Educational Psychology

Hello all,

Sorry to drag this post up, but I need some advice on this topic.
I'm going into my last year of my undergraduate degree in October. It's a Primary Education Studies degree (essentially a QTS teaching course, with no teaching) and I don't really know what I want to do when I am finished. I know that I want to work with children, particularly those with special needs, so I have arranged for a placement in a SEN school for this year.

I have toyed with the idea of becoming an educational psychologist, so I was just wondering what I would have to do to become one, considering I won't have a Psychology degree? I have a Psychology A level, but obviously that isn't enough.

Thanks for everyone's help in advance

You would need to do a psychology conversion course, plus get relevant SEN experience in order to be accepted onto the doctorate

Thank you.

I don't want to go straight onto the doctorate... I want to work for a couple of years in relevant places to get as much experience as possible.

How long does the conversion course take? Do a lot of universities do the course or just a select few?

You need experience to get accepted onto the doctorate anyway. The BPS website has a list of the unis that do the conversion course

Does it matter when your experiecne with children is, if i am working as a nursery assistant and volunterring in primary school for the two years before i start my undergraduate degree then will this experience count.

Does it matter when your experiecne with children is, if i am working as a nursery assistant and volunterring in primary school for the two years before i start my undergraduate degree then will this experience count.

Revisiting this thread, I'm now im my 3rd year doing an undergrad psych degree. I really want to finish with a 2:1 or above, work in education for a couple of years then attempt to get onto the doctorate, but I'm terrified I won't get a 2:1, as despite getting a high 2:1 in the first year I just missed out in second year.
Can you get on with a 2:1 even though it is so competitive?

Also what do other people plan to do if they don't get onto the doctorate? I toyed with the idea of a teacher, but did work exp in a primary school and found the actual teachers a bit 'wishy washy', im not sure if I want to work in that environment? But with my psych degree I'm not sure there is a secondary subject I could teach. Curious as to what other peoples plans were?

Do you mean can you get on with a 2:2? Generally most people with a 2:2 will need a masters to get on

No I know it's not worth thinking about with a 2:2, but as its so competitive is is hard with a 2:1 or is a 2:1 equally as good with good work experience?


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Also am i right in thinking that you can do A joint degree as long as it is BPS accredited? I want to do early childhood studies and psychology at CCCU and it is on the BPS accredited website.

Hi Rachococo,

I have just been accepted onto the EP Doctorate, will be starting in Sept 2011. Happy to answer any questions re application, interview process. Also I have been working with EP as Psych Research Assistant in a Local Authority EP service so I have some current knowledge and perspective on Educational Psychology, although probably not as much as someone who is already on the course!

You sound like you have lots of great experience, be mindfull that selectors are looking for people who have applied relevant psychology during their relevant work experience and can draw upon their experience to inform their practice as a trainee EP. They are also looking for evidence of keeping up to date with the field by reading relevant research papers and literature as well as an understanding Educational Psychology as a profession and the current issue within the field.

Good luck in your endeavours.

Fitzy Ditzy

p.s. also wannabe EP's and trainee EP's have been given forum space on ClinPsych which is a forum for clinical psych, mainly aspiring ones. There are Ed Psych threads under the section titled Psychology degrees, conversions and postdrad qualifications.