About GBC for international students

Looking at your qualifications, my guess is not.

Generally speaking, you need to have taken an accredited Psychology degree or an accredited Psychology conversion course (which is typically a Masters degree). You don't have either of those.

There is a potential alternative for students who have gained their qualifications abroad, but that doesn't look like it would work either.

From Does the Society accredit international degrees? on the BPS web site:

If you completed your degree at an institution outside of the UK, you will, therefore, need to submit an individual application for Graduate Membership of the Society in order that our Membership team can properly assess eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership based on the qualifications you have.

...

All overseas applications are assessed on the individual merit of the qualifications received, and confirmation of your eligibility for the GBC will then be available to you.

Reply 2

rheamathewwwww

OP

1

Original post by DataVenia

Looking at your qualifications, my guess is not.

Generally speaking, you need to have taken an accredited Psychology degree or an accredited Psychology conversion course (which is typically a Masters degree). You don't have either of those.

There is a potential alternative for students who have gained their qualifications abroad, but that doesn't look like it would work either.

From Does the Society accredit international degrees? on the BPS web site:

Thankyou for your response. I had done my masters in psychology in India and worked here. So being an international student won’t I have enough psychology background to get a GBC membership after my second masters at Newcastle? On the website it specifies accredited courses for uk applicants.

Reply 3

BubblesBB

13

OP has a Masters in Psy from India and has been given an offer to do a Masters in Clinical Psy by Newcastle Uni.

What happens when the OP has begun his/her studies in the programme, and and British Psychological Society comes back to deny accreditation to the Masters from India. Is it considered onerous on the part of Newcastle to check on accreditation prospects before offering the place to study at Newcastle, or would it be reasonable to think that Newcastle would only offer a place when it has confidence that the student would have no problem getting accreditation from BPS?

Reply 4

Assuming OP is referring to this Foundations in Clinical Psychology MSc offered by University of Newcastle, then it does not specify GBC as a prerequisite. So they don't care whether OP has it or not.

Reply 5

BubblesBB

13

Original post by DataVenia

Assuming OP is referring to this Foundations in Clinical Psychology MSc offered by University of Newcastle, then it does not specify GBC as a prerequisite. So they don't care whether OP has it or not.

Until the OP replies to confirm that is it the course you have referenced, I will assume it is the same course in discussion.

I saw this on the link you have provided in the "Your future" section:

This course can form a sound basis to apply for an Assistant Psychologist post. It allows you to apply for further training in Clinical Psychology. For this, you must have relevant work experience. You'll also need a previous degree that qualifies for graduate registration with the British Psychological Society.

So OP has to contact BPS directly to ask?

Reply 6

Original post by rheamathewwwww

Thankyou for your response. I had done my masters in psychology in India and worked here. So being an international student won’t I have enough psychology background to get a GBC membership after my second masters at Newcastle? On the website it specifies accredited courses for uk applicants.

You don't have Psychology undergraduate degree. The Master's you took in India was not accredited. The Master's you're taking at Newcastle is not accredited. Is therefore seems unlikely that the BPS would grant you GBC membership status.

But that's just my opinion. If you want to know for sure, ask them.

If GBC status was important to you (for whatever reason) that choosing a Master's which specifically conferred that status (such as any of the conversion courses listed here might have been wise.)

Reply 7

Original post by BubblesBB

Until the OP replies to confirm that is it the course you have referenced, I will assume it is the same course in discussion.

I saw this on the link you have provided in the "Your future" section:

This course can form a sound basis to apply for an Assistant Psychologist post. It allows you to apply for further training in Clinical Psychology. For this, you must have relevant work experience. You'll also need a previous degree that qualifies for graduate registration with the British Psychological Society.

So OP has to contact BPS directly to ask?

If OP wants to "apply for further training in Clinical Psychology" then it is very likely that a requirement of that further training will be GBC status. How they provide evidence of GBC could vary.

For example, to apply for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (a requirement to register as Clinical Psychologist with the HCPC, and thus be able to practice as a Clinical Psychologist in the UK), OP would have have to provide evidence of GBC as detailed here.

In summary, the options available are:

1. Letter from the BPS
2. Academic transcript (if that transcript states that the qualification is accredited for GBC)
3. Letter from the relevant university (which states that the qualification is accredited for GBC)

Reply 8

BubblesBB

13

Original post by DataVenia

If OP wants to "apply for further training in Clinical Psychology" then it is very likely that a requirement of that further training will be GBC status. How they provide evidence of GBC could vary.

For example, to apply for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (a requirement to register as Clinical Psychologist with the HCPC, and thus be able to practice as a Clinical Psychologist in the UK), OP would have have to provide evidence of GBC as detailed here.

In summary, the options available are:

1. Letter from the BPS
2. Academic transcript (if that transcript states that the qualification is accredited for GBC)
3. Letter from the relevant university (which states that the qualification is accredited for GBC)

Thank you. I am learning something new everyday. If one cannot get GBC accreditation for the courses in the UK, there is really no future in the UK for a practising psychologist. International students like us would need to find value in those expensive university degrees where the country we would go to find work deem these studies valuable!

Reply 9

sumirang

1

Would I be eligible to enrol in a bps accredited msc psychology conversion program if i already have a bachelor's, a master's and a year long work experience in psychology from India? My goal is to attain GBC so I may apply for the professional doctorate programs.

Reply 10