click on your area of interest...
What is psychology?
Careers in Psychology
Counselling Psychology
Educational Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Health Psychology
Occupational Psychology
Neuropsychology
Teaching and Research
Psychotherapy
Sport psychology
Also you might want to view the "so
you want to be a psychologist" from the BPS.com/careers
section. (page 16 is useful).
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What is psychology?
Psychology is the study of people: how they think, how they act,
react and interact. Psychology is concerned with all aspects of
behaviour and the thoughts, feelings and motivation underlying such
behaviour.
Psychology is one of the fastest growing university subjects and
is becoming more and more available in schools and colleges. Media
interest in the subject is strong, and the subject and its applications
regularly finds its way into prime-time radio and television.
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Careers in Psychology
There are good employment prospects for psychology graduates in
other fields for which their training will have provided them with
relevant expertise. Market research, social work, nursing, advertising,
sales, personnel management and careers guidance are all areas for
which a psychology degree will provide a good basis.
Psychology graduates will have knowledge of the assessment of personality,
intelligence and attitudes, interviewing techniques, questionnaire
design and analysis, child development, and methods of teaching
and learning.
A psychology degree is also a good basis for many jobs where employees
receive additional training (the police, Armed Forces, advertising
and broadcasting, for example) or where they will gain further professional
qualifications while working (accountancy, banking, management,
personnel, market research). Psychology graduates may work in an
interdisciplinary position with, for example, biologists, engineers,
physiologists and physicists.
However, employers are usually looking for general or 'transferable'
skills, and a psychology degree provides an arguably unique combination
of these.
The job descriptions for many careers in psychology have lower age
limits but not upper. Many psychology courses have taken on some
trainees over the age of 40 in recent years. Similarly, many of
those who employ psychologists have well-developed equal opportunities
policies which prevent them discriminating on the grounds of sex,
disability, race or religion. Eight per cent of successful applications
to clinical psychology courses in 1998 were from non-white candidates.
However, entry to accredited postgraduate training courses is very
competitive in all areas of applied psychology, regardless of the
age or background of the applicant.
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Counselling Psychology
Counselling psychologists apply psychology to working collaboratively
with people across a diverse range of human problems. These include
helping people manage difficult life events such as bereavement,
past and present relationships and working with mental health issues
and disorders. Counselling psychologists accept subjective experience
as valid for each person, explore underlying issues and use an active
collaborative relationship to empower people to consider change.
Counselling psychologists utilise a holistic stance, which involves
examining the issues brought, within the wider context of what has
given rise to them.
Qualifications and training The usual route for qualification as
a Chartered Counselling Psychologist is:
- obtain the Graduate Basis for Registration by completion
of an appropriate accredited qualification in psychology
(1-4 years); and
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- completion of an accredited postgraduate training in counselling
psychology
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Educational Psychology
Educational psychologists are concerned with children's learning
and development, working primarily in schools with teachers and
parents. They carry out a wide range of tasks with the aim of enhancing
children's learning and enabling teachers to become more aware of
the social factors affecting teaching and learning.
Qualifications and training To become Registered as a Chartered
Educational Psychologist in England, Wales and Northern Ireland,
it is normally necessary to complete:
- an appropriate accredited qualification in psychology
(1-4 years) to obtain the Graduate Basis for Registration;
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- a teaching qualification (i.e. PGCE, a PGCE Conversion,
B.Ed) (1-3 years)
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- teaching experience with children and young adults up
to the age of 19 years (2 years);
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- an accredited postgraduate training course in educational
psychology (1 year);
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- supervised experience as an educational psychologist
(1 year).
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Applications for entrance onto postgraduate training courses in
educational psychology in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should
be made to the Clearing House for Educational Psychology:
Employers Organisation for Local Government
Layden House
76- 86 Turnmill Street
London
EC1M 5LG
Tel: 020 7296 6600
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The initial training route for educational psychologists is currently
under review by a DfES facilitated working group.
Current psychology undergraduates interested in a career as an educational
psychologist should consider gaining relevant experience of work
with children and young people.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychology is one of the fastest growing areas of employment
of psychology graduates. Academic institutions, Prison Services,
the National Health Service, Probation Services and Social Services
employ forensic psychologists. Forensic psychologists undertake
their work in the criminal and civil justice field.
From the 1st May 2001: to register as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist
you need:
- obtain the Graduate Basis for Registration by completion
of an appropriate accredited qualification in psychology
(1-4 years);
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Health Psychology
Health psychology is a new and rapidly evolving area, and can be
defined as the practice and application of psychological methods
to the study of behaviour relevant to health, illness and health
care. For example, the study of why and when people seek professional
advice about their health, why they do or do not recommend preventative
measures, how patients and health care professionals interact, how
patients adapt to illness, and the links between perception, health
behaviour and physical functioning. Qualifications and training
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Occupational Psychology
Occupational psychologists are concerned with the performance of
people at work and in training, how organisations function and how
individuals and small groups behave at work. The term 'organisation'
is used to describe a group of people working together with a common
purpose or goal.
Qualifications and training: To register as a Chartered Occupational
Psychologist, it is necessary to:
- obtain the Graduate Basis for Registration by completion
of an appropriate accredited qualification in psychology
(1-4 years); and
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- complete an accredited postgraduate course in occupational
psychology (1 year full-time or 2 years part-time) and 2
years' approved supervised practice as an occupational psychologist;
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Neuropsychology
Neurosience is one of the most rapidly advancing areas of research
and from this follows an increasing demand for clinical specialists
trained in the assessment, management, treatment and service needs
of people with neurological disorders. In the UK these services
have traditionally been offered, in the main, by clinical psychologists
who have developed a specialist knowledge of neuropsychology through
their professional practice and continuing professional development.
Neuropsychologists are now working on the development of a formal
training route and it is hoped that this will be introduced towards
the end of 2001.
The planned training will be available to qualified psychologists
(usually clinical psychologists although psychologists from a different
professional background may choose to specialise in neuropsychology)
and will involve an academic/knowledge based component and a clinical
component. It is expected that completion of this specialist training
will take two years and those who successfully complete the qualification
will be eligible for practitioner membership of the Division of
Neuropsychology.
Neuropsychology will remain a post qualification specialisation,
so those who are seeking to practise in this area should first qualify
as a clinical psychologist and then seek up-to-date information
from the Society about how to specialise.
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Teaching and Research
Teachers of psychology normally work in schools, colleges or universities
where they teach at a number of levels. To teach in a university
you will require appropriate higher qualifications in psychology
(normally a postgraduate qualification).
To teach in a University you will require appropriate higher qualifications
in psychology (normally postgraduate qualifications).
To teach in a state school, it is necessary to have a Postgraduate
Certificate in Education (PGCE). Formal qualifications in psychology
are not, however, always required by employers. In fact, psychology
graduates sometimes find it difficult to find places on PGCE courses
because psychology is not a National Curriculum subject. Care is
needed in selecting subsidiary courses at undergraduate level as
these choices can help or hinder graduates with their studies later;
those who are unable to get on a PGCE course can undertake a conversion
course from another degree to psychology if necessary to help them
qualify for a place.
This course usually lasts for two years. For more information contact
the Graduate Teacher Training Registry or The Teacher Training Agency.
No teacher training colleges offer psychology as a main subject
at secondary level, and psychology graduates therefore have to train
to teach one of the subjects included in the National Curriculum
in addition to psychology.
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Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy covers the psychological treatment of a wide range
of mental and physical ills by a number of different methods, each
developed in terms of its own theoretical framework. Such treatment
is carried out with individual patients or clients, with groups
of patients and with children as well as adults. Methods vary from
a long series of intimate discussions over two or three years, to
only one or two intense interviews. Group treatment may consist
of acting out problems or the encouragement of expression of inhibited
emotions within the therapeutic group.
The Society cannot provide information about suitable courses and
does not accredit training courses in psychotherapy for people who
are not already Chartered Psychologists. Such graduates should contact
the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, or the
UK Council for Psychotherapy or The British Confederation for Psychotherapists.
Further details on psychotherapy training is also available in our
booklet Studying psychology.
Currently there is no registration or licensing of psychotherapists
in the UK, and so there are no specific qualifications required
for private practice. Public employing authorities each have their
own regulations. The NHS has posts for child psychotherapists and
the Association of Child Psychotherapists is the appropriate body
to advise on training.
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Sport psychology
Along with many other areas where psychology has begun to be applied
to practical problems. The Register of Chartered Psychologists includes
a number of psychologists who have the expertise to offer a service
in sports psychology. Most of these will have a postgraduate research
degree, or a training in another area of applied psychology.
The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences keeps a list
of sports psychologists it has approved.
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