FAQ for the British Psychological Society (BPS) Accredited Pathways
What is the BPS?
The British Psychological Society (BPS) is a learned and professional body, which represents psychology and psychologists in the UK (see www.bps.org.uk).
What is a BPS accredited degree?
Degree schemes accredited by the BPS cover core knowledge domains within psychology including social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, biological psychology, personality and individual differences, conceptual and historical issues in psychology, and research methods.
For general information on studying psychology at undergraduate level, see the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education Subject Benchmark Statements for Psychology (2002) (www.qaa.ac.uk).
What is the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC, previously GBR)?
GBC is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol). The title of Chartered Psychologist is the benchmark of professional recognition for psychologists. If you hope to continue to study psychology after your degree, it is recommended that you choose an accredited course so that you can leave your options open. Without eligibility for the GBC you will not gain entry onto Society accredited postgraduate and professional study. GBC is required to gain entrance to BPS-accredited postgraduate courses and training programmes that lead to becoming a Chartered Member of the Society. In order to be eligible for the GBC students must achieve a minimum of a 2(ii) or equivalent and pass the empirical psychology dissertation.
What career pathways are available to me with a BPS accredited degree?
You will need a degree in psychology to become a psychologist. Completing a BPS accredited degree enables you to do further study or training at postgraduate level to become a Chartered Psychologist. In order to obtain employment as a professional psychologist further postgraduate study and supervised training are required, normally lasting a further three years. Psychology is comprised of a number of academic and applied areas. You may train to become a teaching or research psychologist or a neuropsychologist. Or you may subsequently register with the Health Professional Council (HPC) – the statutory regulator for practitioner psychologists in the UK – in order to practice clinical, counselling, forensic, health, occupational, or sport and exercise psychology. Around 15-20 per cent of psychology graduates end up working as professional psychologists.
A training in psychology is widely accepted as providing an excellent preparation for a number of careers, especially ones that involve working with people or that need good problem solving skills, because it develops a number of transferable skills. Psychology is useful to employers because knowing how people act is extremely useful in almost any job. It 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. A psychology degree course also develops a number of transferable skills, which are valuable to employers, such as communication skills, problem solving, numeracy and statistical skills, critical and creative thinking, independent learning, decision making, organisational skills, team working, and IT skills. Psychology graduates are well placed for careers and further training in many fields and often go on to work in disciplines such as:
- Health and social care
- Management and human resources
- Education
- Public sector work
Do you offer BPS accredited degree schemes in SOCSI?
Yes. We offer BPS accredited BA Education and BSc Social Science degrees. These degree courses are modular and so it is necessary to choose appropriate modules to qualify for GBC. See below to ensure that you follow the accredited pathway of modules within your degree.
How long have BPS accredited degree schemes been offered in SOCSI?
SOCSI has been offering a BPS accredited BA Education degree since 1975/1976 and BSc Social Science since 2004/2005. Accreditation is sought for each degree scheme every 5 years. BA Education and BSc Social Science degree schemes were most recently accredited by the BPS in 2009/2010 and will come up for re-accreditation in 2014/2015.
Do I need GCSE or A Level Psychology or Mathematics to take BPS accredited degree schemes?
No. It is not necessary to have studied GCSE or A Level Psychology to gain entry onto an accredited psychology degree. Undergraduate psychology is taught at an introductory level and you do not need to have studied psychology previously. However, taking a GCSE or A Level in psychology may give you some idea of what it is like to be a psychologist and give you a basic knowledge of the subject which may be useful if you decide to follow this career path.
Courses in psychological statistics only require that you have basic skills in arithmetic.
What is distinctive about studying psychology in SOCSI?
You can study psychology critically and in context alongside other social science subjects (e.g. sociology, criminology, education). We present psychology as a social science, so the focus is upon social processes, interactions and collective activity. If you prefer to emphasise the social rather than biological or cognitive aspects of psychology, our courses would be suitable for you. We use qualitative research methods to study psychology (e.g. observations, interviews, focus groups) as well as quantitative statistical and mixed methods.
What modules will I take?
At the time of writing students must take:
Level 1:
Introduction to Social Psychology
Introduction to the Psychology of Development and Learning
Introduction to Social Science Research
Either Key Ideas in Social Science or Education and Society
Level 2:
Psychology and Social Behaviour
Human Development
Learning, Biology and Cognition
Social Research Methods
Plus two other social science modules (BSc Social Science only)
Contemporary Sociology of Education plus one other social science module (BA Education only)
Level 3:
Learning and Individual Differences
Language and the Mind
Issues in Social and Cultural Psychology (BSc Social Science only)
Dissertation in psychology (double module)
Do you conduct experiments using animals?
No.
I am a first or second year student in SOCSI doing a non-BPS accredited course. I have not done the modules required by the BPS. Can I transfer to a BPS accredited course?
Please contact either the Psychology Programme Director or BPS Representative to discuss your case (see below).
Will my degree certificate state that I have completed a BPS-accredited course?
No. Your certificate will state that you have completed either BA Education or BSc
Social Science degree schemes accordingly. Your transcript will evidence that you completed the required psychology modules. You can write on your Curriculum Vitae that your degree is accredited with the BPS.
If I complete my degree at 2(ii) level or above and pass my psychology dissertation, am I automatically granted GBC with the BPS?
No. You need to independently apply to the BPS after graduation. This is the case with all undergraduate psychology degrees in the UK. The BPS web site contains information about how to do this. Your form will need to be signed by two psychologists in SOCSI who are members of the BPS. Contact the BPS Programme Director or BPS Representative for more information (see below).
How do I become a member of the BPS?
Please consult the BPS web site for the latest information. Students will be familiarised with the roles of the BPS as the professional body and the HPC as the statutory regulator upon entry to the course.
I have not completed a BPS accredited degree but I would like to study or practice psychology in the future. Can I take a conversion course?
We do not offer conversion courses. If your undergraduate degree course is not accredited by the Society, you can still obtain GBC by completing an accredited one year full-time or two year part-time conversion course elsewhere (which will be an MSc, MA, Med or Diploma) (see, for example, School of Psychology, Cardiff University). Conversion courses provide the opportunity for graduates to build on their first degree qualification to become eligible for GBC. Courses are usually at least one year full-time (or part-time equivalent) and are typically worth 120 credits. Applicants to conversion programmes must have a degree which has not been accredited by the BPS and usually 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. You will need to contact universities directly to find out if you meet their entry requirements. To qualify for entry to a conversion course following a non-BPS accredited SOCSI degree, it is advisable that you have completed at least 60 credits of level 2 or 3 psychology modules.
Who can I contact to ask questions or clarify points about your BPS accredited courses?
Psychology Programme Director:
Prof. Valerie Walkerdine
Email: WalkerdineV@Cardiff.ac.uk
Tel: (029)2075567
Room: Glamorgan 1.05