How Does College Work in Britain?

Question by Emily: How does college work in Britain?
I want to get my graduate degrees in psychology and physical therapy (doctorates) and then I plan on living in Britain. I need to know how universities differ in Britain versus the United States. I also would like to know what universities are available for a doctorate degree in both psychology and physical therapy.

Best answer:

Answer by David
In England physical therapy is usually known as physiotherapy. Most UK universities offer two ways that enable you to register as a physiotherapist: either the BSc or the so-called pre-registration MSc (there are also some post-registration MSc programs which you can only take as further education if you already are a registered physiotherapist). The BSc is three or four years (usually three in England, four in Scotland) whereas the MSc (pre-registration) is two years. The BA/BSc in psychology also usually takes three years in England and four-years in Scotland (where the undergraduate degree in psychology is sometimes called MA). To become a chartered psychology you need an undergraduate degree in psychology AND a graduate degree in psychology (either a one-year MSc in a particular specialty of psychology, such as occupational psychology, or a three-year doctorate in clinical psychology, which is necessary to work as a clinical psychologist).

So in a way you could save one year by taking a degree in psychology and then a pre-registration MSc in physiotherapy, rather than taking a BA/BSc in psychology and a BSc in physiotherapy.

So if your goal is to be able to work as a psychologist and as a physiotherapist, then the minimum amount of study time would be six years (3 for the undergraduate degree in psychology, 1 for the MSc in psychology, 2 for the MSc in physiotherapy). If you want to be able to work as a clinical psychologist and as a physiotherapist, then the minimum amount of study time would be eight years (3 for the undergraduate degree in psychology, 3 for the doctorate in clinical psychology, 2 for the MSc in physiotherapy).

HOWEVER, keep in mind that only a very small proportion of those with a psychology degree actually work as psychologists.

One important difference between UK and US universities is that UK degrees are highly specialized – if you take a psychology degree, you have three years of psychology, period. You also apply for a specific program, and it is may be much easier to get admitted to subject A at a particular university than to subject B at the same university. In the US you often only apply to the university as a whole, and can choose a major later on, and only spend, say, 2.5 of your 4 years studying that major.

If you go to http://search.ucas.com/cgi-bin/hsrun/search/search/search.hjx;start=search.HsKeywordSearch.run?y=2013&w=I you can search for all UK universities that offer undergraduate degrees (“courses” in UK speak) in psychology and for all UK universities that offer undergraduate degrees in physiotherapy. (UCAS is the central agency that processes all student applications for undergraduate study in the UK. For graduate study you apply to the university directly.)

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