Grades of Membership

Chartered Psychologist

To protect the public, the Society has been authorised by the crown to maintain a Register of Chartered Psychologists. To become Chartered, members must meet a strict set of qualifying criteria. For further details, please see What is a Chartered Psychologist?

Graduate Membership (UK Qualifications)

For Graduate Membership of the Society you must possess one of the following qualifications:

1. A pass in the Society's Qualifying Examination; or
2. A Society accredited Honours Degree in Psychology; or
3. A Society accredited Postgraduate Qualification in Psychology; or
4. A Society accredited Conversion Qualification; or
5. Such other qualifications in Psychology as the Council may accept as not less than the foregoing.

A candidate for election must be proposed by at least two members of the Society who can endorse the candidate's application, and whose signatures are required on the form of application. The Society's Membership Team will automatically assess your qualifications to see whether they meet the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR).

A candidate applying for election to Membership of the Society should, at the same time, apply for any reduced rate of subscription for which he or she may be eligible. See form of application for reduced subscriptions.

Candidates for Graduate Membership who wish to qualify as professional psychologists must ensure that they have a qualification which also confers the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR).

Application form: Graduate Membership

Student Membership

Student membership of the Society is for current A-level/Scottish Higher psychology students in addition to undergraduate psychology students and non-psychology graduates on conversion courses.

Students eligible to apply for Graduate Membership are debarred from being elected to Student Membership. All Student applications must be stamped by the official school/university/educational institution stamp before submission to the Society.

Student Members are entitled to attend Scientific Meetings and Branch Meetings, but they may take no part in the government of the Society or its subsystems. Applicants for Student Membership are required to sign an Income Statement to determine the level of subscription payable.

Student Members of the Society also automatically become members of the Student Members Group.

Application form: Student

Affiliateship

No formal qualification in psychology is required to become an Affiliate of the Society. Election to Affiliateship is open only to those resident in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

You must be proposed by at least two members of the Society who can endorse your application and whose signatures are required on the form of application. If you hold qualifications that make you eligible for Graduate Membership you may not become an Affiliate.

Affiliates are in general entitled to the privileges of members, including notice of and attendance at Scientific Meetings and Branch Meetings, but they may take no part in the government of the Society, its Branches, Sections, Divisions or Special Groups.

Subscription to The Psychologist is not automatically including with Affiliateship but can be purchased for an additional fee.

Application form: Affiliate (Word)

Foreign Affiliateship

Open to anyone resident outside the UK or Ireland who has an interest in psychology. Formal qualifications or membership of overseas psychological societies is not a requirement.

Those resident in the UK are limited to one year in this class of membership.

Foreign Affiliates are entitled to attend Scientific Meetings and Branch Meetings, but they may take no part in the government of the Society or its subsystems.

Application form: Affiliate (Word)

Associate Fellowship

Members may apply for election to Associate Fellowship of the Society. Members applying for Associate Fellowship must satisfy one of the following conditions since first becoming eligible for Graduate Membership:

1. have successfully completed an aggregate of at least two years' study or practice of psychology since meeting the postgraduate requirements to be a Chartered Psychologist; or
2. have been engaged in the application, discovery, development or dissemination of psychological knowledge or practice for an aggregate of at least seven years; or
3. have published psychological works or exercised specialised psychological knowledge of a standard not less than in 1 or 2 above.

Application form: Assoc Fellow (Word)

Fellowship

A Fellowship is the highest grade of Membership to which a Member can be elected. Therefore the criteria cannot be as closely prescribed as those for the other grades of Society Membership (above).

The Society's Trustees have produced a booklet detailing the criteria for the award.

Criteria information: The Award of Fellowship

Application/Nomination form: Fellowship

Enquiries

If you have any queries about membership of the Society, please contact the Membership Team (e-mail: applications@bps.org.uk; telephone +44 (0)116 252 9911.