How hard is it to become a psychologist?

Psychology has a lot of fronts, including Clinical psychiatry, sociology, etc.
Depending on the specialization, it will take many years of college.

You will need a psychology degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) leading to the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR). To get on to a degree you will usually need five GCSEs (A-C), plus three A levels (check with course providers for exact entry requirements).

If you already have a degree in a subject other than psychology, you can achieve GBR by completing a BPS-approved conversion course, or by sitting the BPS Qualifying Exam.

To become a Chartered Psychologist you must follow your BPS accredited course/exam with:

• (clinical psychology) a three-year, full-time, NHS funded Doctorate in Clinical Psychology; also see the Clinical Psychologist profile

• (educational psychology) a three-year Doctorate in Educational Psychology plus one year of supervised practice - in England, Northern Ireland and Wales

• (occupational psychology) the BPS Qualification in Occupational Psychology, which usually consists of an accredited MSc in Occupational Psychology plus two years' supervised practice and logbook

• (forensic psychology) a BPS Diploma in Forensic Psychology, which usually combines an MSc in Forensic Psychology plus two years' supervised practical experience

• (health psychology) an MSc in Health Psychology and two years' supervised experience

• (counselling psychology) the BPS Qualification in Counselling Psychology or a BPS accredited doctorate in counselling psychology

• (sport and exercise psychology) an accredited MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology plus two years' supervised work experience, or a minimum of five years' supervised experience; see separate profile

• (neuropsychology) training in either clinical or educational psychology, plus two years' supervised practice and an accredited course in neuropsychology.

Competition for postgraduate training is strong. Entry requirements will often include a first or upper second class honours degree, evidence of your research skills, plus relevant work experience.

Check with the BPS for full details about the routes to qualifying in the different branches of psychology.

Once you are qualified you may have the opportunity to specialise further within your branch of psychology, or pursue a research project leading to a PhD qualification (this would be helpful if you wanted to go into teaching or research as a career).

Throughout your career you will be expected to take part in continuing professional development (CPD) activities in order to keep your knowledge and skills up to date.