Candidates need to have achieved a minimum 2:1 or equivalent in psychology (or a 2:2 and a postgraduate degree in a field related to clinical psychology).
Candidates also need Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) from the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Graduates with a first degree in a field other than psychology must have completed a BPS approved Conversion programme prior to application or completed the BPS exam conferring GBC and will be expected to meet the same experience requirements as other applicants.
There may be restrictions on applying to NHS-funded clinical psychology training if candidates have recently undertaken other NHS-funded training in psychological professions. Please see Health Education England’s website for more details: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/mental-health/psychological-professions/funding-psychological-professions-training-programmes
Clinically relevant experience
We expect applicants to have experience relevant to clinical psychology, for example as an assistant psychologist, a research assistant on a clinically relevant project or having completed a clinically relevant PhD. Other types of experience in health and social care settings (e.g., support worker) are also useful.
Applicants are required to have a year or more of clinically relevant experience at the time of entry to the course.
Relevant clinical experience would normally be either paid or as part of a postgraduate degree. Voluntary experience is only acceptable in the context of other non-voluntary clinical experience. Lack of any direct experience in the NHS may be a disadvantage.
Clinically relevant experience could be: (a) direct clinical or clinical research experience (which may be part of masters or doctoral research); (b) as an Assistant Psychologist, Research Assistant, Graduate Mental Health Worker, Support Worker, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner or any other role that involves significant client contact where the applicant is engaged in activities relevant to clinical psychology. Applicants with experience of other social, healthcare or research posts will also be considered.
English proficiency requirements
If English is not the applicant's first language, and their university qualifications were not taught and examined in English, evidence of ability in English language will be required. This should be a TOEFL or IELTS academic test if possible. If candidates require a visa to work in the UK, we can only accept IELTS academic test scores. The minimum scores needed are 88 for internet-based TOEFL (with 26 for writing), 570 for paper-based TOEFL or 6.5 for IELTS academic test (with 7 for writing).
