BPS international membership

We’ve been the home of psychology for over 120 years. Our doors are always open to psychology professionals from around the world, bringing together the latest thinking and knowledge through our diverse network.

Who are the BPS?

If you've not heard of us before, we're a UK-based professional membership body that's responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, education and application of psychology.

With more than 70,000 members in 136 countries, the BPS are one of the biggest communities of psychologists, and we want you to be a part of it.

"The BPS is recognised around the world - it's the gold standard of psychological associations - and the qualification is internationally valued."
Dr Jigar Jogia CPsychol, AFBPsS

Member benefits

Sharing best practice and advocating for positive change is what we do, with our members benefiting from unique access to a range of resources from anywhere in the world, including:

On-demand webinars, CPD courses and online workshops - access our courses at a time and place that suits you
Access to all digital issues of The Psychologist magazine 24/7 via our app
Networking and professional growth opportunities - joining one or more of our 100+ member networks is a great way to keep on top of the latest psychology trends and collaborate with colleagues from around the world
Access to psychological best practices and industry insights through online journals, publications and guidance.

Harness the power of a global psychological community with us.

We're stronger together

Yes, we're based in the UK, but that doesn't mean you have to live in the UK to be a member of the BPS.

We welcome psychology professionals from all over the world, and we believe that embracing equality, diversity and inclusion in everything we do only helps to build our community.

Become a member

Take a look at our subscription and membership grades below to see which one best suits you.

Graduate membership (GMBPsS)

You've graduated and achieved the degree you wanted, but what's your next step?

Our graduate membership is the best place to start – providing you with the ability to use the title 'GMBPsS' after your name and setting you on the road to a career in psychology.

If you're applying for graduate membership and gained your degree at an institution outside of the UK, when you apply, we'll consider the following criteria:

If you hold a degree from a recognised university or comparable institution (please visit WHED and ECCTIS websites to see if your university/institution is internationally recognised)
If it's of an equivalent standard to a British bachelor's degree at a minimum of lower second-class honours level, having also passed an empirical project
If your degree is made up of at least 50% psychology content
If your qualifications cover the core areas of the Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC). These are psychobiology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, individual differences, conceptual and historical issues in psychology, research and a specialist area

Following a Memorandum of Cooperation between the BPS and the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), those eligible for Graduate Membership of the PSI after gaining an academic award accredited by the PSI are also eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC) of the BPS.

We're unable to consider part-completed qualifications, or qualifications that haven't been formally conferred by the university towards an application for membership.

Apply now

How to start my application

To begin your application, you need to have the following details available:

Full address
Qualification information
Copies of your academic transcripts (list of subjects and grades) to upload - official translations if originals not in English

You'll need to pay a non-refundable £46 application assessment fee. This enables us to assess your eligibility for membership.

Once your application has been assessed by our membership team, you'll need to make the payment for the current year's membership subscription.

The standard fee is £163.44
For those who have graduated within the last five years from the qualification (giving eligibility for graduate membership), the fee is £81.72
For those studying a postgraduate course or enrolled on a society qualification the fee is £42.48

Please remember to enter your course details on the application otherwise we won't know you're studying and will request one of the higher fees.

Chartered membership (CPsychol)

Becoming a chartered psychologist shows you've met the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise.

The title of Chartered Psychologist is legally recognised and reflects only the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise.

Once you become chartered within your area of expertise, there's a wide range of benefits available, including:

Ability to use the CPsychol title
Inclusion on our list of Chartered Members
Opportunity to advertise in the Directory of Chartered Psychologists and join one of our specialist registers
Exclusive use of the chartered psychologist logo

To apply, there are two application options available:

Route 1 - Traditional Study

To follow this route, you need to:

Hold a qualification, or a combination of qualifications, which provide eligibility for GBC, plus
Hold an additional postgraduate qualification in psychology at least equivalent to a UK master's degree, and
Have relevant supervised training and experience undertaken outside the UK equivalent to UK professional doctorate level

Route 2 - Teaching/Research