You Are Here:

Home > Careers and Qualifications > So You Want to be a Psychologist? > Pre-degree

Pre-degree

Can I study psychology at GCSE or A-Level?

Psychology can be studied at school or college as a GCSE, AS-level, A2 level, A-level, Scottish Higher or as SCOTVEC modules leading to GSVQs.

GCSE psychology courses are designed to provide students with a basic level introduction. Courses vary, but all include simple practical work and an opportunity to explore some of the main areas of psychology.

In A-level or Scottish Higher courses, students look at how ideas and theories in each area of psychology have developed, learn how to critically analyse evidence, and undertake some practical research. AS is equivalent to half an A-level and can be used in the first year of a two-year A-level course or as a qualification in its own right.

SCOTVEC National Certificate Modules are short courses of study lasting for about 40 hours. They cover many different subject areas and maybe grouped together to form group awards such as GSVQs.

Please contact your local school or college to find out what courses they offer.

Which A-Level/Scottish Higher subjects are best for entry onto a psychology degree?

University admission tutors tend to be flexible about A-level, AS, Scottish Higher or GNVQ subjects; however, you will need to be able to handle scientific concepts, to be numerate and to have good writing skills. Biology, Mathematics, English, History, Economics or similar arts or social science subjects are all useful preparation for a degree course. Maths at the Scottish Standard Grade or at GCSE level A - C is usually required.

A or AS-level psychology is not normally required for entry to a degree course, but many students find that this gives a useful insight into the subject and helps them decide if they will be suited to study psychology at degree level.

Entry requirements can vary from one university to another so please contact the universities directly for more specific information. You can find a list of universities under the Accredited Psychology Courses section of our website.

Which degree should I choose?

You will find that the Society accredits both BA and BSc Honours degrees. Accredited courses (whether single, joint or combined honours degrees) typically cover all of the main areas of psychological knowledge necessary to go into further training.

As long as the degree you take is accredited by the Society, you will be able to apply for postgraduate training.

Please contact the universities that offer the postgraduate courses for more information on their entry requirements. You can find a list under the Accredited Psychology Courses section of the website.

Which degree do you recommend?

The University Central Admissions Service (UCAS) will help you identify which universities and colleges offer psychology degrees and various combination degrees. You can find the list of Society accredited courses on our website.

As an independent professional body, the Society cannot recommend one course above another. You can gain an idea of the relative quality of each department by looking at the Quality Assurance Agency website (for quality assessment) and the HERO website (for research assessment).

Can I join the Society?

If you are studying psychology at A-Level or Scottish Higher, you can join the Society as a Student Subscriber. More information is available under the Membership and Fees section of the website.

Where can I get help with my studies?

The Research Digest - a free email service for school and undergraduate students. It provides a round up of the latest psychology research.

Senate House Library - If you are a member of the Society, you can access the Society's library collection, which is housed at:

Senate House
University of London Library
Malet Street
London WC1E 7HU
Tel:+44 (0) 207 862 8451

Research Interests Database - the database may be searched using the key-word facility to identify those researchers and academics working in a specific field of psychology. A link to e-mail and web pages for each entrant is available wherever possible.

The Psychologist - the official monthly psychology publication of the British Psychological Society. You will find articles, debates, interviews, letters, psychological analysis of current affairs, and a student page all provide an essential introduction to the main issues in psychology today. Special rates are available for teachers and you can subscribe as a member of the Society if you are studying Psychology at A-Level or as an undergraduate.

Information on specific academic topics can found on the internet, through the database PsychINFO. Alternatively, you can search the paper version of this database (Psychological Abstracts), which is held in most main University libraries. Most University libraries also provide access to the ISI Web of Science database, which is a useful resource for searching on specific academic topics.

Where can I find work experience?

Unfortunately, the Society cannot directly help you to find work experience. It is difficult to work alongside psychologists because of the confidential nature of their work.

You might want to consider voluntary work within the type of organisation you would like to work with in the future (the health service, education etc.), or think about the sort of people you would like to work with and look for experience in a relevant environment.