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Original poster

Psychology Degree where to start

62 replies

NewStart101 · 15/10/2020 21:20

HI MN, I have decided at the age of 38 to completely change careers. Feeling a bit overwhelmed. I studied a Financial Degree and almost got up to charter level and decided that I hated it.
I then became a sahm for 8 years. I want to retrain in something that I find to be just what I should have done in the first place.

My dilemma is that I am not in the UK or British but will be moving over in the next year at some point. I know that many degrees are now online but I am unsure as to how to research this.
I have been on the BPS site as well but I am clueless as to which online universities are good in terms of Psychology as well as what type of psychology degree to do?

In my country, a Psych degree isnt very highly regarded and many people just branch off into other areas. Is this similar in the UK? I know that is a very broad question to answer?

I really regret not pursuing this right at the beginning.

OP posts:
Original poster
NewStart101 · 15/10/2020 22:20

@EdPsy thank you, i will definitely have a look at that. I am leaning towards that so much but feeling a bit deflated now.

@TiddyTid I am so close with one exam left but I truly hated this field. I dont even think a change of job or company would make a difference.

OP posts:
Original poster
NewStart101 · 15/10/2020 22:22

@Hobnobsandbroomstick thank you. Yes I am open to all of that as well. I just wanted some insight as to whether a psych degree is worth pursuing at all.

OP posts:
Hobnobsandbroomstick · 15/10/2020 22:30

@NewStart101

It depends how much time and money you have I think. I did a psychology degree many moon ago, since retrained as an adult nurse. Other friends have retrained as mental health nurses and teachers. One friend is almost an "official psychologist", but that's after working in a volunteer role for a year and doing two masters degrees while living in London (she is from a very wealthy family so money wasn't an issue).

Hobnobsandbroomstick · 15/10/2020 22:33

Also just to add that in the UK you can do a one year conversion course in psychology if you already have a degree, just in case you didn't know.

pinkgreenblue · 15/10/2020 22:35

Haven’t read all the comments but yes you’d need to do a conversion degree, it’s only 1 year. Make sure it’s accredited.
Some people are saying that psych grads aren’t very employable, but that only tends to be the ones with fairly low grades and/or very minimal work experience. Psych gives you a wide range of skills and if you do well then you will have a choice of a number of career paths.al
Also lol at the pp who says that if you already have a degree then a psychology conversion will be vv easy. I have seen people with first class engineering degrees fail to pass a masters conversion. The conversion is an intense course and definitely not easy.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 15/10/2020 22:39

Would deffo complete your last exam if you can persevere ...chartership is ALWAYS worth having...

I've worked with two chartered accountants both who changed to social work and clinical psychology... It gave them more edge... Than almost completed courses would have.

Look at behavioural economics... /nudge stuff... It's a really interesting field. One of the names is Richard Thaler

Neolara · 15/10/2020 22:39

I'm an educational psychologist. I think it's a pretty interesting job, although like most jobs, it has its challenges.

TheDaydreamBelievers · 15/10/2020 22:48

@EdPsy thanks for the update! Glad they started finding it. I have friends and colleagues who had to pay.

TheDaydreamBelievers · 15/10/2020 22:49

*funding it

SandyY2K · 15/10/2020 23:01

You might find this helpful.

www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/psychology

TiddyTid · 15/10/2020 23:03

@TiddyTid I am so close with one exam left but I truly hated this field. I dont even think a change of job or company would make a difference.

That's such a shame as the exams are so very hard and to get to chartered status is way beyond a Psychology degree (sorry but my daughter is BSC in Psycology and now doing masters to get a hope in hell of using it as a career) Are you a woman? Because if so, the industry is desperate for more women as it's still so male orientated.

BugCatcher879 · 15/10/2020 23:06

Play therapy degree?

DespairingHomeowner · 16/10/2020 00:49

@pinkgreenblue

Haven’t read all the comments but yes you’d need to do a conversion degree, it’s only 1 year. Make sure it’s accredited. Some people are saying that psych grads aren’t very employable, but that only tends to be the ones with fairly low grades and/or very minimal work experience. Psych gives you a wide range of skills and if you do well then you will have a choice of a number of career paths.al Also lol at the pp who says that if you already have a degree then a psychology conversion will be vv easy. I have seen people with first class engineering degrees fail to pass a masters conversion. The conversion is an intense course and definitely not easy.
@pinkgreenblue: that was me, I did it, got a first, was working 50-70 hours full time which meant I didn’t attend all courses

Maybe it was only easy because my first degree was Oxbridge Hmm

Don’t see it being a problem for OP

Griselda1 · 16/10/2020 00:53

Health psychology is an interesting angle to specialize in and I think it will be a more highly regarded option in the future.

DespairingHomeowner · 16/10/2020 01:00

@NewStart101: how important is earnings level to you? One of my reasons for not proceeding with this change for me was the earnings progression was too slow to match my original career, especially given competition for training places

Those who are currently in field could advise better re salaries now (this was a few years ago for me} but where does your interest come from, school days or more recently? Is there a way for you to leverage your original career : as you’ve been at home for 8 years you have 7-8 years work experience?

No time like the present but what other careers have you explored?

DespairingHomeowner · 16/10/2020 01:04

If I were retraining now, I’d look for something with funded training, perhaps a medical field (midwife, nurse practitioner). Psychology wasn’t for me as a career and the experience taught me that interest alone is not in,y consideration when planning a career change

SueEllenMishke · 16/10/2020 08:20

Have you considered retraining to be a careers adviser? If you already have a degree you could do a masters in Career Guidance Development- it includes quite a bit of psychology and sociology and allows you to work in education ( schools and universities) supporting people.

Work in schools isn't particularly well paid but university work can be.

TravellingSpoon · 16/10/2020 08:30

I am currently studying a psychology degree online with the university of Derby.

My plan is a nursing masters. I am doing it this way because I am a LP who needs to work for the next couple of years, and can't commit to a nursing degree and the hours yet, with a child with SEN.

I am really enjoying my course.

Oblomov20 · 16/10/2020 08:37

I too always thought that psychology was a road to nowhere. Ds1 is taking it as A'level and I'm conscious of where it's gonna take him.

ohnothisagain · 16/10/2020 08:46

The key question is why you want to study psychology.
I have a psychology degree and work in a field that requires it (not clinical) and I am doing very well, but most people wanting to study psychology have severely distorted views on what they will learn (and also that there is quite a lot of maths and biology involved).
If you find a good niche, 100k and above salaries are entirely possible. but mainstream psychology (without a lot of additional qualifications which are extremely competitive) is a very different story.

dontdisturbmenow · 16/10/2020 08:49

I just wanted some insight as to whether a psych degree is worth pursuing at all
You'd already had all the advice you had her on your other thread!

One thing to consider is occupational health psychologist. You would need a Psy degree and can then do a Masters and PhD I think. Birbeck does one online with only one visit per month. It's a bit easier to get though than into clinical psychology.

The issue is that you will again need to find relevant experience. Something in HR would be good.

There are not massive jobs going about as must of the work is undertaken by occupational health nurses, but they should be supervised by a OH Psychologist and it certainly is a growing field.

SueEllenMishke · 16/10/2020 08:49

Psychology (and sociology) is a great foundation subject if you know you want to work with people but haven't got a clear career idea,providing you understand that further study/training will be required.
I studied sociology then went in to do a postgrad in a professional subject. My degree definitely helped and gave me thinking time to plan my next steps.

PineappleUpsideDownCake · 16/10/2020 08:50

Is there any way to do EdPsych training part time? Im assuming not due to the length of course.

dontdisturbmenow · 16/10/2020 08:52

Google says that UofLondon does an online Psy degree as well as Arden.

Original poster
NewStart101 · 16/10/2020 08:56

@DespairingHomeowner good question re earnings level. In my previous field the earnings level was very rewarding but absolutely soul destroying. I feel that this time around, I want to do something that will make for a very long term career.
We have savings and I am prepared to do the long haul but I just need to know that this degree will lead to somewhere eventually.

I am not sure about the Conversion course as my previous degrees were purely financial. I think I would miss out on a good foundation by skipping the undergraduate?

OP posts: