Graduate membership (GMBPsS)

For UK-based applicants, you must meet the following criteria to begin the application process:

• Hold at least a 2:2 undergraduate honours degree
• Passed the empirical project in an undergraduate degree accredited by the BPS, or to have completed an accredited conversion course
• Have copies of your academic transcripts (list of subjects and grades) to upload
• If you're a non-member, you must pay a non-refundable £50 application assessment fee

We are unable to consider part-completed qualifications, or qualifications that have not been formally conferred by the university towards an application for membership.

Subscription fees

Once your application has been assessed by the Membership team, you will need to make the payment for the current year's membership subscription, with the rates as follows: 

• Postgraduate students or those enrolled on BPS qualifications: £42.48 (enter details of your postgraduate course in the Qualifications section of the application)
• Those who have graduated in the last 5 years from the qualification (providing eligibility for Graduate membership): £81.72
• Standard Graduate Membership fee: £163.44

Renewals

Our membership runs on a 12 month cycle. You will be asked to renew your membership with us every 12 months from the date you first joined.

If you pay for your membership by Direct Debit, your membership will automatically renew every 12 months from the date you first joined.

Payment

There are a number of ways you can pay your subscription:

• Online card payment (preferred)
• Set up a Direct Debit (UK bank accounts only)
• Bank transfer
• By phone

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If you're applying for a Graduate membership and gained your degree at an institution outside of the UK, then there are still options open to you. When you apply, the BPS will consider the following criteria:

• If you hold a degree from a recognised university or comparable institution
• If it is of an equivalent standard to a British bachelors degree at a minimum of lower 2nd 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 GBC (cognitive psychology, psychobiology, developmental psychology, social psychology, individual differences, conceptual & historical issues and research)

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.

Please note: We are unable to consider part-completed qualifications, or qualifications that have not been formally conferred by the university towards an application for membership.

How do I 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

Cost to apply

Non-members need to pay a non-refundable £50 application assessment fee. 

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

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If for any reason you do not meet the criteria for Graduate Membership via the accredited training route you might still be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC) via the Special Case criteria.

The special case route allows us to assess the eligibility for Graduate membership of those with qualifications not normally recognised by the society.

As a general guide, we will normally look to see that an applicant holds undergraduate (a classification of 2:2 or above) and postgraduate degrees, both with significant psychology content and that, combined, they cover the core areas of psychology in an equivalent breadth and depth as would be expected of a BPS-accredited undergraduate degree (or conversion course) in psychology.

The core areas we look to be covered are cognitive psychology, psychobiology, developmental psychology, social psychology, individual differences, conceptual & historical issues and research.

In applying for this route you will need to provide copies of any award certificates and academic transcripts for any qualifications you are submitting for assessment.

As our assessment of eligibility via the special case route is primarily based on academic study of the core GBC areas so any short courses, CPD activities, or work experience, etc. will normally only be considered as supplementary information to your academic qualifications. 

A qualification can only be considered once towards one grade of membership.

For this reason we would not usually consider a BPS-accredited stage 1 Master's degree towards the special case route for Graduate Membership.

These qualifications are designed specifically to meet stage one of the requirements towards Chartered Membership of the Society and, if used to meet the criteria for Graduate Membership, cannot then be submitted towards a future application for Chartered Membership.