Psychology is one of the most popular academic and professional fields in the UK. With around 750,000 people working in professions related to Psychology, many students wonder how to become a psychologist.
In this guide, we’ll break down every step of the qualification process in detail. We’ll answer how long it takes and what skills you need, as well as exploring the process for particular specialisms – like clinical, forensic, and educational psychology.
Note that in this guide we’re focusing on how to become a qualified professional psychologist in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on the seven protected titles which require HCPC registration (clinical, educational, health, forensic, sport and exercise, and occupational). Legally, anyone in the UK can call themselves a ‘psychologist’, but using one of those seven titles requires qualification and registration.
We also discuss Dukes Plus’s Young Psychologist Summer Experience, an incredible two-week psychology summer school for ages 15-18 hosted in London.
Overview
Becoming a psychologist in the UK is an extensive and rigorous process that involves undergraduate and postgraduate training, as well as registration with the relevant professional bodies.
Before we get into each stage of the qualification process in more detail, here is an overview of all the steps involved:
- Undergraduate Psychology degree
- Conversion course, if your undergraduate degree was not in Psychology
- Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Postgraduate training
- Practitioner Psychologist registration (Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)) and Chartered Psychologist accreditation (BPS) (BPS accreditation optional)
Undergraduate Psychology Degree
The first step to becoming a psychologist is often to complete an undergraduate Psychology degree which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). You’ll usually need at least a 2.ii (and in many cases, a 2.i) in your undergraduate degree to progress to postgraduate training.
Entry requirements usually include at least three A Levels, with grades A-A* for competitive universities, and a Psychology personal statement. At Oxford or Cambridge, you will also be interviewed as part of the application.
You can find out more about the best universities for Psychology in the UK in our dedicated guide or explore our Oxbridge application support if you’re applying to Oxford or Cambridge.
Young Psychologist Summer Experience
Experience a career in psychology, with the chance to earn a UCAS-accredited work experience qualification.
Psychology Conversion Course
If your undergraduate degree was not in Psychology (or was simply not accredited by the BPS), you’ll need to take a conversion course to move to the next stage of qualification. Your conversion course will need to be BPS-accredited and usually will last at least one year.
Graduate Membership
After graduating, you can apply for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS. The application process takes place online. You will need to meet the entry requirements, including a minimum of a 2.ii degree from an accredited Psychology course or completion of an approved conversion course.
Postgraduate Qualifications
To become a psychologist, you need to complete postgraduate training. This is the point at which you specialise in a particular field within the discipline, so you’ll need to have developed specific areas of interest and expertise during your degree and work experience.
Many universities will require postgraduate applicants to have a 2.i or higher in their undergraduate degree and evidence of extensive, relevant Psychology work experience.
The exact nature of the qualification you need varies depending on the field you intend to go into.
Doctorate
More commonly, if you want to become a psychologist, you will need to complete a three-year doctoral degree in your chosen specialism. This applies to fields like clinical, forensic, and educational Psychology.
Doctoral degrees are highly competitive. The better your degree performance and the more relevant work experience you have, the higher your chances of success.
Master’s Plus Stage 2 Qualification
As an alternative to the doctorate route, you could complete a Master’s and then a 2-year stage 2 qualification in your chosen specialism. For instance, to become a forensic psychologist, you would first study for a master’s degree in forensic Psychology, then complete two years of supervised practice as part of the BPS qualification in forensic Psychology.
The Master’s and Stage 2 qualification can be substituted for a doctorate when it comes to qualifying.
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Watch the recording of our webinar with clinical psychologist Dr Jamilah Musah on how to become a psychologist, including university, work experience, and career pathways.
Accreditation and Regulation
HCPC Registration
- There are seven specialist practitioner titles covered by HCPC regulation. In the UK, you can only use these titles if you are registered with the HCPC:
- Clinical psychologist
- Forensic psychologist
- Counselling psychologist
- Educational psychologist
- Health psychologist
- Occupational psychologist
- Sport and exercise psychologist
Chartered Membership
After you have completed your undergraduate and postgraduate training, you can apply to the BPS to become a Chartered Psychologist. This allows you to use the title CPsychol after your name, a legally recognised title which reflects professional recognition and the highest level of expertise in Psychology. Chartered Psychologists are expected to follow professional development and ethical standards outlined by the BPS.
You can also become a Practitioner or Registered Psychologist by registering with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). These are also legally recognised titles which require holders to follow the HCPC’s performance and ethical standards and remain on their register while working. However, unlike Chartered Psychologists, Practitioner Psychologists don’t get any extra letters after their name.
You can hold both the Chartered or Practitioner Psychologist titles at the same time.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Psychologist?
It typically takes six to seven years to become a psychologist:
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 3 years |
| Conversion course | 1 year (for non-Psychology undergrads) |
| Postgraduate | 3-4 years |
| Total | 6-7 years |
How to Become Different Types of Psychologist
Clinical
To become a clinical psychologist, you’ll need:
- An accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology, or qualifying conversion course
- Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS
- A postgraduate doctorate (DClinPsych) in clinical Psychology
- HCPC registration
Forensic
Forensic psychologists are also known as criminal psychologists. To qualify, you need:
- An accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology, or qualifying conversion course
- Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS
- A Master’s in Forensic Psychology and Complete 2 years of supervised practice as part of stage 2 of the BPS qualification in Forensic Psychology, OR
- A doctorate in Forensic Psychology
- HCPC registration
Sports
To become a sport and exercise psychologist, you’ll need:
- An accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology, or qualifying conversion course
- Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS
- An accredited Master’s in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Stage 2 qualification, e.g. BPS Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology
- HCPC registration
Educational
To qualify as an educational psychologist, you must have:
- An accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology, or qualifying conversion course
- Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS
- A doctorate in Educational Psychology
- HCPC registration
Skills Needed to Become a Psychologist
Psychology is an academic and intellectually demanding profession. Successful psychologists need excellent research skills, the ability to understand statistics, data, and other evidence, and to know how to apply to research findings in practice.
Good psychologists are motivated by a desire to help others and an interest in the human mind and behaviour.
Excellent non-judgemental listening and communication skills are also necessary, as psychologists regularly interact with people whose thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are often difficult and challenging. Finally, psychologists often have to manage demands from multiple different stakeholders. An educational psychologist might have to deal with the local authority, school leadership, and parents as well as just the child. Or a forensic psychologist will interact with the police, lawyers, courts, victims, and perpetrators of crime. The ability to manage the expectations of these different groups while still upholding professional and ethical standards is vital.
Dukes Plus Young Psychologist Summer Experience
Dukes Plus’s Young Psychologist Summer Experience is an incredible opportunity to experience a career as a psychologist – plus you’ll have the chance to work towards a UCAS-accredited work experience qualification.
Open to students aged 15-18 and based in London, you’ll:
- Undertake training in techniques used by working clinical psychologists, including CBT
- Support a patient through their mental health journey, guided by experts
- Visit the UK’s oldest mental health hospital
Book your place on this once-in-a-lifetime experience today.
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FAQs
You can call yourself a psychologist without a degree, as ‘psychologist’ is not a protected title in UK law. However, if you want to use any of the seven protected titles governed by the HCPC (including educational psychologist, clinical psychologist, and forensic psychologist), you will first need to complete an undergraduate degree. In most cases, this should be a BPS-accredited Psychology degree, though students with a different degree can usually take a BPS-accredited conversion course before moving on to postgraduate training.
Once you’ve completed your undergrad (and conversion course if applicable) you will need to complete postgraduate training and register with the HCPC to use any of those protected psychologist titles.
You can still become a psychologist if your first degree is in another subject. In most cases, you will need to complete a BPS-accredited Psychology conversion course before progressing to postgraduate training.
No – the postgraduate qualification you need depends on the area of Psychology you want to go into. Some specialisms, such as clinical and educational Psychology, usually require a doctorate, while others, such as sport and exercise Psychology, can be accessed through an accredited master’s plus stage 2 qualification.
The main steps are completing an undergraduate Psychology degree, gaining Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), and completing postgraduate training in your chosen specialism. After that, you can apply for Chartered Psychologist status with the BPS and/or register with the HCPC, depending on your career path.
It usually takes six to seven years to become a psychologist in the UK. This normally includes a three-year undergraduate degree and three to four years of postgraduate training. Work experience should be integrated into this timeline.
Yes – a teacher can become an educational psychologist, but they will still need to complete the required Psychology qualifications. This usually means completing a Psychology degree or conversion course, gaining Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), completing a doctorate in Educational Psychology, and registering with the HCPC.