UCD School of Psychology

Scoil na Síceolaíochta UCD

Psychology At UCD

If you are considering studying Psychology at UCD, the answers to the following frequently asked questions may be of interest.

What is psychology?
Psychology is the study of all aspects of behaviour and mental processes. It includes topics such as how the brain works, how our memory is organised, how people interact in groups and how children learn about the world. Because of its breadth, virtually everyone can find something in psychology that is of interest to them. Psychology has links to the natural sciences, the social sciences and the arts, and leads to a variety of career opportunities. Professional psychologists work in the areas of clinical psychology, educational psychology, organisational psychology, forensic psychology, counselling psychology and health psychology.

What is the difference between psychology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis?
There are several differences but one of the most important is the training that psychologists, psychiatrists and psychoanalysts have. Psychology is an independent discipline which is taught in universities and colleges. A psychologist is someone who holds at least a BA or BSc in psychology which is accredited by a national psychology association such as the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) . More often than not, a professional psychologist will also hold a masters or doctoral degree in a specialist area of psychology, such as clinical psychology. A psychiatrist, in contrast, has a primary degree in medicine (rather than psychology) and a specialist postgraduate qualification in psychiatry. Psychiatry is therefore a branch of medicine. Psychoanalysis is a particular approach to psychotherapy, and this approach falls within a psychotherapeutic tradition founded by Sigmund Freud. While all psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists learn something about Freud’s work during their training, only a minority undergo additional specialist training in psychoanalysis to become qualified to practice as psychoanalysts. You can find out more information about psychology at the PSI website. More information about psychiatry is available at the College of Psychiatry Ireland website. Information about psychotherapy in Ireland is available at the Irish Council of Psychotherapy (ICP) website.

What do I do if I want to become a psychologist?
If you do not have a degree already, then the best route is to take the three-year UCD Honours BA in Psychology. If you already have a degree but have not majored in psychology, then you may enrol on the two-year Higher Diploma in Psychology (H Dip Psych). These two degrees provide a general academic training in the discipline. They are accredited by PSI, and as such provide the foundation, and gateway for further postgraduate professional training in a particular branch of psychology such as clinical, counselling or health psychology. This professional training is offered at a masters or doctoral level, so it usually takes 2 to 4 years of study after the BA or H Dip Psych in order to qualify as a professional psychologist.

Taking psychology as a minor subject
Psychology modules are currently the most popular electives chosen by students in their first year in UCD. The fact that psychology is such a broad discipline makes it an attractive topic of study for people taking many degrees including, for example, computer science, nursing, neuroscience, physiotherapy and social science. While these students will complete degrees and major in other subjects they may continue to take electives in psychology later in their degree. This allows them to gain a deeper insight into the aspects of the subject that interest them most.

Is psychology a difficult subject?
All subjects at the university level require a considerable amount of reading and study. How easy or difficult students find a particular subject depends on their ability, interests, and motivation to study the subject.

Is there a lot of mathematics involved?
Statistics are widely used in psychology and courses in statistics are a part of every psychology degree. This news may cause anxiety among new students. However, any student who attends core psychology lectures and tutorials and does the assigned reading should have no difficulty with statistics. The most important thing is to avoid developing a fear of the subject in advance.

Is there a lot of biology involved?
Courses in biological psychology are a part of every psychology degree. Some biology may also be covered in other psychology courses. As with statistics, you will have no problems with biological psychology if you attend the lectures and tutorials and do the assigned readings.

Is there any practical work involved?
There is no practical work in the first year of psychology. In the second year, students are required to complete supervised practical work in experimental psychology, survey research and psychological testing. In the final year, every student must complete a research project and write it up as research thesis.

How do I gain access to the UCD Honours BA in Psychology?
For Irish candidates up to 70 places are offered each year on the basis of Leaving Certificate results and an additional 8 places are available to mature students and non-traditional students who qualify for entry under the HEAR and DARE schemes.


Higher Eduction Access Route	Disability Access Route to Education	Logo of UCD Mature Years

HEAR stands for Higher Education Access Route and DARE stands for Disability Access Route to Education. For Irish candidates application for places must be made through the Central Applications Office (CAO). The CAO code for the UCD Honours BA in Psychology is DN519.


North America	International

A number of places are offered each year to international applicants. Information for international students who are considering studying at UCD is available here: International Students

What kind of Leaving Certificate results do I need to obtain a place in psychology?
The points needed are determined by supply and demand and vary from year to year. It is therefore impossible to specify the exact points that will be needed in advance. In recent years over 520 points have been required for the UCD Honours BA in Psychology.

What are the criteria used in assessing applications from mature students?
The School of Psychology welcomes enquiries from mature students. A variety of factors are considered by the School of Psychology when evaluating applications from mature students. These include traditional academic qualifications, such as Leaving Certificate results, professional qualifications and experience, life experience, evidence of recent study, and the reasons given for wanting to take a degree in psychology. Information for applications procedures for mature students is available at this link:

Logo of UCD Mature Years Mature Students

How do I gain access to the H Dip Psych?
Irish applications are accepted only through the online application form which can be found on the UCD On Line Applications homepage.


North America	International

International applications are also accepted through the online application form which can be found on UCD On Line Applications homepage.

The selection process takes account of (1) undergraduate record and, where relevant, postgraduate record; (2) certified modules or courses in psychology; (3) experience of psychology through work or voluntary activities; (4) employment record; (5) references; (6) applicants’ personal statement on the application form.

Which books should I buy?
Most courses require that students have access to certain books. Students should pay particular attention to reading that is described as "required" or "essential". Many of these books are available in the short loan collection of the UCD library but the demand on library resources is such that some of these books may be difficult to obtain. In such cases, it would be in your interests to buy the book. One way of cutting down on the cost is to have two or three friends buy a copy between them. You may also be able to find a second-hand copy of the book. The Student’s Union holds a book sale at the start of the academic year.

Is there a society or club for psychology at UCD?
Yes, it is called the UCD Psychological Society or PsychSocIt is a thriving and popular society, which holds guest lectures and social events for students throughout the year. Further details can be obtained from the PsychSoc webpage or from the Fresher Stand.

Which postgraduate courses in psychology are available at UCD?
The School of Psychology offers the following postgraduate degree programmes:

Masters in Psychological Science (M Psych Sc)
Doctor of Psychological Science in Clinical Psychology (D Psych Sc)
Masters in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies (MSc, Part-time)
MLitt / PhD research programme

The UCD School of Education offers an MA and PhD in Educational Psychology.

Useful websites: