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Accreditation FAQs for Students and Trainees

• How can I access careers information from the Society?
• What is accreditation and why is it important?
• What is the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR)?
  
• What areas of psychology does the Society accredit?
• Am I eligible for the GBR? Was my course accredited?
• What do I do if my first degree wasn't accredited but I want to become a Chartered Psychologist / gain eligibility for the GBR?
• What is a conversion course?
• How do I find an accredited course?
• I can't find the programme I have chosen to study on your list of accredited programmes. What does this mean?
• What do the dates of accreditation mean?
• I gained some / all of my qualifications overseas. How do I know if I am eligible for the GBR?
• What happens if the status of my course changes to no longer accredited before I finish?
  
• Can the British Psychological Society recommend a course?
• How do I become a Chartered Psychologist?
  

How can I access careers information from the Society?

There is lots of information on this website about careers in psychology (see the careers and qualifications tab at the top of the homepage). If you are still unable to find the careers information that you are looking for, please contact our Careers Information Service (tel: +44 (0)116 252 9534; e-mail: careers@bps.org.uk).

Our website also contains some information on professions related to psychology.

What is accreditation and why is it important?

Accreditation is the means by which the Society ensures that psychology courses are suitable to support students' achievement of learning outcomes and that they are supported by an appropriate resource base. In order to become a Chartered Psychologist, you need to follow a training route that is accredited by the Society. This will involve completion of accredited courses, Society qualifications, or a mixture of both. The first step of this process is achievement of the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR). You can do this by completing an accredited psychology undergraduate or conversion course. The next step is to complete accredited postgraduate training.

Accreditation is granted to a course or programme for a number of intake year groups (or cohorts). It is the course that is accredited and not the individual. If you have not completed an accredited programme of study, there are other options for you to gain the GBR below.

What is the Graduate Basis for registration (GBR)?

GBR is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. If you hope to continue to study psychology after your degree, it is recommended that you choose an accredited course (see search for accredited courses) so that you can leave your options open. Without eligibility for the GBR you will not gain entry onto accredited postgraduate and professional study. If you do not complete an accredited programme of study, there are other options for you to gain the GBR here.

What areas of psychology does the Society accredit?

There are several areas of psychology in which people can qualify as a Chartered Psychologist. These are: clinical, counselling, forensic, educational, health, occupational, and sport and exercise psychology. The Society accredits UK training programmes in all of these areas of psychology. We also accredit training programmes in clinical neuropsychology, which is a post-qualification area of specialism. See here for further information on the routes to Chartered status.

The Society does not currently accredit other academic or research programmes that do not relate directly to the above areas of qualification, or programmes that are based outside of the UK.

Am I eligible for the GBR? Was my course accredited?

If you are unsure whether your degree will give you eligibility for the GBR, you need to check whether your degree was accredited for your intake year. You can do this here using the search function. In order to gain eligibility for the GBR, you need to achieve an accredited award, follow any specified pathway detailed on the results page of the search, and gain a 2:2 or above if you started after September 2006. You must also pass the psychology project in order to be eligible for the GBR.

What can I do if my first degree wasn’t accredited, but I want to become a Chartered Psychologist/gain eligibility for the GBR?

Graduates who have not taken an accredited award in psychology may undertake a conversion award which will provide an opportunity to become eligible for the GBR. You can search for accredited conversion courses on the website.

What is a conversion course?

Graduates who have not taken an accredited programme in psychology may undertake a Conversion Programme. Conversion programmes provide opportunity for graduates to build on their first degree qualification to become eligible for the GBR.

The course will usually consist of at least one full year (approximately 45 weeks full-time, or its part-time equivalent), and is typically 120 credits.

Applicants to conversion programmes must have a degree which has not been accredited by the Society and have previously studied the equivalent of at least 60 credits of psychology at undergraduate level. If you have not done 60 credits or more of psychology study, you can usually do a bridging or access course (often a certificate in psychology) first. Some accredited conversion courses offer these 60 credits as part of their provision. Their courses are normally 180 credits long.

How do I find an accredited course?

You can find accredited courses by searching here. The list is up to date and is always updated when any decisions have been made by the Society about individual courses. If a course is not on here, it is not accredited. You can sort by the area of psychology you wish to study, or undergraduate/conversion programmes.

I can’t find the programme I have chosen to study on your list of accredited programmes. What does this mean?

If a programme is not listed when you search for it on the database, then it is not accredited by the Society. The most up to date information that we have is always on the accredited courses database and it is updated as soon as any decisions are made or any new programme is granted accreditation.

What do the dates of the accreditation mean?

Programmes are granted accreditation for a fixed number of cohorts (or intakes) and will be considered for re-accreditation during the last academic year of their current accreditation period. As soon as a programme is re-accredited the database of accredited programmes is updated. The vast majority of institutions seek re-accreditation as a matter of course, but if you are unsure about this you should contact the institution in question directly.

I gained some/all of my qualifications overseas. How do I know if I am eligible for the GBR?

Overseas students must formally apply to the Society for GBR. The qualifications gained will be assessed by the Membership Team on an individual basis and you will get confirmation of whether or not you are eligible for the GBR.

What happens if the status of my course changes to no longer accredited before I finish?

Accreditation is granted for cohorts (or intake years), usually 5 at a time. If you started the programme in an accredited intake year; you will exit the programme with an accredited award.

Can The British Psychological Society recommend a course?

The British Psychological Society is unable to recommend one accredited programme over another, or likewise comment on the differences or strengths of the courses by way of comparison. All of the programmes that are currently accredited (as listed on the website) have met the criteria which we set in order to ensure that they facilitate a high standard of psychology education or training. We are only able to indicate that accredited programmes have met our minimum standards.

Depending on the type of course or University you are interested in, you may find it helpful to look at league tables and other public data sources such as the Guardian’s University Guide, the Times Good University Guide, or the Times Higher Education Supplement. You may find the results of the National Student Survey valuable also.

How can I become a Chartered Psychologist?

The routes to Chartered status within each area of psychology (Clinical, Counselling, Health, Forensic, Sport and Exercise, Educational and Occupational) can be found here.