3Applying
How much experience you need
There is no national minimum. 24 of the 30 courses set one, from 9 to 24 months.
Publish a minimum
24 of 30 courses
Of those, ask for twelve months
21 of 24
Want some or all of it paid
10 of 30 courses
From each course’s entry requirements, cited in its row below, checked to .
Each course’s minimum
Each of the 30 courses, longest minimum first
“No amount stated” means the course gives no figure, which is not the same as setting no minimum.
- University of Hertfordshire
24 months
A minimum of 24 months full-time clinical and/or research experience, obtained after the qualification conferring GBC, in a field relevant to Clinical Psychology
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Sheffield
18 months
Must be paid
Eligible applicants must have experience of working in a paid clinical work role for at least 18 months full-time (or the equivalent in part-time roles) at the time of applying
Entry requirements, checked
- Bangor University
12 months
Must be paid
Minimum of one year relevant paid clinical/research experience of working with a clinical population
Entry requirements, checked
- King's College London
12 months
Minimum requirement of twelve months full time equivalent (FTE) relevant experience in a clinical or clinically relevant research capacity at the time of application.
Entry requirements, checked
- Newcastle University
12 months
A minimum of 12 months full-time (or equivalent) relevant clinical experience.
Entry requirements, checked
- Royal Holloway
12 months
A year or more of full time equivalence experience relevant to Clinical Psychology is required at the time of entry to the course.
Voluntary experience is only acceptable in the context of other non-voluntary clinical experience.
Entry requirements, checked
- Salomons
12 months
One full year (or its equivalent on a part-time basis) of relevant work experience must have been completed by the time of application.
Entry requirements, checked
- Trent
12 months
Applicants need to have a minimum of 12 months full-time (or equivalent) experience in a clinically relevant role(s).
Entry requirements, checked
- University College London
12 months
Some must be paid
At least 12 months Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of relevant clinical experience, including at least 6 months in paid employment.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Bath
12 months
A minimum of 12 months, full-time equivalent, relevant clinical experience of working with people with psychological needs either in a paid or voluntary capacity, or a clinically relevant research capacity, at the time of application.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Birmingham
12 months
At the time of applying, applicants must have completed at least one year’s full-time equivalent (FTE) clinically relevant experience
Entry requirements, checked
- University of East London
12 months
Must be paid
Unpaid posts (honorary, intern or voluntary contracts) do not count towards the 12-month minimum required.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Essex
12 months
Applicants must demonstrate at least one year’s full-time, or equivalent, clinical or research experience relevant to clinical psychology.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Exeter
12 months
Applicants are normally expected to have accrued the equivalent of at least one year of relevant clinical experience at the point of application.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Leeds
12 months
All trainees accepted onto the Programme will have had a minimum of 12 months full-time (or equivalent) recent experience in two or more distinct fields relevant to clinical psychology.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Leicester
12 months
Must be paid
A minimum of 12.0 months paid full-time (or equivalent in part-time working) experience, clinical or research, which has brought them into contact with one or more client groups with whom clinical psychologists may work.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Liverpool
12 months
Must be paid
Minimum requirement of one-year whole-time paid experience which meets at least one of the below criteria (by the time of application)
Course page, checked
- University of Manchester
12 months
Must be paid
A minimum of twelve months paid clinically relevant experience, accumulated prior to submitting an application, is an essential requirement for entry.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Plymouth
12 months
You must have a minimum of 12 months clinical experience acquired after attaining GBC eligibility.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Southampton
12 months
Must be paid
At least one year’s (full-time equivalent), paid experience of work in clinical, community, or clinical/academic settings in the UK relevant to Clinical Psychology at the time of application.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Staffordshire
12 months
Must be paid
All applicants must have a minimum of one year full-time equivalent (FTE) paid applied experience relevant to clinical psychology.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Surrey
12 months
A minimum of 12 months full-time (or equivalent) experience relevant to the profession of Clinical Psychology acquired within the last 3 years, at the point of application
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Teesside
12 months
A minimum of 12 months full-time equivalent (does not need to be consecutive) experience.
Entry requirements, checked
- Cardiff University
9 months
A minimum of 9 months full-time (or equivalent) experience in a healthcare and/or research setting relevant to clinical psychology attained within the last 5 years.
Entry requirements, checked
- Lancaster University
No minimum set
In line with our commitment to equality and inclusivity, the programme does not have any requirement for applicant’s degree classification or prior work experience.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of East Anglia
No minimum set
There is no formal minimum length of clinical experience required, but we cannot consider your application if you do not have any such experience.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Glasgow
No minimum set
Some must be paid
The Programme has no minimum duration for this experience
whilst voluntary experience may contribute, candidates must have had at least some time in a relevant paid position.
Entry requirements, checked
- Coventry and Warwick
No amount stated
applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have relevant clinical experience, an understanding of the NHS and a commitment to working in it.
Not recruiting through the Clearing House for 2027 entry; applications go directly to Coventry University. Its page still shows the 2026/27 requirements and says the 2027 details will be published before applications open.
Course page, checked
- Oxford
No amount stated
Candidates are expected to have obtained significant clinically relevant work experience which could be in the context of a degree placement or research post.
Entry requirements, checked
- University of Edinburgh
No amount stated
Relevant experience that allows the applicant to apply psychological principles in practice with populations in need is essential
Entry requirements, checked
The Clearing House entries were updated on (Oxford’s on ; University of Edinburgh’s on ; University of Surrey’s on ); Coventry and Warwick’s comes from its university’s page.
What courses count towards it
Two courses with the same minimum can count different things towards it.
- Only experience after GBC: University of Hertfordshire, University of Plymouth and University College London.
- Only recent experience, from the last three or five years: Cardiff University, University of Leeds, University of Surrey and University College London.
- Conditions of their own: Royal Holloway measures its year at the start of the course rather than at application; King’s College London wants at least six months in one role; Leeds wants experience in two or more distinct fields.
Sources, all from the Clearing House: Cardiff University, King's College London, Royal Holloway, University College London, University of Hertfordshire, University of Leeds, University of Plymouth and University of Surrey, checked .
What counts as relevant experience
The Clearing House counts:
- a caring or service role with a relevant client group
- in the public, private or charitable sectors
- part-time or full-time
- voluntary or paid,
though courses are likely to value paid work over voluntary work
- research beyond your undergraduate project, if it involves direct contact with people who use clinical psychology services or produces clinically applicable results
It says quality of experience is valued alongside quantity
, and that courses are mainly interested in what you have learnt from your experiences, both personally and professionally
.
More about what counts
- The Clearing House’s examples are mental health work in the NHS, social services, services for people with disabilities, and support worker and healthcare assistant roles. NHS mental health work is common, but
work in other areas and in other roles is also relevant
. - Some courses may value experience supervised by a qualified clinical psychologist over other kinds.
- Research experience need not come from a research job:
this does not mean that you must have held a research post
. It can also come from a clinical post, through service evaluation. - Your application works out the full-time equivalent: 37.5 hours a week counts as full-time, and a job you are still in is counted up to the month applications close.
- If your experience is from outside the UK, the Clearing House suggests adding UK experience to it when you apply for NHS-funded places.
Source: Clearing House: Relevant experience, checked .
Sources
- Clearing House: Relevant experience. Updated ; checked .
- Clearing House: Entry requirements. Updated ; checked .