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Join the British Psychological Society and boost your degree with hundreds of online journals, special discounts, access to our exclusive online community and more.
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Join us and you'll get:
Access to dozens of events each year
Including student-focused careers events where you can learn from psychology professionals.
Subscriptions to The Psychologist
Our monthly magazine, and Psych-Talk which is written by our students for our students – it's also a great way for you to get published.
Access to the student online community
Connect with other psychology students across the UK, share ideas and discuss the latest advances. Plus get exclusive resources and opportunities to get practically involved in the world of psychology.
Automatic enrolment to your local branch
Meet with psychologists in your area to expand your network and share ideas.
The chance to become a student rep
Help support your fellow students and spread the word about BPS membership.
Great savings
Your membership entitles you to money off a huge range of textbooks, events and more.
Discounts on books and key publications
Take advantage with a BPS membership and get 35% off Wiley/Blackwell books (print and e-books).
View the full range of benefits available to Student Members
Student membership is open to everyone studying on a BPS accredited undergraduate degree or conversion course.
Student Committee
You can join as a Student Member for as little as £26.
The society's subscription year runs from January to December and future subscription payments are due in January regardless of when you first joined. A full year's subscription is always required upon admission to membership.
If you join between:
January – June: you will be charged the yearly rate which will all be allocated to this year's subscription.
July – September: you will be charged the yearly rate but half the payment will be carried forward reducing the amount due from you for the following year.
October – December: your full payment will be allocated to the following year.
There are a number of ways you can pay your subscription
Online card payment (preferred)
Cheque or postal orders
The BPS Student Committee represents student members of the society in matters pertaining to education and discipline specific policy.
We promote communication between student members through the annual student conference as well as through international links with psychology students and associations world-wide via the European Federation of Psychology Student's Association (EFPSA).
We also organise a range of events throughout the year, such as seminars and networking opportunities, and are responsible for the publication of the PsychTalk magazine.
September marks the start of universities but also of a new Student Committee. It is with great honour that I take the role of Chair this year. I am extremely grateful to everyone who contributed to my development during my first year in the committee especially to Sam, the previous Chair.
I am aware that this year things will be rather different and, with courage dare to admit, difficult. Understanding the challenging situations we are all facing is an opportunity for us to unite and build a future that is not only more inclusive and better but also a future where we stand together in the face of adversity.
The online communities remain a great space to connect and we hope that with the use of technology we can not only remove the distance but also close gaps. At times, the future might seem scary but as psychology students, we are the future of psychology and the future is ours to shape.
Eduard Daniel Margarit, Student Committee Chair
Current Student Committee
Chair: Eduard Daniel Margarit
Eduard Margarit is currently studying Psychology and Counselling at Abertay University and working as an Honorary Psychologist for NHS. He has a keen interest in neuropsychology and abnormal psychology, and his current goal is to be a Chartered Neuropsychologist.
He previously graduated from London Metropolitan with a BA in Fashion Marketing and Business Management. However, four years after his graduation, Eduard decided to return to his humanistic interest and study psychology.
Eduard joined the committee with the hope that he can create more academic and social opportunities for all the psychology students across the UK. He feels that a stronger sense of community can be achieved by the current committee and therefore enhance the student experience.
As Chair, Eduard also sits on the BPS Standing Conference Committee and is Member Organisation President of the EFPSA (European Federation of Psychology Students Associations) where his duties involve representing the psychology undergraduate students in the U.K.
Tweet: @BPSStudentChair
Chair Elect: Nikita Rachel Shepherdson
Nikita Shepherdson studies BSc Psychology with Clinical Psychology at Teesside University.
Prior to her studies, Nikita has worked in various NHS mental health settings. Throughout her first year of university, Nikita worked as a research assistant and is currently undertaking a systematic review. She is also co-developing a mentoring model for undergraduate students in conjunction with a local mental health trust.
Nikita aspires to be a Chartered Clinical Psychologist; her interests lie in neuropsychology, trauma informed care and positive psychology. Nikita has completed a specialisation in Positive Psychology with the founder of the approach.
Throughout her second year, Nikita looks forward to continuing with her hobby of musical theatre, gaining further research experience and joining the student committee in the role of the Chair Elect. She values the student voice and has a keen focus on extracurricular activities. Nikita hopes to create more opportunities for students beyond the lecture theatre.
Deputy Chair: Alice Sims
Alice Sims is a third year Psychology student at the University of Greenwich.
Alice has a particular interest in the field of clinical psychology and mental health and aspires to continue her studies and gain a clinical psychology doctorate.
She recently completed a work experience placement at a trauma specialist private clinical practice and has since had an interest in research concerning the impact of trauma and adversity on individual's psychological wellbeing. She is currently focused on exploring and researching anxiety disorders, particularly PTSD, for her final year project.
Alice hopes to gain good experience as the deputy chair and looks forward to working alongside other student members. She strives to support the chair well and help committee and student members any way she can. She looks forward to learning more about the BPS and supporting the exciting events and work of the committee.
Committee Members: Grace Child, Hannah Whitfield, Hyunjun (Junie) Wee, Sophie Worrall
Grace Child is progressing into her final year at Manchester Metropolitan University where she is studying an Undergraduate degree in Psychology.
In her spare time Grace volunteers as a ChildLine Counsellor which includes listening to young people's worries around abuse, bullying, relationships, or self-harm. Grace also volunteers with Mind as a Befriender which entails supporting individuals with mental health diagnoses to engage in activities as a part of their recovery. Grace's future interests include pursuing further study and experience within the field of Clinical Psychology.
As a member of the committee, Grace aims to raise awareness and support around inclusion and racism, as well as increase communication with local psychology departments through events.
Hannah Whitfield is a final-year psychology student at the University of St Andrews. She aspires to become a qualified political psychologist. She has a keen interest in the psychology of voting, specifically research into why people vote the way they do in elections and the extent to which party affiliation impacts an individual's vote.
As an ordinary member of the committee, Hannah aims to help create inclusive events that allow members to diversify their knowledge and understanding of psychology and provide good opportunities for members to network with other students across the UK. She also aims to increase student engagement with the BPS by supporting the work of other committee members and promoting events and membership within her academic community.
Junie Wee is a second-year Economics and Psychology student at the University of St Andrews, where he also serves as a student ambassador and the Secretary of the United Nations Association St Andrews. He is currently a member of the EFPSA Executive Board, and the National Coordinator for the EFPSA's "Mind the Mind" campaign to help combat the stigma of mental disorders in the UK.
He is interested in social and evolutionary psychology, and he is intending to pursue a clinical psychology route. He is working towards gaining research experience to help him gain more exposure to different areas in psychology and develop his research skills.
He hopes to further promote BPS's work, and its importance to our students and our society. He believes that adapting to the needs of our students and encouraging a greater student participation are crucial in creating a truly enriching experience for students.
Sophie Worrall is currently a 3rd year student at the University of Derby Online Learning. This program makes it possible for her to determine the rate at which she studies as well as having flexibility of hours, while still gaining Graduate Based Chartership with the BPS.
Sophie's overall aspiration in psychology is to become a clinical psychologist. So far, she has been involved in writing a published research project about revenge pornography, attending BPS Midlands and North-West Conferences, and also Liverpool Aspiring Psychologists Group meetings which she describes as rewarding.
This year, Sophie hopes to raise awareness of EFPSA's Mind the Mind (MtM) campaign and collate a group of volunteers to take this psychoeducation into schools and groups across the UK.
International Officer and EFPSA Representative: Vacant
Position currently vacant.
Incoming International Officer and EFPSA Representative: Vacant
PsychTalk Editor: Juhi Waeerkar
Juhi Waeerkar is an undergraduate psychology student at King's College London.
Before attending King's College she was finishing an associate degree with courses in business-related subjects, however after stumbling across Robert Sapolsky's lecture series on YouTube (as well as a few inspirational TedTalks, including Suzana Herculano-Houzel's amazing brains being turned into a soup talk) she became fascinated with the world of neuroscience and psychology.
Based on her background, as you can imagine, she hopes to study the neuropsychology of entrepreneurship and, as a student ambassador for the Entrepreneurship Institute at King's, she hopes to learn more and to work alongside her colleagues to help bring light to the amazing work being submitted to our editors.
Incoming PsychTalk Editor: Sarh-Jayne Collett
Sarah-Jayne Collett is a 2nd year undergraduate Psychology with Counselling mature student at The Open University. This provides her the flexibility to study and work part time.
Before attending university, she was living in China teaching English and before that working in Cyprus painting wall murals with the children at the Youth Club.
Sarah-Jayne grew up in a military household which instigated her interest in how war affected the families and what support was there for those deployed and the families at home. With this experience she realised her aspiration is to be an Art Psychotherapist combining both her creative attributes and desire to help people therapeutically.
Sarah-Jayne wants to contribute to the awareness of the student committee and try to make it an integral part of Psychology students' journey throughout their development. She also looks forward to being part of this team and part of the future of Psychology.
Assistant PsychTalk Editors: Suzy Crowson, Charlotte West, Rachel Verity
Suzy Crowson is in the second year of a psychology conversion course specialising in mental health at the University of Edinburgh, and hopes to work in the field of clinical psychology.
She has an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Exeter, and feels that psychology can enhance one's understanding of a person, much like a work of literature.
Suzy has pursued the link between narrative, emotions and psychological wellbeing in her studies, and applied this to an understanding of mental disorders in her work as a mental health support worker.
Having reviewed literature within neuropsychology and developmental psychology, she is interested in projects that reach across traditional professional and disciplinary boundaries.
Suzy is excited to showcase student work in PsychTalk in order to produce an inspiring publication that is engaged with life and psychology in a changing world. Within the role, she hopes to encourage and facilitate student input.
Rachel Verity is a final-year undergraduate psychology student at the University of Liverpool. Alongside her studies, she works as a home carer and volunteers weekly at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital on the elderly patients' ward.
Inspired by her background in elderly care, Rachel is hoping to become a clinical psychologist after graduating. Subsequently, she will be studying the self-identity of experts by experience in clinical psychology trainees as part of her final year project.
Upon joining the Psych-Talk editorial team, she is looking forward to reading through different perspectives conveyed in articles, aiming to promote diversity within the magazine.
Representative for Northern Ireland: Grace Clements
Grace Clements is in the final year of her undergraduate degree at Ulster University, which she has been completing part-time over the last six years. She chose to do part-time because Grace was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and so while it has been challenging, it has made completing her degree doable.
This will be her second year in the role of Northern Ireland Representative, and she has also been her university's undergraduate representative for the Northern Ireland branch of the BPS for the past five years.
Over the next year, Grace will be completing her final dissertation project looking at individuals with ME and their experiences with healthcare professionals and plans to then go on to do the Health Psychology MSc and to research how to positively impact the lives of individuals with ME.
She looks forward to connecting with fellow psychology students through her role as Northern Ireland Representative, as well as enhancing the student experience of BPS members.
Representative for Scotland: Vincent Waters
Vincent Waters is a mature student in his second year at Glasgow Caledonian University. After a long career in business, and some politics, he returned to higher education to study psychology, and particularly enjoys research into health, forensics and psycholinguistics.
He plans to continue as a postgraduate and is currently working for some researchers on their active investigations and would, ultimately, like to undertake a research doctorate.
Vincent hopes to use his two years as the Scottish student representative to foster strong links between undergraduate psychology students across Scotland and create more opportunities for them to engage with postgraduates and Chartered Psychologists..
Representative for Wales: Vacant
Role currently vacant.
PsyPAG Representative: Tanya Shrader
Tanya Shrader is a third year PhD researcher at Staffordshire University studying the dark side of conspiracy theories. The aim of her research is to investigate the role of conspiracy theory beliefs in the harmful conduct towards people based on their group membership (e.g. immigrants in the UK).
Tanya has been a psychology student advocate at Staffordshire University since 2014 and advises prospective students at undergraduate and postgraduate open events. This has afforded her insight into the views, expectations and challenges faced by students, including barriers they may face while studying.
As a mature student, she has been able to share her experiences and offer practical advice and reassurance that there are no barriers to university education which cannot be overcome with the appropriate support. Tanya also teaches Introduction to Research Methods and is a research assistant on the Research Impact team for REF2021.
Which Membership grade am I eligible for?
Eligibility for our membership grades is primarily based on society-accredited academic qualifications and experience, or their non-UK equivalent.
Each membership grade has differing eligibility requirements; for further info please consult the relevant pages for each membership grade.
Please be aware that the information on each membership grade page provides a general guide to eligibility, it is not exhaustive.
What documents do I need to provide?
You will need to provide copies (we don't require originals) of your psychology qualifications.
Transcripts (the list of subjects and grades) are required for all undergraduate, conversion and non-UK qualifications.
For any documents not in English translations are required.
How much does it cost to apply for Graduate membership?
Non-members will need to pay a non-refundable £21 application fee. This fee enables us to assess your eligibility for membership.
If your application is eligible for Graduate membership we will request the relevant society subscription fee - this payment will need to be received in order for us to admit you to membership.
The standard fee is £134.
For those who've graduated within the last three years from the qualification giving eligibility for Graduate membership the fee is £67.
For those studying a postgraduate course in the UK and not earning a taxable income the fee is £36.
Please remember to enter your course's details on the application otherwise we won't know you're studying and will request one of the higher fees.
If you also choose to join one or more of our Member Networks we will request their fees too.
The application process outlines the fee for each network.
How long before I receive a decision?
Typically, applications will be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt, although this may be slightly longer during busy periods.
You should have a final decision of your application within 10 working days.
What is the criteria to apply for Graduate membership via the special case route?
The society has a special case route whereby we can assess the eligibility for Graduate membership of those with qualifications not accredited by the BPS.
These are most likely to be UK qualifications but may also be a combination of non-UK and UK qualifications.
You will need to have a Bachelors level qualification plus a postgraduate qualification to at least a Masters level – both with significant psychology content.
As a general guide we will look to see that the qualifications you hold cover, at a standard not less than lower second class honours level, the core areas of psychology in sufficient breadth and depth as would be expected of a society-accredited undergraduate degree in psychology.
For information the core areas we look to be covered are:
individual differences
conceptual and historical issues
If you would like us to assess your eligibility you can apply for Graduate membership where you'll need to upload copies of transcripts for the qualifications you hold containing psychological study.
How do I obtain GBC (Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership) confirmation?
We can only provide confirmation that you have the GBC if you're a current Graduate member of the society.
If you're not a member, to obtain confirmation of GBC from the society you'll need to apply for Graduate membership so we can assess your qualification(s) and determine eligibility.
I have applied for a postgraduate course and have been asked to confirm that my non-UK qualifications give me the GBC – how can I do this?
We don't automatically accredit international qualifications; each one is assessed on an individual basis.
You will need to apply for Graduate membership and attach a copy of your official academic transcript (translated into English where appropriate) and the relevant payment.
To be eligible for Graduate Membership and the GBC we will assess that your qualification(s) meet all of the following:
From a recognised university institution
The society uses the World Higher Education Database (WHED) as a reference for identifying a recognised university institution
At least 50% psychology
Psychology modules/subjects must comprise at least half of those required for the qualification to be awarded.
Equivalent to at least a British Bachelors Second Class Honours Degree
The society follows guidance from UK NARIC when assessing the standard of qualifications. UK NARIC provides comparability information for international qualifications with those in the UK.
Cover, with the required breadth and depth, the following eight core areas:
- psychobiology
- cognitive psychology
- social psychology
- developmental psychology
- individual differences
- conceptual and historical issues in psychology
- research
- coverage of a specialist/applied area
I have a third class degree, would I be eligible for the GBC?
If you started your degree from 2006 onwards and have obtained a third Class, unfortunately you would not be eligible for the GBC and would need to find and undertake a conversion course.
How do I join a member network?
Members can find information, and download an application form from our Member Networks page.
If you're applying for Graduate membership and would like to join one, or more, of the Member Networks you can add these as part of the application process, each network carries an additional fee.
If you're applying for Chartered membership the application form enables you to join Member Networks at the relevant grade.
How can I upgrade my membership?
Current Student members can complete the Graduate membership application process online – you will not be charged the £21 application fee.
Graduate members looking to upgrade should complete the relevant Chartered membership application form.
I am studying an undergraduate outside the UK can I join as a Student Member?
Student membership is only available to those studying a society-accredited undergraduate degree or conversion course.
Instead you can apply to join at one of our Subscriber grades.
I have qualified with international qualifications and want to work in the UK. How do I do this?
If you're looking to register as a psychologist in the UK, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) are the body responsible for statutory regulation therefore you would need to apply to join their register if you wish to practice using one of their specialist titles, e.g. Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist.
The society doesn't set employment criteria, this would be down to the individual employer and the requirements of the role advertised.
You may also find that society membership provides a useful platform to familiarise yourself with the practice of psychology in the UK as we offer a number of benefits and services within each of our membership grades.
What is the society's refund policy?
We operate a no refund policy.
However, we allow direct debit payers the option to cancel and receive a refund of their fees after having made their payment up until 31 March each year.
From the 1 April there will be no refunds to direct debit payers, members will instead be advised to maintain their subscription for the remainder of the year and to cancel at the end of December.
All application processing fees are non-refundable.
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