Studying psychology

Hi! I'm from Sweden and I want to study psychology in the UK in order to become a clinical psychologist. The system around psychologist qualification is so different from the swedish one and I'm a bit confused.

Does every undergraduate psychology degree in universities accredited by the BPS lead to becoming a psychologist? There are so many different variants: experimental psychology at Oxford, psychology, linguistics and philosophy at Cambridge etcetera, and I don't get if all psychology degrees take you on the path to become a psychologist or not.

Can I count with that BPS accredited + Psychology undergraduate degree = On the way to become a psychologist, or do I have to check every degree individually to see if it leads to becoming a psychologist?

Thanks in advance <3

Hi there!


Every psychology undergraduate course that's accredited by BPS will allow you to become a chartered psychologist, so there's no need to check them individually. If you want to become a Clinical Psychologist, you will have to take the 3-year doctorate course called Clinical Psychology, DClinPsy. Upon completion of this course, you will be eligible to practice as a Clinical Psychologist.

Have a look at this if you need more information.

Hi! I'm from Sweden and I want to study psychology in the UK in order to become a clinical psychologist. The system around psychologist qualification is so different from the swedish one and I'm a bit confused.

Does every undergraduate psychology degree in universities accredited by the BPS lead to becoming a psychologist? There are so many different variants: experimental psychology at Oxford, psychology, linguistics and philosophy at Cambridge etcetera, and I don't get if all psychology degrees take you on the path to become a psychologist or not.

Can I count with that BPS accredited + Psychology undergraduate degree = On the way to become a psychologist, or do I have to check every degree individually to see if it leads to becoming a psychologist?

Thanks in advance <3

[I had quite a revolutionary change of dream, and it's always been between journalism and psychology for me

Hmm... I hate to break it to you, but entry to Clinical Psychology is incredibly competitive. In fact, just 1 in 20 people get accepted onto the course each year. People apply times and times again - some succeed, others give up. I used to want to be a Clinical Psychologist myself, because Psychology seemed like a very enjoyable degree. Did you know, only 10% of Psychology graduates actually work in the field of Psychology? Others go into related careers.

If a Clinical Psychologist is what you truly want to become, then don't give up by any means. Just remember you need plenty of relevant work experience to stand out amongst all other applicants.

I wish you the best of luck if you go ahead and pursue Clinical Psychology as a career.

Wow! That is quite different from how it works in Sweden. I appreciate your honesty. Does which university you studied at matter for your chances of being accepted to the doctorate course?