As a student on the BA Applied Psychology, you get a chance to engage with a wide breadth of topics. The degree follows a rich, varied and challenging curriculum, from history to neuroscience, culture to biology, from children to the elderly, from professional skills to statistical and laboratory skills. The scope of psychology can be seen in the variety of areas that staff in Applied Psychology in UCC research, which includes examining:
how children learn and develop
sensorimotor processes such as those involved in falling
the interpersonal processes involved in caring which may lead to healthier, experientially richer ageing
people’s engagement with social media and games and how technology could be designed to give people a chance for a richer life
adolescent health and wellbeing and how it can be improved
We aim to provide you with an education in Psychology which meets the highest world standards, while recognising our established and on-going commitment to the application and use of that knowledge.
The BA Applied Psychology is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland, and graduates are eligible for graduate membership of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) with a Second Class Honours or above, or completion of a PSI accredited Psychology Conversion Course with an overall pass mark of 50 percent. This entitles you to apply for postgraduate training in psychology in the specific area in which you choose to specialise.
The Applied Psychology course is an excellent preparation and grounding for future psychologists. More than 90% of our graduates are in employment in a field of psychology or are in postgraduate training.
Some of the unique aspects of our course include:
course is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland, recognised by the British Psychological Society, and widely accepted internationally
strong, internationally recognised research by staff
staff are committed to and engaged in mentoring psychology undergraduates
committed to supporting work experience among students
graduates can progress to a wide variety of postgraduate training, in Cork and beyond.
Skills and Careers Information
Internationally, psychology graduates enjoy better job prospects than almost any other discipline. Over the past five years 94% of graduates were working or taking further training. As a graduate of Applied Psychology, you will have the required foundation to follow a career in psychology including clinical practice and research. You will also use your knowledge of psychology in a wide range of careers including:
Clinical Psychologist
Human Resource Management
Advertising & Marketing
Social and health services
Criminal justice system
Industry
Research
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution
Expected January 2026
UCC Campus
College Road,
Cork,
T12 K8AF, Republic of Ireland
Non-EU applicants are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate
Duolingo English Test (DET): DET 120 with a minimum score of 110 in each individual section
IELTS - International English Language Testing System/ IELTS Indicator Test: Minimum overall score of 6.5 and a minimum of 6.0 in each band
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language - TOEFL iBT/TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition Test: Minimum overall score of 90 and minimum of 20 in each section
University of Cambridge: 176+ on the Cambridge English scale with no less than 169 in each skill and use of English i.e.
Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) First Certificate, Grade A (CEFR Level C1)
Pearson PTE Academic: Minimum of 63 (with at least 59 for each item in the Communicative Skills section)
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
UCC is an award-winning, world-class teaching and research university with over 170 years of history.