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Careers in Psychology - GCSE, A Level and Equivalents
Psychology is the study of people, the mind and behaviour. It is a popular subject with students because it has a big impact on all areas of life, particularly in areas such as education, health, the economy, industry and crime. If you are interested in finding out why people behave the way they do or how then brain works then psychology could be for you. Taking a GCSE, A Level or equivalent in psychology will give you a good grounding in the subject and provide an insight into what it might be like to be a professional psychologist. Psychology is also useful in many other careers because it develops a number of transferable skills which are useful in many jobs and professions.
GCSE and equivalent courses are designed to give students a basic introduction to the science of people's behaviour and how it can be used to improve people's quality of life. The content of courses varies depending on the exam board, but all courses include simple practical work and an
opportunity to explore some of the main areas of psychology such as
memory, stress, prejudice, phobias, gender and social influence. By the end of your course, you should have developed a critical approach to scientific methods and evidence, and a knowledge and understanding of how psychology works and its role in society. On A Level and 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. Students will need to be creative to design their own experimental projects bearing in mind any necessary restraints. They must also be able to comprehend, analyse and form opinions on theories, and present and communicate their knowledge in a clear way. The exact content of courses varies according to the exam board but students can expect to study subjects such as social psychology (including conformity), cognition, memory, physiological psychology (including stress), individual differences, developmental psychology and attachment theory. You can download past papers, marking schemes and other useful documents from the appropriate examination board website below. Please check with your local school or college which exam board they use.
GCSE, A Level and equivalents in psychology are attractive to employers because they develop a number of transferable skills. psychology develops skills such as problem solving, communication and IT skills. Psychology develops oral, visual and written communication, problem solving, numeracy and statistical skills, critical and creative thinking, decision making, organisational skills, teamworking, IT skills, and data analysis skills. Psychology is particularly relevant to any job that involves working directly with people (such as public relations, marketing, customer services or retail management) or any job that requires the use of problem solving skills (such as science subjects). Entry requirements for accredited psychology degree courses will often vary from one institution to another. Applicants will normally need to demonstate good numeracy and literacy skills, as well as the ability to handle scientific concepts. Psychology, biology, mathematics, English, history, economics and similar arts and social science subjects are all useful preparation for an accredited psychology degree course. Some universities will require at least one science A Level. We recommend that you contact individual institutions or check their prospectuses to find out about specific entry requirements. In general, to gain entry to a degree course you will normally need at least two A Levels and four GCSE grades A-C (including maths and English), while for a DipHE you will need two A Levels and four GCSEs, and for a BTEC National Diploma you normally require one A Level and four GCSEs. It is not necessary to have studied GCSE or A Level Psychology to gain entry onto an accredited psychology degree. However, taking a GCSE or A Level in psychology will give you some idea of what it is like to be a psychologist and give you a good basic knowledge of the subject which will be useful if you decide to follow this career path.
You may want to try and contact psychologists in your local area by searching the Society's Directory of Chartered Psychologists. However, please be aware that it may be difficult to find work experience with a psychologist because of the confidential nature of their work. To find work experience, you will need to think about the area of psychology that you want to eventually work in (for example, clinical, educational, sport and exercise) and then contact local organisations and charities who work in those areas. To help your search the following links should take you to some useful websites for finding voluntary work in your local area:
A Level and equivalent students are eligible to join the British Psychological Society's Student Members Group (SMG). The SMG is involved in events specifically aimed at students such as the London and Edinburgh Lectures, and holds an its own Annual Conference where students get the chance to present their own research. Membership of SMG costs just £21 a year and benefits include:
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