The PhD programme is designed to provide you with a broad and strong foundation needed to conduct psychological research.

During the programme you will be asked to design, develop and conduct a research project spanning around 3 years, in collaboration with your advisor. You will gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of particular theoretical perspectives, research methods, experimental designs and statistical procedures.

Armed with these skills, you will take an in-depth look at specific topics in psychological research. The first year is tailored to provide training in the basics of research, which includes the above-mentioned skills. You will also be required to complete a research project during that year. For more details of the requirements for this year, please see the MRes prospectus entry. In the remaining two years, you are expected to build upon your first year skills and research and expand the research project, leading to a comprehensive thesis on your chosen topic. Progression to the second year is subject to successful completion of the first year research report and a viva. The progression in all subsequent years is subject to further evaluation and agreement of the postgraduate committee.

Those interested in applying for a postgraduate degree leading to a PhD, please contact an academic staff member of the school, who will agree to be your supervisor. In collaboration with that supervisor, you will be required to develop a research protocol prior to submitting their application. See the list of example projects.

The supervisor will be able to guide you with the application process and with funding possibilities. Please see the ‘How to apply’ page for more details on the application process.