Edcuational Phychology Degree

[BeautifulTulips]

Bit confused here and hoping someone might know more about this! I always thought you trained as an Educational Psychologist by doing a three-year degree in educational psychology, but from what I’ve been reading it looks like you actually need a doctorate afterwards?
Trying to get my head around what the full route looks like — is it a psychology degree first, then some work experience, then the doctorate?
Also, does anyone know if the doctorate is funded, or are we potentially looking at paying for five or six years of uni in total 😳?
Would love to hear from anyone whose DC has gone down (or is thinking about) this route, or who’s looked into it in more detail. thank you !

Yes, first degree in psychology (that gives graduate basis for registration of BPS) then work experience, then best route is to get an assistant role then doctorate.

The doctorate first year is a 16k bursary, for years 2 and 3 most EPs are employed on trainee wages (around 30k).

To add to above, if you already have a degree (that is not psychology), you might be able to complete a conversion course to get GBR. Then it’s a 3 year doctorate.

I got my psychology degree quite a while back so some of this info might have changed!
it used to be the case that you got a psychology degree (this needed to be eligible for registration with the BPS in order to become chartered)
A PGCE was then usually the next route with a bit of teaching experience before eventually doing the doctorate which was funded.
I’m pretty sure you’ve always needed a doctorate - usually with some experience of working in education.
Does your DC have experience of working with children with SEND? I would have thought this would still be needed before starting a doctorate.

It's competitive. The work experience prior to applying for the doctorate ed psy is key. Best bet is to befriend a psycho to learn the tricks of the trade.

Thank you both- daughter had found a BSc which says educational psychology so thought she would be qualified after three years but I didn’t think it was quite that simple! Do you need teaching experience? I thought you did, but that doesn’t seem to be a requirement any longer.

I'm an EP. The advice above is correct.

The best EPs I have worked with have all had a background in teaching or considerable experience working with children in schools in a learning -as opposed to therapeutic- context. Encourage your DC to gain valuable work experience of actual working in an education setting as I'm convinced, being a primary practitioner, that this will increase their effectiveness and impact.

My own DC has required the involvement of EPs in order to secure an EHCP and suitable provision, and again, collaborating with an EP whose practice has a strong foundation in the needs of learners in the classroom has made such a difference.

Thanks all - daughter is in year 13. Has extensive experience volunteering in a special school and he is really keen to work with children with additional needs but not as a teacher. She is very interested in how the brain works and why children behave as they do, hence wondering about educational psychology. The three year degree described is actually quite confusing because it does make it look like you are a psychologist at the end of that but clearly not!

Before 2006, you did a masters rather than a doctorate to qualify and it was compulsory to be a teacher. Since it switched to the doctorate, you still have to have work experience with children and young people/related to education, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be teaching, though understandably lots of EPs are still ex-teachers (myself included). I’m confident that I’m a better EP for having been a teacher, but there are lots of good routes in, and reflecting on your work effectively is more important than any specific career path. The Association of Educational Psychologists website is a really useful source of information about applying, funding and essential requirements, so worth having a look at.

Just make sure she does a BPS accredited degree.

There are better informed posters on here than I am, but just to add, my DD is currently studying for a 4 yr Msci in Psychology at York. She has a friend who is taking a 3 yr Bsci in Psychology & Education. I expect each of them may be hoping for a PhD route, although those will not look the same at all.

Ideally EPs should have some experience in the classroom either through volunteering or actual teaching. I've worked with many over the years. Some great ones and not so great ones. Taking advice from a professional to help with challenging behaviour etc is really difficult when they've never stepped foot in a classroom.

I would also be very careful as some degrees may have Education and Psychology in the title but not be BPS accredited.
I think this is true of Education with Psychology at Bath.

Can you share the degree and uni with us, OP? Lots of us work in the field and are happy to advise! (It is anonymous after all!)

https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/course/educational-psychology/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=performance_max_f2&utm_campaign=apply_2026&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23061479644&gbraid=0AAAAACm7m-CD5CeTBDG0z4fEAO1eQFk6X&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3aLHBhDTARIsAIRij5_rHClAtVrkmjve9ZCdrgOWhKDAP4XvTzYsPyyXztcPhHInuCut0MIaAtcSEALw_wcB

Thanks for your insights everyone, she was looking at this one which is accredited, but it’s clearly not such a simple route into educational psychology as she had hoped!

You can see the course is actually being renamed for 2026 entry. Probably to reflect any misunderstanding by YP.

The name is likely changing because BPS are getting strict about universities not using the titles of jobs you won't be qualified for as the name of programmes...

Yes she needs a doctorate to become an EP.

Her undergraduate can either be in Psychology (doesn’t need to be education psych) and then apply for the doctorate
or
she can do it in something completely different and then do a conversation MSc course (needs to be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the BPS).

You don’t need to be a teacher and many trainee EPs aren’t teachers but she does need experience and the more experience she has the better.

The places on the doctorate are very competitive and you have people with years of experience going for them, all with similar qualifications - so that experience will really help her stand out.

There is also clinical psychology, where she can become a child psychologist - this is much harder to get into but it’s also better paid, wider career opportunities and obviously not just solely based around education.
But again work experience is key here too.

I don't think clinical psych is 'much harder' to get into. Last year there were 1500 applicants for 200 places in educational psychology.

Educational Psychology is a thankless job.
She might find careers such as Occupational Therapy or Speech and Language Therapy offer the chance to work hands on with children with additional needs. Both can work in special schools or in clinics and there is far more opportunity for following students for a while, seeing progress and developing relationships rather than the assessment and report model which dominates the lives of most local authority EPs.

Both OT and SALT can be done as first degrees or as Masters degrees and Psychology is a common first degree in these professions.

@ButtermeEd Psych jobs are not solely based around schools. It’s quite diverse now, and jobs advertised are often practitioner psychologists so cover both clin and ed psych. I’ve worked in clinical settings in a hospital, a LAC service and a neurodevelopmental team.

@SpanThatWorldi don’t see it as a thankless job at all and none of my friends / colleagues have ever used those words. I feel very privileged to do the job. I earn well, work flexibly and meet lots of lovely children and families.

I'm pleased that's how you feel but my EP friends do sometimes feel that they are seen as a gateway to resources rather than the more in depth longer term involvement that I have with children and their families.

I got onto the EP course back in the 1990s when it was a Masters but couldn't afford to do it without funding. My ex was an EP. I know what the job can be but I also know that it can be a treadmill of EHCNA reports.

Which uni is it? They shouldn’t do this it’s misleading.
look at the association of educational psychologists website they explain it all. You get a very decent bursary and all the fees are paid during the doctorate so it’s a good deal.

Being an ed psych is a fantastic job. I have been doing it 25 years and I love it.

It is true that the tyranny of EHCP report writing after short one off assessments has been a feature in some LA services following swingeing cuts to services under the Tories. However the new proposals from the government in the white paper seem to be heading in the direction of ensuring every school has timely and constant access to educational psychology advice and support.
Which is why LA educational psychologists are generally feeling cautiously optimistic about the reforms and are not protesting.