clinical psychology

what is the pathway to becoming a clinical psychologist?
what levels do you need and what grades?

So first you need a bachelors degree, it needs to be Psychology (must be BPS approved, it should say this on the Universities website)
During your degree its a good idea to get some relevant experience as clinical psychologist roles are competitive to get to.
You need at least a 2:1 or 1st in your undergraduate.
Most undergraduates then take a year or two to work as an assistant psychologist, or research assistant in a clinical area (those are just the most popular there are other options, id advise you have some work experience during your undergraduate as these jobs are highly competitive straight out of University).
The reason most go for work first is your next step education wise is the Dclinpsy which is a doctorate degree in psychology which is incredibly competitive to get onto. This doctorate is also around 3 years, after completing it you would be eligible to work as a Clinical psychologist.
Oh also if you needed slightly less competitive work after your undergraduate for experience, healthcare assistant roles are really useful for Dclin 😊
Hope this helps! This was the pathway i was going to go through, so I spoke to a lot of people about the best ways to get through the process.

thank you so much 🙂 I'm just asking this for a friend who is quit busy at the moment so doesn't have time to research themselves. Is it possible if you could tell me more about the work experience? should it be more towards the research side or does it not matter?

No problem! The closer to the clinical side the better! But if its experience in clinical research thats great too!
Your friend could always reach out to local NHS organisations, or charities aimed at mental health and either do some voluntary or part time work for them 😊

is being a health care assistant some that is recommended for this for experience? or is there something that they tend to prefer ?
thanks

The most popular option is an assistant psychologist, but from speaking to both current clinical psychologists and students on the doctorate course some work experience as a healthcare assistant in a mental health area is also really good experience to get on the doctorate 😊
I do know of one doctorate student who only had experience as a research assistant before getting onto the course too.

what work experience do you recommend doing while doing the 1st degree ?

To be honest really depends on what your friend has time for and access too. It might be worth emailing a couple mental health charities or searching for some part time work (or summer work) within the NHS or similar organisation. If your friend is having a tough time with those sectors helplines and texting services for mental health always need volunteers, they usually provide you with free training, and have very flexible hours. I did some time with shout and it was a minimum of 1-2hours a week, so really manageable and easy to fit around studies!

Hi Autumn223 - thanks for your replies on here. They have been helpful.
I am currently doing a MSc conversion course in psychology with plans to pursue a Doctorate in Clinical psychology. So I’m quite curious about what type of experience is deemed relevant to o beat the competition of getting onto the program.
I am looking at the Samaritans but prefer Shout as it seems very flexible and can be done from home. If you don’t mind me asking, how was your experience with shout? Was it sufficient to get you into a PsyD program or should I be looking for something completely clinical?
I would be grateful for your thoughts.
Many thanks.

To get on the doctorate you will most likely need at least 2 to 3 years of relevant experience and strong academics. Your experience should ideally run parallel to the roles and areas Clinical Psychologist work, so as Asst Psychologists, Research Assistants and therapeutic roles like CBT. A Clinical Psychologist is expected to be proficient at research, therapy, assessments, team leading, and systemic work at service level. To get on the doctorate you will need some first hand experience or knowlede in these types of competencies (can be via jobs or academic qualifications). Experience like Samaritans or Shout will always be helpful to gaining some initial experience but it is very unlikely to be sufficient for getting on the doctorate. Courses generally expect paid experience in clinical psychology type roles, and even with this you will be on a general playing field with others. To be competitive you will need to have strong academics and be very reflective as a professional also. These all take time and do depend on you as a person also.
Greg
Clinical Psychologist

Hi Greg,
Thank you so much for your response!
I totally can see why a voluntary role with the Samaritans or Shout may not be enough experience. Sadly the roles you have suggested are rather out of reach for someone like me in a MSc psychology conversion course, and most research roles require a PhD.
Do you by any chance have other suggestions on roles/experience pathways in preparation for applications. I am looking to apply for Sept. 2026 and would appreciate your advice regarding getting appropriate experience.
Many thanks.

What would be your biggest piece of advice for a year 12 (such as myself) who is really enthusiastic about psychology (I have read a lot in my own time over the past few years, and I'm considering attending lectures if I can). I have Autism (level 1 when medicated for anxiety) and suspected ADHD and I want to get into a mid to high level treatment role in psychology. What would be your must do imperative right now for succeeding in achieving my dream?