Chartered membership (CPsychol)
You’ve worked hard to reach the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise. Now reap the benefits with Chartered Membership.
Why should I become a Chartered member?
Your expertise, instantly recognised
Your knowledge and your skills set you apart from the crowd. And Chartered membership is the quickest way to show people your high level of expertise and experience.
Having the prestigious CPsychol designation beside your name gives you immediate credibility. It's what employers and clients look for when they want assurance of your ability.
Chartered membership also means you can use the exclusive BPS Chartered Psychologist logo - more signposting of your expertise that can easily be added to your website, stationery, marketing material, and anywhere else you can think of!
And for absolute rock-solid certainty of your chartered status, we'll add your name to our public-facing list of Chartered members. That way anyone can verify your credentials, at any time, quickly and easily.
Stand out to potential employers
As a Chartered member you can get yourself in front of the right people by advertising in our Directory of Chartered Psychologists - it's one of the most popular places for people to go when they're looking for high-level psychologists. And because it's searchable by region and speciality, your chances of being noticed by clients that are right for you increases significantly.
You can also add extra dimensions to your CV by applying to join a range of specialist registers and directories*, such as the Science Council register, the Directory of Media Production Psychologists and EuroPsy. Promote your expertise and competence in different areas and specialisms and get the work you want.
A world of resources at your fingertips, for less
Psychology moves fast. And we know it can often be difficult - and expensive - to stay at the cutting edge. So, to help our Chartered members we give you:
- Up to 40% off CPD courses and webinars produced and led by experts in their specialism (online and in-person).
- 25% off Routledge publications.
- 30% off Sage titles
- 20% off Oxford University Press titles.
- Discounts on tickets to conferences, events and webinars.
- Free online access to over 150 test reviews and practice papers.
- Free access to EBSCO online resources, including the full Psychology & Behavioural Sciences collection.
- Free access to BPS academic journals (plus 32 related Wiley titles) via PsychHub.
- Free print, online and app access to our official magazine, The Psychologist, where you'll find the latest thought leadership, news, reviews and more.
- Free access to our MyCPD online system, a really useful tool which lets you easily plan, record and reflect on your professional development.
- Subsidised Article Publication Charge for our 11 journals and a 15% discount for BMJ Mental Health - get published for less.
Save on business costs too
You'll also get:
- Discounts on professional indemnity insurance. Get the best deal for protecting yourself and your professional services.
- 30% off hiring our meeting rooms at both our Leicester and London offices.
- Income tax relief on all membership subscription fees, saving you money.
- Discounted service regarding DBS checks*.
See our full list of member benefits.
Be part of something bigger
Meet, collaborate, and share ideas and best practice with other psychologists involved in your specialism by joining our member networks. You'll automatically become a member of your local branch, and we have over 150 of these exclusive communities of friendly psychology practitioners and academics, so you're bound to find somewhere that's perfect for you.
As well as the member networks, you can become part of our online communities - thousands of people, all passionate about psychology, coming together to discuss the latest ideas, support each other and make connections. It's a great way to become part of the conversation and improve your network.
*Additional fees and eligibility criteria may apply.
What do I need to become a Chartered member?
Chartered membership is a marker of excellence in psychology, so we need to make sure you meet the high standards it represents. Choose the option that suits you best below.
Do you have a UK qualification?
Yes, I have a UK qualification
I've achieved graduate membership with Graduate Basis for Chartered membership. This may include achieving at least a 2:2 on an undergraduate honours degree - recognised as meeting Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership - or completing a society-accredited conversion qualification.
I've also done one or more of the following:
- Undertaken society-accredited postgraduate qualifications and training.
- Successfully completed the professional recognition route to Chartered status in Coaching Psychology.
- Gained appropriate postgraduate training and experience of teaching psychology (this is typically five years full time or full time equivalent).
- Completed psychology research at doctoral level.
If you're applying via the research or teaching routes, we'll need to see two references, though they don't need to be from BPS members.
No, I have a non-UK qualification
If your qualification isn't from the UK, you have two options.
Route 1 - traditional study
To follow this route, you'll need to:
- Hold a qualification, or a combination of qualifications, which provide eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership.
- Hold an additional postgraduate qualification in psychology at least equivalent to a UK master's degree.
- Have relevant supervised training and experience undertaken outside the UK, that's equivalent to UK professional doctorate level.
Route 2 - teaching/research
For this route, you'll need to hold a qualification, (or combination of qualifications), which provide eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership, followed by either:
appropriate postgraduate training and experience of teaching psychology (this is typically five years full time, or the equivalent)
Or
psychology research at doctoral level
You'll also need to supply two references, but they don't need to be from BPS members.
How much does it cost?
Application fee
The fee for us to process your application is:
- £50 if you're already a BPS member.
- £100 for non-members.
This fee is non-refundable, so please make sure your application is completed correctly.
Membership fee
To complete your application, you will need to buy a membership subscription.
It's currently £171 per year, and you can pay by Direct Debit (UK bank accounts only) or with an online card payment.
Ready to get your Chartered membership?
Before you start, we recommend you have all your documents to hand - in our experience it makes things far easier!
Once we've received your application it will take approximately three to five weeks to process.
What documents do I need to provide?
You'll need to provide copies (we don’t require originals) of your psychology qualifications.
Transcripts (the list of subjects and grades) are required for all undergraduate, conversion and non-UK qualifications.
For any documents not in English translations are required.
Contact us
If you have any queries please contact the membership team.
What does the Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC) mean?
The GBC is a society standard in psychology. It demonstrates attainment of knowledge of core psychology subjects at a standard not less than a UK Bachelor Honours Lower Second Class level.
The GBC provides a basis for progression to society-accredited postgraduate professional training in psychology for training to become a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol).
Contact us
If you have any queries please contact the Membership Team.
I’d like to renew my membership but I haven’t received a renewal invoice. How can I do it?
To renew your membership you'll need to access your BPS account.
- Sign in to the BPS online portal.
- Click on the Memberships and Subscriptions tab
- Select Renew to pay your membership and subscription fees.
Contact us
If you have any queries please contact the Membership Team.
Can I claim income tax relief on my fees?
The Inland Revenue has agreed to allow tax relief on all membership subscription fees, including division, section, special group and journal payments.
Below is an extract from the Inland Revenue to the Marketing and Promotions Officer dated 4 March 2004:
'Approval under Section 18 Finance Act 1958 (now Section 344 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003) was granted to the society in 1959.
This means that members may claim tax relief for their annual membership subscriptions (core subscription).
It has been decided that this approval should be extended to include any additional annual subscription for membership of a division, section or special group.
The extension also includes any additional subscription paid by members for any of the society's publications.'
To claim, you should either list these payments in your annual tax return or write to your tax office with details of the total amounts paid, what they were and your membership number.
Your tax code will be adjusted accordingly.
For more information on how to claim, email our Subscriptions team or phone +44(0)195 221 4066.