clinical psychology route

i do psychology for a levels and i’m really interested in studying it for a degree, particularly in clinical psychology.
i’m wondering what the best route for this is? do i need to do an undergrad in psychology as a whole (which would include social, developmental, forensic, health psych etc) and then do a masters specialising in clinical? or can i study an undergrad degree which encompasses clinical psychology straight away if that makes sense
any answers would be helpful thank you

You need to take an undergraduate degree which is approved by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and which confers Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). These degrees are general in nature, although you could pick one which had more "clinical" modules as options - or which had "clinical" in it's name somewhere. The key thing is that it's BPS accredited and confers GBC. All such degree will have the same core components.

You'd then take a doctorate (not a masters) in Clinical Psychology. The entry requirements for these doctorates mandate that you have "relevant clinically-related experience" before applying. That could happen within your undergraduate degree (via a placement year, for example) or between your undergraduate degree and your doctorate.

You would then register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and be legally entitled to use the job title "Clinical Psychologist".

i do psychology for a levels and i’m really interested in studying it for a degree, particularly in clinical psychology.
i’m wondering what the best route for this is? do i need to do an undergrad in psychology as a whole (which would include social, developmental, forensic, health psych etc) and then do a masters specialising in clinical? or can i study an undergrad degree which encompasses clinical psychology straight away if that makes sense
any answers would be helpful thank you

Hi @iris10101,

I did Psychology for a-levels too, how are you finding it?

I currently study undergraduate Psychology and I am going into my final year. I have just completed my placement year in a clinical setting. If you want a career in clinical psychology I would say to take a placement/year in industry if you can. Although I did come out of it finding a love for research instead of clinical, the experience did help discover my passion. The placement year could also help set you apart from your peers when it comes to looking for jobs after graduation in roles such as assistant psychologist. This is because clinical work experience can be very hard to find, the university helps support you in finding roles as they have connections with charities, hospitals and other places so students can learn. At Kent, the Clinical Psychology course is similar to the Psychology course. The main differences between them include a reflective diary you complete in second year, the modules you take in final year and your dissertation topic (just needs to be clinical focussed but this is very broad and you have options).

For postgraduate study, the clinical associate psychologist role may interest you. Take a look here.

Just like @DataVenia outlined, when looking for a course across universities you will want to check it is BPS accredited. Luckily, ours is! Feel free to have a look on our website at the modules, alumni blogs and more.

Let me know if you have any more questions about Psychology, clinical placements (I was an honorary assistant psychologist for a year with the NHS), university life or Kent!

Good luck with your journey!

Alia
University of Kent Student Rep

Hi, thank you for the information.

What stage in the undergraduate course do you complete a placement? And how do you know if the course at university will offer those?

Hey @iris10101

Your placement year takes place in your third year and then your final year will be your fourth year. You will generally be able to see on the course information page if the university offers a placement year (like at Kent, where it states under 'Key Info' that it's "also available with a placement year"), or some universities will advertise it as a separate course (will normally be called "BSc Clinical Psychology with a Placement Year/Year in Industry") so you may just have to search for it separately.

You can also ask universities when you visit them for open days whether they offer a placement year.

Best of luck with everything!

Natalie
University of Kent Student Rep