How to become a psychologist

If you’re fascinated by human behaviour, being a psychologist could be worth considering. Learn more about the different qualifications and skills you’ll need to obtain to become a psychologist.

CAREER PROSPECTS CHOOSING A COURSE CHOOSING A UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE

Tamsin Mosse 28 Jun 2023

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Routes to becoming a psychologist
Skills you’ll need
Finding work experience
How to get a job as a psychologist
What it's like to be a psychologist

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Routes to becoming a psychologist

To become a psychologist, you’ll usually need to complete a relevant undergraduate degree and a postgraduate qualification as well as gaining graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS). This professional organisation also approves university courses.

Undergraduate degrees

Psychology degrees may incorporate clinical training or be offered in combination with other subjects like business and psychology. You’ll usually need between 104–156 UCAS points to study for a psychology degree at university. It’s worth checking if the course you’re considering is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). This demonstrates to potential employers that you have the standard of knowledge and skills required and you’ll be eligible to become a graduate member of the BPS on successful completion of your studies.

You can learn more about what to expect from a psychology degree in our subject guide, including what topics you’ll cover and how you’ll be assessed.

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Find an undergraduate psychology degree

Degree apprenticeships

Degree apprenticeships at a Level 7 are available as an alternative to a postgraduate qualification rather than an undergraduate degree. This option takes 18 months full time and leads to a Master’s qualification. Apprenticeships are available through an employer like the NHS, alongside training on a university-validated degree programme. You’ll be involved in a mix of on-the-job training and classroom-based study. The British Psychological Society (BPS) offers more information about this on their website.

You can also search for apprenticeship opportunities via Find an apprenticeship.

Postgraduate degrees

To practice as a psychologist, you’ll need an additional postgraduate qualification in your chosen specialist area such as education, forensics or health. Entry requirements include a relevant undergraduate degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). If you have an unrelated degree or one that isn’t recognised by BPS, it’s possible to complete an approved psychology conversion course first. Courses can take from one to three years to complete.

Skills you’ll need

As well as having a comprehensive understanding of how the mind works, you’ll also need:

communication skills

empathy
critical thinking
data handling and analysis
IT literacy and numeracy
organisation and project management

presentation and report writing
problem-solving
teamworking
time management
self-motivation and resilience

Finding work experience

It may be a course requirement to have some sort of related work experience. You’ll also get some experience as part of your studies but it’s a good idea to look for additional opportunities to show a potential employer you’re committed.

Try looking for work by:

volunteering for a relevant charity such as mental health or victim support

shadowing an occupation that might be relevant to your future career such as someone in a school, health or care sector or perhaps a university if you are interested in research

How to get a job as a psychologist

On completing your degree, it’s important to register with the BPS as a graduate member. Job opportunities are also advertised on their website. Most clinical and counselling psychologists are employed by private health companies or the NHS. The main employer for forensic psychologist is the HM Prison Service and for educational psychologists it tends to be local authority children's services or local authority educational psychology service if you’re based in Scotland.

What it's like to be a psychologist

As a psychologist you’ll be using your skills and knowledge to help people with a range of mental and physical issues. Depending on your role and specialisation, your tasks could include:

supporting people with learning or emotional issues
working with patients with brain injuries
using psychology to help people who are or have been in prison

supporting people with conditions like anxiety, stress and depression
helping improve individual or team motivation and performance

Depending on your area of expertise you might work at a school, in a prison, in a therapy clinic, in an NHS or private hospital, in the community or at a client's business.

Psychology graduates can expect entry-level salaries ranging from £17,680–£23,000. With experience, a chartered psychologist might earn between £40,000 to £54,000. A clinical psychologist working for the NHS earn from £32,500 while training, up to £90,000 as an experienced consultant psychologist. A senior counselling psychologist working for HM Prison Service, receives £42,500–£51,000.

Is a role as a psychologist right for you?

If you are prepared to study hard for both an undergraduate and postgraduate qualification to enable you to support a range of different people to improve their mental and physical health, this role could be for you.