University of East Anglia

Who can apply

We are unable to consider:

• Self-funded applicants without overseas fees status
• Funded applicants who do not have the right to work in the UK 
• Funded applicants who do not have home fees status 
• Applicants who are not eligible for GBC (or who cannot provide confirmation of eligibility for GBC by the time shortlisting commences in February). Applicants who are currently completing a GBC-accredited undergraduate degree or conversion course in the UK or Ireland must have completed the degree, obtained the results and provided a document to confirm their GBC status by the time short-listing commences at the beginning of February.
• Applicants with an undergraduate degree at 2:2 level without a further research degree (see below)

Furthermore, applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language by the time of accepting an offer of a place on the programme. For applicants whose first language is not English, this may be achieved in various ways. Further general details are available here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/apply/our-admissions-policy/english-language-equivalencies. Please note however that for the ClinPsyD, if the candidate is demonstrating their English language proficiency through IELTS, it is required that this is at IELTS Level 7 (with no score below 7 in each test element - listening, reading, writing and speaking) or equivalent. If this criterion is not met at the point of application, this may be made a condition of any offer.  

Furthermore, in regard to qualifications:

• Please note that the University will not usually allow you to enrol onto the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology if you are currently enrolled on any other degree e.g. a PhD or Masters’ programme.  If you have any incomplete assessment / reassessment or other criteria from another programme, it may not be possible for us to offer you a place on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or you may be required to provide proof that you have withdrawn from your incomplete programme.
• For applicants who are currently completing a PhD, any offer of interview will be conditional upon submission of the PhD for viva by the Clearing House acceptance deadline in early June.  Any offers made to applicants currently studying for a PhD will ordinarily be conditional upon the applicant passing their viva with at most limited modifications (maximum of three months). All corrections must be then be submitted before the start of the course. Applicants should take account of this early in their planning given delays in organising Vivas.

It is not normally possible for us to offer deferred entry to the programme under any circumstances.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that any conditions attached to their offer are met as specified in the offer letter. We cannot offer extensions to deadlines made in the offer letter.

Admission to the ClinPsyD Programme is subject to satisfactory criminal record (enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service) and occupational health checks. Candidates selected by the university who apply through the funded route will be offered employment by an appropriate NHS employer to facilitate their training, who may complete additional employment checks. Successful international candidates will be given honorary (unpaid) contracts in local NHS organisations. 

Finally, please note for applicants who have received NHS funding for previously completed training, we will follow HEE criteria and expectations (please see statement here).

Academic

• A minimum of a 2:1 degree in Psychology, conferring GBC with confirmation of outcome provided by the start of the shortlisting process in February or equivalent.

Alternatively:

• A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in another subject (or equivalent), with completion of a conversion programme conferring GBC. 
• A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree obtained abroad, with subsequent confirmation from the BPS that the candidate has obtained GBC
• An applicant with a 2:2 in their undergraduate degree will be considered where the applicant has successfully completed (at the point of application) a postgraduate research programme at Masters, PhD or DPhil level. This course must be classified as a research degree (i.e. a Masters by research). The research component would normally be at least 50% of the course. A taught master’s degree, including a taught master’s degree in research methods, is not sufficient. 

A flowchart outlining these requirements is provided and will answer many questions from prospective candidates. 

Additional desirable criteria include a first class degree or PhD.

Clinical

Relevant clinical experience can be gained before, during or after the psychology degree. This may be from a clinical setting, for example, as a psychology assistant, a healthcare assistant or a support worker, and in all cases would give experience of working with people with psychological needs.

We understand that the range of opportunities to gain direct experience varies and as such we will consider a wide range of experience as relevant to your application. Whilst many applicants will gain experience through “traditional” routes such as Assistant or Research Assistant psychology posts, and opportunities to be supervised by or work alongside a Clinical Psychologist will be particularly relevant, other pathways are equally valued. The key is that the candidate demonstrates how the experience has prepared them for training.

It is not necessary to have worked in a large number of settings with a wide range of clients.  Rather, we are interested in what you have made of your experience in order to prepare for clinical training.

There is no formal minimum length of experience required. The quality of the experience and its relevance in preparing a candidate for training is considered in shortlisting. Experience can come from a range of sources, and can be voluntary work or paid work, and can be split across posts. However, very short or limited experiences are unlikely to be considered high quality experiences. 

We do not require trainees to have obtained clinically relevant research experience beyond their undergraduate degree. However, such experience is valued and is considered within the shortlisting process. Such experience needs to be supplemented by some clinical experience.

Masters programmes, or undergraduate degrees with a placement year, which provide practical experience within a relevant clinical setting as part of a placement, and supervised by a suitably qualified professional, will be considered to provide relevant clinical experience.

Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the variety of roles taken up by a clinical psychologist in the NHS and of their personal suitability for this career. Our recruitment process is consistent with the values of the NHS Constitution and the 6 C’s  and as such we recruit applicants whose values and attitudes reflect these. Where an applicant is making a career change, including from other branches of psychology, it may strengthen their application if they provide information about the background and rationale for this.
 

References / Statements of suitability

Applicants must provide two references, one from an Academic referee (who will be asked to provide an Academic suitability statement) and one Relevant experience (who will be asked to provide an Experience suitability statement). Both referees must be from someone who can meaningfully comment on the applicant and their readiness for training. Referees would ordinarily have (or have had) some oversight or responsibility for your work, i.e. a supervisor or a manager.

We consider that “someone who can meaningfully comment” is someone whose knowledge of the candidate allows them to make an informed judgement of their skills and suitability for training as a Clinical Psychologist.  The referee should have direct experience of and be able to comment on the applicant’s performance in a relevant clinical and professional context. 

Whilst your Academic Referee may in many cases be best obtained from your undergraduate degree or conversion course (whichever gave you GBC), it is also acceptable to ask an alternative person if they can more meaningfully comment on your academic suitability for training (i.e. a recent research supervisor). Please choose the person who can best speak to your potential for doctoral level study. 

Your Relevant experience reference should be as recent as possible. If this is not your most recent supervisor/employer, please explain why. Regardless of who is providing your experience reference, Iit should speak to your suitability for the clinical elements of training and your ability to work in a clinical and professional context.

Documents required

A document to confirm GBC.

Please provide the transcript and certificate (if possible) of any undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Any qualifications that are not evidenced with a transcript and/or certificate will be disregarded within your application. 

We do not need certificates of mandatory training, CPD completion etc. Please only send us certificates in relation to your academic qualifications. 

The evidence you provide will be used to ensure that you meet the minimum entry requirements. We cannot make any assumptions about qualifications that are not evidenced, so please provide certificates which prove that you meet our minimum academic requirements. For instance, if only send us a certificate from a taught Master’s qualification, we will be unable to confirm you meet the minimum 2:1 entry requirement without your undergraduate certificate. Similarly, if you have completed an undergraduate degree in another subject and are relying on this to count as your 2:1, you must provide the transcript and certificate of that degree, as well as your conversion certificate. 

If documents are not in English, they must be accompanied by an official translation. The original (non-translated document) must also be supplied. Failure to supply both a translated and original document will mean we will disregard the qualification. 

Failure to supply certificates or transcripts of degrees may mean that your application will either not be considered at all (if essential requirements cannot be confirmed), or you will achieve a lower ranked shortlisting score. 

Advice for your application

Remember, the fundamental purpose of Clinical Psychology training in the UK is to provide the NHS with a workforce who has the necessary competencies, knowledge and skills to act in this role. We are not looking for a specific ‘type’ of candidate, and nor are we trying to identify a cohort of ‘perfect’ candidates, and there are certainly no ‘magic words’ or phrases which will guarantee an interview. We encourage candidates to reflect on their experience and knowledge, and present their potential to train openly and clearly bearing in mind both the demands of training (in particular both practice placements and research) and the context of working in the NHS and with complex mental health and clinical problems.

International applicants

We do accept a small number of self-funded international candidates each year, who must also apply through the Clearing House process. Whilst this guidance is also written with self-funding candidates in mind, additional information about the programme is contained on our website (please refer to the Information for Self-funding Applicants section).

Residence requirements for NHS-funded Route

Applicants applying to the NHS-funded route of the Programme must be eligible for home fee status as defined by the UK Council for International Student Affairs and have the right to work in the UK without restriction. 

Residence requirements for Self-funded Route

Applicants applying to the self-funded route of the Programme must be eligible for international fee status as defined by the UK Council for International Student Affairs. 

If you are unsure which route you are eligible for, please complete the UEA fee status form.

Right to Work and/or Right to Study

Applicants for funded/commissioned places need to demonstrate Right to Work in the UK, as well as be eligible for Home Fees Status. We will ask for evidence of your Right to Work in the UK during the application process. A candidate’s fees status is determined by a range of factors, which are somewhat different to Right to Work (particularly for people who have lived/studied outside the UK), and if you have any doubt about this you should complete a Postgraduate Research Fee Status Form.

International applicants applying for the self-funded route need to demonstrate their right to study in the UK through eligibility for an appropriate visa. They must also have International Fees status as determined through the Postgraduate Research Fee Status Form. 

For EU candidates who do not have British and/or Irish citizenship, please see the further specific guidance below:

EU Settled Status

All EU Nationals are required to evidence their immigration status to be considered for the funded route. Therefore, you must provide evidence of your immigration status. Please note if you have a permanent residency card, this was no longer valid from 30 June 2021. You should have applied for the EUSS which has replaced this scheme. 

EU nationals with settled status under the EUSS

You’ll need:

• evidence of your settled status (go online to view and prove your immigration status, select ‘something else’ so you get your Immigration Status not your Residency Status. Generate a Checking Code and share it, along with your date of birth, with us at [email protected] as soon as possible, and no later than Friday 5 January 2024.
• evidence that you have lived in the UK or Islands for at least the last 3 years before your course starts – we will use the employment history on your application in the first instance for this. If there are any gaps in the history (e.g. if you had a job that you did not think was relevant so you didn’t include it), please ensure you give details in the Other Experience page of your application.

EU nationals with pre-settled status under the EUSS

You’ll need:

• evidence of your pre-settled status (go online to view and prove your immigration status, select ‘something else’ so you get your Immigration Status not your Residency Status. Generate a Checking Code and share it, along with your date of birth, with us as at [email protected] soon as possible, and no later than Friday 5 January 2024.
• evidence of your identity (a copy of your passport photo page), sent to [email protected]
• evidence that you have lived in the UK, Gibraltar, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland for at least the last 3 years before your course starts – we will use the employment history on your application in the first instance for this. If there are any gaps in the history (e.g. if you had a job that you did not think was relevant so you didn’t include it), please ensure you give details in the Other Experience page of your application.

Dual Nationality

If you have declared you have dual nationality with the UK, please provide a copy of your UK passport to [email protected].

Please provide the relevant information to [email protected] and include your Clearing House application ID number in the body of the email by no later than 5 January 2024.