When it comes to the Clinical Psychology Doctorate (DClinPsy) it can be extremely confusing in regard to the steps you need to take in order to get onto the Doctorate training programme. Not only is this programme highly competitive, but there are a lot of other things that need to be considered including qualifications, training, experience, University applications etc.! Therefore, to simplify things for all you aspiring Psychologists, we have summarised everything you need to know about the programme and relevant steps!
First.. How do I begin my Journey of becoming a Clinical Psychologist?
To become a Clinical Psychologist, you need to:
1. Take an Undergraduate degree in Psychology/Psychology conversion course following another Undergraduate degree – ensure that the degree in accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)!
2. Gain experience in relation to Clinical Psychology.
3. Complete a Psychology Doctorate, which also needs to be accredited by the BPS, alongside work.
Sounds easy right? Unfortunately, the road to becoming a Clinical Psychologist is not actually as easy as these steps make it out to be! In fact, there is a lot of competition to gain clinical experience between Undergraduate and Doctorate, never mind the competition to getting onto the DClinPsy programme itself! However, that does not mean it is impossible to get onto the programme and gain relevant experience – as you will find out in this blog post.
Okay, so if I want to Complete a Psychology Doctorate, what are the Entry Requirements?
We have summarised what the majority of Universities offer and look for in terms of their ‘entry requirements’ for the course.
Course Length and Requirements:
- 3-years* funded (by the NHS) course
- Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Requires Graduates to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Entry Requirements:
- 2:1 or above at Undergraduate
- If attained a 2:2 at Undergraduate, then applicant should complete Master’s level qualification with 65% or above
- At least twelve months full-time (or equivalent part-time) relevant experience in the past three years, which has allowed them to apply psychological principles in practice i.e. Assistant Psychologist, Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT worker, Research Assistant, and some Healthcare Assistant/Support Worker posts which involve working in clinical populations/supervised by a Clinical Psychologist
*This varies as some universities may have a 4-year course/placement-year/part-time (though Lancaster University is the only one that offers part-time).
…So do I Need a Master’s Degree?
Short answer – no.
You do not *need* a Master’s degree (MSc) and it is entirely up to you whether you find completing an MSc in Psychology beneficial to you or not. In fact we have dedicated a whole blog post to the pros and cons of completing an MSc in Clinical Psychology, which may be worth a read!
Which Universities can I apply to for the DClinPsy Doctorate?
The good news is that there are a lot of Universities that you can complete the Doctorate programme with! You may want to pick a few Universities to apply to but remember – each University have structured the course differently, with some Universities solely teaching Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and others may use various heuristic approaches. Below we have listed all the Universities that fund the programme including:
- Bangor University – North Wales
- University of Bath
- University of Birmingham
- Coventry and Warwick
- University of East Anglia
- University of East London
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Essex
- University of Exeter
- University of Glasgow
- University of Hertfordshire
- King’s College London
- Lancaster University
- University of Leeds
- University of Leicester
- University of Liverpool
- University of Manchester
- Newcastle University
- North Thames – University College London (UCL)
- Oxford
- Plymouth University
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- Canterbury Christ Church University
- University of Sheffield
- University of Southampton
- South Wales
- Staffordshire University
- University of Surrey
- Teesside University
- Trent – Universities of Lincoln and Nottingham
Great, so what about this "Relevant Experience" you Speak of?
According to University College London (UCL), “in order to have a realistic chance of being selected onto the DClinPsy course, it is essential to gain clinical experience before applying.” But, what does that mean?
Universities tend to look for applicants with relevant clinical experience in this field as they want you to experience what it is like working in Clinical Psychology. It also gives you the chance to gain useful knowledge and skills prior to the Doctorate programme which will be useful later on. However, it is important to note, that Universities are not looking for some sort of portfolio with tons and tons of experience – as mentioned before, you need at least twelve months of experience, though it is recommended that you should remain in one post for at least a year, before considering moving onto another in terms of experience, service, field (for example Mental Health or Clinical Health) etc.
The type of experience that are relevant to the programme include:
- Assistant Psychologist – Many Universities require graduates to work as an AP as they are seen as “desirable”, however, that does not mean you cannot apply for the programme without this role! There are so many other relevant roles apart from being an AP – for more information about becoming an AP, read this post:
- Research Assistant – The aim of this role is to help Researchers/Psychologists in a Clinical field whether that may be conducting experiments, collating data, planning research etc. This job is relevant as you gain a lot of experience in Clinical Research which is something you may end up doing during your doctorate! Often some Universities may offer Voluntary Research Assistant Roles – so keep a look out for this if you are still completing your undergrad. Paid roles tend to look at previous voluntary experience and a relevant degree.
- (Mental Health) Support Worker/Care Assistant/Healthcare Assistant – This may include working within the NHS or Private Healthcare such as mental health wards, community wards etc. This is a valuable experience as your role would entail of looking after the well-being of vulnerable people, whether it may be mentally, physically or both! Becoming a Support Worker roles may ask you to write a personal statement during the application process, which will ask you to highlight your interests on why you would like this role. Remember, it is important to list your qualities such as compassion etc. to make yourself stand out during the application process for this role.
- Volunteering Roles – You may want to consider working in charities to gain relevant experience too, especially those that work with mental health client groups such as bereavement, homelessness, addiction etc. Alternatively, working for helplines such as Samaritans is a very useful experience in understanding how to communicate and supporting those with mental health difficulties.
Im ready to apply for the DClinPsy Programme... But how does the Application Process Work?
When applying for the DClinPsy programme, there are a lot of things to think about including when you can apply, and what the process is like. We have summarised the process below.
When to Apply:
Applications tend to open during September each year, and close late November. The course itself will start the following year usually around September/October time.
What is included in the Application?
Like most university Applications, you are required to list your qualifications, language, experience, personal statement and references. Applications for the DClinPsy also ask whether your undergraduate degree is BPS accredited, if you would like to self-fund the degree (more on the next section), and reflections of your experience.
Personal Statement – Some Useful Tips:
Research the University - As mentioned before, each University varies on the different approaches they may decide to teach within Clinical Psychology such as CBT, psychodynamic theory, and other heuristic approaches. When applying to Universities, you may want to consider tailoring your personal statement accordingly to what approach works best for them. For example, if you are interested in CBT, then this is something you may want to highlight, especially when applying to Universities that use this approach.
Be reflective – when writing your personal statement, it is essential that you are reflective in regard to what you have learnt in terms of your experience, i.e. how useful were supervision sessions, how can you further your practice?
References:
Universities tend to ask references from your recent employer that you have gained relevant work experience with. Additionally, you may be able to give other referees such as previous employers and academic references.
What about Funding the DClinPsy Course?
The majority of the DClinPsy courses are funded by the NHS, and therefore, you do need to fund the course yourself. However, this does not mean that you cannot self-fund courses if you wish to do so. Some Universities allow you to self-fund the DClinPsy course including:
- University of East Anglia
- University of Exeter
- University of Leicester
- Newcastle University
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- University of Essex
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of Manchester
- Plymouth University
- University of Sheffield
What Happens once I’ve Applied?
Once you have applied to your chosen Universities, they tend to use a selection system which breaks down the process. The first step entails of screening candidates based on those who do or do not meet the basic entry criteria. This may include:
- The absence of Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) aka eligibility to join the BPS
- No relevant experience
- No home/EU fees status
Once candidates have been screened, selectors then look for evidence in terms of academic ability and clinical aptitude such as motivation, realism etc. – Paying particular attention to those personal statements! Those who are chosen based on their application, will then be invited to an interview (however, it must be noted, that some Universities may also require you to complete a test beforehand). Selectors then make a decision based on the interview.
A lot of Universities also disclose that they aim to ensure that applicants are not disadvantaged due to their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, social class, disability or age. Thus, it is encouraged that anyone who is suitability qualified for the programme should apply!
The Bottom Line…
As mentioned, there is a lot to think about when applying for the DClinPsy Doctorate, however that does not mean it is not achievable! By breaking down what you need to know, and the process, we hope that all of you aspiring Psychologists are able to achieve your goals and become successful applicants for the programme!
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