Psychology with Developmental Disorders
The BSc (Hons) Psychology with Developmental Disorders covers all areas of psychology needed for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society.
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Key Course Details
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UCAS Code
9WQ3
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Start Date
September
-
Location
Pontypridd
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Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£9,535*
International students
£16,200*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
-
Start Date
September
-
Location
Pontypridd
-
Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£785*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
-
UCAS Code
9WQ4
-
Start Date
September
-
Location
Pontypridd
-
Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£9,535*
International students
£16,200*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
You will also study neurodiverse development and a range of developmental disorders, learning how these are assessed and what interventions they can involve.
DESIGNED FOR
This degree will help you start forming specialist knowledge in developmental disorders and neurodiversity with a psychological underpinning. It’s also ideal for students wanting to apply psychological understanding to help create change in a world designed for neurotypical individuals within settings such as education, the social sector, or the third sector.
Accredited by
- The British Psychological Society
Career paths
- Additional Learning Needs Educator
- Educational Psychologist
- Clinical Psychologist
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
Skills taught
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Project Management
- Ethical and Reflective Practice
- Research
Course Highlights
Module Overview
In Year One, you will study the core disciplines in Psychology (Developmental, Social, Cognitive and Biological), learn how we design research and analyse data in Psychology, and be introduced to the neurodiversity movement, with a focus on Autism, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Developmental Language Disorder, Developmental Coordination Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Critical Perspectives in Psychology
This module enables a deep appreciation of key research that has shaped our current understanding of Psychology as a science, introducing the core BPS areas of cognitive, biological, social, and developmental Psychology.
Investigating Methods and Evidence in Psychology*
You will be introduced to the process of conducting research in Psychology, including design, data analysis, and presentation of results, learning about both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
*This module can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
Introduction to Developmental Disorders
An introduction to the theory and research associated with a range of Developmental Disorders, specifically ADHD, ASC, DCD, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, and Developmental Coordination Disorder.
You will deepen your understanding of the core disciplines in psychology, learn about advanced research methods, complete a placement and reflect on your professional development. In addition, you will learn the approaches used in screening and assessment of developmental disorders, with a focus on real-world application, including an immersive simulation activity in the Hydra Suite.
Screening and Assessment of Developmental Disorders
We will look at the screening and assessment process for different Developmental Disorders, considering the collaborative work of different agencies and organisations to support this process for children and adults.
Professional Practice and Employability
The chance to obtain sector specific work-related experience and/or transferable employability skills linked to theory and research covered in other course modules, reflecting on the ethical and practical issues associated.
Advanced Methods and Evidence in Psychology
We will build on the knowledge from the first year of your course relating to research methodology, statistics, qualitative analysis, and ethics.
From Cells to Consciousness
You will develop a critical understanding of how behaviour relates to bodily processes and how the brain influences behaviour, contextualising this with reference to individual differences and historical debates.
Lifespan Development in the Social Context
You will develop a critical understanding of key theory and research in social and developmental Psychology, deepening your critical appraisal of the role that conceptual and historical issues play in current thinking.
You will complete your research dissertation project, bringing together the knowledge and skills developed over your degree. You’ll consider approaches to intervention and support when working with neurodivergent people, considering both changes to the wider environment, and support for the individual. This will include an immersive simulation activity, through participation in a mock multi-disciplinary meeting.
Psychology Dissertation
An original piece of research where you will have the opportunity to collect and analyse data, assess the ethical issues of research, explore research methods, and report your findings.
Health Psychology across the Lifespan (Optional)
You will develop a systematic knowledge and critical understanding of a range of topics and issues in Health Psychology, placed in the context of lifespan development.
The Psychology of Education and Work (Optional)
You will learn to critically reflect on the theoretical and research perspectives that underpin educational and occupational psychology.
Psychological Disorders and Therapeutic Interventions (Optional)
We will evaluate theoretical models of psychological disorders and critically assess the efficacy of different therapeutic interventions.
Applications of Social Psychology (Optional)
You will develop a systematic critical appreciation of how social psychology can be applied in the real world; including the role that social identity plays in this process.
Cognitive Neuropsychology and Neuroscience (Optional)
We will look at the cognitive consequences of brain damage and disease and explore the current methods of investigating the structure and function of brain systems and regions.
Forensic Psychology (Optional)
We will explore the role that Psychology plays in all aspects of the criminal and civil justice systems and develop a critical appraisal of this.
Applying Knowledge of Developmental Disorders to Practice
We will look at real world application, using methods such as problem-based learning, to consider a range of perspectives when working with individuals with Developmental Disorders, building a range of key skills for employability.
Management and Support of Individuals with Developmental Disorders
We will critically consider the theory and research associated with different approaches to management and support of a range of Developmental Disorders, looking at the ethical and policy frameworks within the field.
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
Your course is delivered through lectures, seminars, workshops, and a range of group and independent study, with further opportunities to attend guest lectures given by academic staff from other institutions and psychologists from various fields of practise. Class activities are widely varied, and you will be supported to apply for a placement in your second year, enabling you to see how individuals with developmental disorders are supported in practice.
This specialised psychology degree allows you to experience a range of assessment methods, including essays, project reports, write ups of case study activities, and oral and poster presentations. You will also complete an independent research project in your final year.
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Teaching staff
Our academic staff are passionate about psychology and are heavily involved in current psychology research across a range of specialist fields, so your teaching comes from staff at the forefront of their research areas.
Sarah-Anne Evans, course leader
Hayley Gibbon
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Placements
In your second year, you will have the opportunity to apply for placements in a variety of settings, such as special schools and charities that support individuals with developmental disorders. You will also be supported to apply for further placements through our Psychology Plus scheme and at our on-campus Behaviour Analysis Clinic.
If you want it, you are guaranteed a six-week placement in our on-campus clinic that offers applied behaviour analytic intervention for children five and under, typically with a diagnosis of autism.
There is also an opportunity to study abroad at a partner university in Europe or at a university in the USA or Australia.
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Facilities
The Psychology facilities at USW are invaluable in helping us understand human behaviour. Our purpose-built psychology lab is filled with industry standard equipment that you will use throughout your studies, as well as interview and observation rooms that allow you, as a researcher, to observe human behaviour in a natural manner through a one-way screen. Some of the equipment that you will use includes eye-tracking equipment, Electroencephalography (EEG) machines, and BIOPAC systems. As part of our dedicated Psychology space, you will also be able to book a space for quiet study and access the dedicated social learning space with computers and psychology textbooks.
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Why USW?
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94% of students are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating from USW.
Accredited by The British Psychological Society
Why USW?
100%
of BSc (Hons) Psychology with Developmental Disorders students were satisfied with their course.
National Student Survey 202494% of students are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating from USW.
Accredited by The British Psychological Society
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS points: 96 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Level: CCC to exclude General Studies
- BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit
- Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate: Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and CC at A Level to exclude General Studies
- Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points.
Additional requirements include:
The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
English language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
We're here to help
Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.
Fees and Funding
£9,535
per year*£16,200
per year*£16,200
per year*£785
per 20 credits*Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
*Obligatory.
Subscription required for each year of the course for a yearly fee of £16. Please note the service has to be joined within 30 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate
Cost: £16
Students will be expected to pay for a DBS or certificate of good behaviour from their home country. The DBS fee includes £49.50 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee
Cost: £64.74
Students undertaking placement as part of professional practice modules may incur costs associated with travel to placement.
Cost: Variable
University Quality Assurance
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
Life at USW
Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.
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How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)
- September 2025 Full-time
- September 2025 Part-time
- September 2025 Sandwich
- September 2026 Part-time
- September 2026 Sandwich
- September 2026 Full-time
Advanced entry
If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
International admissions
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
