. Examples of key studies in Social and Developmental psychology will be considered critically.
Why study psychology at the University of Sheffield?
The School of Psychology at Sheffield is focused on exploring the science behind the human brain and behaviour. In your psychology undergraduate degree, you will study across the breadth of psychology and then specialise in the topics that interest you most.
- The Psychology BSc is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and makes you eligible for graduate membership - the first step to becoming a chartered psychologist, and necessary for courses in clinical, health and occupational psychology.
- 92% of the School of Psychology’s research is rated in as world-leading or internationally excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
- You will have access to the technologies to undertake world-class research. The School’s specialist research facilities include a dedicated child development laboratory, eye-tracking technology, TMS and TDCS equipment for experiments involving brain stimulation, a state-of-the-art EEG suite for measuring brain activity, biomimetic robots, motion capture equipment, and a virtual reality suite.
- You’ll learn in lots of different ways to make sure that you get the skills and knowledge that every psychologist needs, including lectures, small group tutorials and workshops. The largest part of the course is the in-depth research project, often reported by students as the best part of their degree. Taking place in the final year, you’ll work with an expert in a psychology area that interests you and complete a real research project over six months. You’ll design the study, gather data, and analyse your results. Examples of recent student research projects include:
- The role of exercise in controlling ADHD-like traits in university students
- Understanding problematic smartphone use
- All of the staff are committed to great teaching. Several have been given awards from the University of Sheffield, or have earned professional recognition for the innovative and engaging ways they have helped students learn psychology.
- You’ll receive extensive career support from the School of Psychology’s dedicated employability team, who will tailor guidance to your future plans. The curriculum includes built-in skills development sessions, along with regular employer events, networking opportunities, and talks from alumni and visiting psychology professionals.
Key facts
Course length: 2 semesters
Entry points: September
Age on entry: Students should be at least 17 years of age on entry to the International College
Entry requirements: Check academic and English language entry requirements
Top 20 in the UK for psychology
(The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026)
86% of graduates
go on to work and/or study 15 months after the course Psychology BSc
(DiscoverUni, based on Graduate Outcomes survey by HESA, data for students graduating 2022-23)
Progress to your degree
You will receive regular feedback on your progress throughout your course so you know you’re on the right track. And our progression support team is available to support you throughout your studies.
Once you complete your International Year One in Psychology, and achieve the required grades, you can enter into the second year of an undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield.
| Degree Programme Name | Award | Overall Grade | English Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Results | |||
English language courses
If you need additional support to reach the English language level for this programme you can take one of our English language courses first.
Find out more
