NCI Course Details

Working with our dedicated and experienced psychology faculty, you will gain a solid grounding in the core areas of psychology, including cognitive psychology, personality and individual differences, lifespan development, social psychology, research methods and biological psychology, as well as specialised topics such as workplace psychology, criminal psychology and cyberpsychology.

You will cover major theoretical perspectives, including those of Freud, Jung and Pavlov, and will be encouraged to apply these theories to the world around you through an interesting range of projects and assignments. In studying the science of Psychology, you will learn how to apply the scientific method to questions relating to the human condition.

This degree will give you an excellent, broad knowledge in psychology, and the ability to later specialise in the areas you most enjoy.

As a graduate of this course you will:

• Understand the principles of psychology and gain a broad understanding of human behaviour
• Learn how to critically analyse psychology problems and how to conduct scientific research
• Apply your knowledge of psychology to the workplace, the community and society

NCI’s psychology course has been accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). This approval enables graduates to apply for professional postgraduate courses in such specialisms as clinical, educational, occupational and counselling psychology. If you have an interest in human behaviour and wish to graduate with a degree that opens up whole range of career options then this course will be tremendously rewarding and valuable.

This course will appeal to students who:

• are interested in studying human thoughts, feelings and behaviours by applying the scientific method, including experimentation, hypothesis testing and statistical analysis
• want a PSI-accredited degree

This programme is delivered in three stages over four years.

Year 1

• Applied Introduction and History of Psychology
• Introduction to Research Methods
• Social Psychology
• Lifespan Development

Year 2

• Cognitive Psychology
• Introduction to Statistics
• Personality and Individual Differences
• Biological Bases of Behaviour

Year 3

• Applied Statistics
• Coaching Psychology
• Psychology of Learning and Behaviour Analysis
• Applied Research Methods
• Psychology Labs

Year 4

• Clinical Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Final Project

Students also complete 4 elective modules

Elective modules include:

• Behavioural Science: Problem Based Learning
• Psychology of Gender
• Critical Thinking and Contemporary Issues in Psychology
• Positive Psychology
• Criminal Psychology
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Psychology of Ageing
• Cyberpsychology
• Psychotraumatology
• Workplace Psychology
• Educational Psychology

For information on the modules taught on this course view our module descriptors.

On completion you will receive a QQI BA (Honours) Degree in Psychology at level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications, accredited by PSI.

Upon successful completion of the BA (Hons) in Psychology, graduates who have acquired the appropriate entry requirements can apply to progress to postgraduate programmes at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications such as the MA in HRM or MSc programmes at National College of Ireland, as well as clinical, educational, occupational and counselling psychology at other venues.

Blended - Livestream with some campus and/or campus stream classes, scheduled in advance.

See the BA (Honours) in Psychology course brochure for an explanation of the learning methods.

Typically applicants will have completed a full level 5 award, with applicants considered based on relevant work and other experience. Applicants under 21 will be assessed based on Leaving Certificate or equivalent. In some instances an interview may be required.

For applicants whose first language is not English, please note the English language entry requirements.

All students applying to NCI must have access to a laptop that will allow them to attend classes online and, where relevant, to participate in on-campus learning.

The minimal suitable configuration is:

Processor:

• Intel 7th (or higher) generation processors (Core i-3, ii-5, -7,i-9-7x)
• or AMD Ryzen 3rd generation processors, running at 2.0GHz and above (Intel Atom/Celeron or AMD Athlon/Sempron Processors may cost less, but may not meet your requirements)

Random Access Memory (RAM):
8 GB minimum

Solid State Drive (SSD) Capacity:
256 GB minimum

Wireless Card:
802.11 a/b/g/n compliant with Bluetooth Capability (incompatibilities have been noted with the Qualcomm Atheros Wireless Adapters and software device drivers)

Graphics Card:
Direct X9 or later

Supported Operating Systems:
Windows 10 Home/Pro

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure their computer is functioning correctly and that they have full administrator rights. NCI cannot provide support for these personal devices.

Student Laptop Loan Scheme

A Laptop Loan Scheme is available for eligible students to assist them in completing their chosen course.

The degree is recognised by the Psychological Society of Ireland and therefore allows graduates to apply for further graduate training within psychology in areas including:

• Organisational Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Counselling Psychology

Completion of the degree will also facilitate graduates in entering many other professions including human resources, recruitment, management, consultancy and marketing.

Two evenings per week and some Saturday workshops in year 4.

Please note that exams can be scheduled during the morning, afternoon or evening Monday to Saturday.

4 years. The first 3 years comprise 2 semesters of 13 weeks each per year. The final year comprises 3 semesters: 2 semesters of 13 weeks, and then a third semester running over the summer months. There are no classes in the 3rd (summer) semester of year 4 – this semester is used for students to complete write up of their final year research project.

The fee for this course is €4,200 per annum (fees revised annually).

You can spread the cost of this course with a direct debit plan.

Scholarships and Discounts

We offer a range of scholarship opportunities and discount offers available to both NCI and non-NCI graduates that will help you access this course.