MSc in Psychological Research

The Research Areas in the department

The course offers applicants hands-on research training within the many groups and labs within the core Research Themes of the department:

Behavioural Neuroscience: from animal models to human functional imaging and TMS.

Cognitive Neuroscience: including MEG, EEG and neuropsychology.

Developmental Science: BabyLab studies and studies with children with developmental disorders.

Social Psychology and Psychological Disorders: inter-group behaviour, emotion, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

The course provides training in generic personal and transferable skills including computing skills in the context of psychological research, qualitative methods and written and oral communication of research.

The Course Structure

The MSc in Psychological Research course consists of 9 modules and a Research Project, all of which are separately assessed. Students are required to pass 8 out of the 9 modules and the Research Project to pass the degree.

Five Core Modules

• Research evaluation
• Project design
• Statistical theory and methods
• Philosophical foundations of psychology
• MATLAB programming for experimental psychology

Three out of the four Optional Modules

• Affective science
• Computer modelling of brain function
• Developmental Science
• Brain and cognition

A Research Project (a 10,000 word dissertation)

Assessment of the course

Candidates are awarded a Pass if they attain a grade mark of 50 or above in each of the eight graded modules they have taken and the Research Project Dissertation.

Candidates are awarded a Merit if they attain a weighted average mark of 65 or above across the Research Project Dissertation and the eight other graded modules taken.  The Research Project dissertation will receive a weighting of 50%, while the other eight modules will each receive a weighting of 6.25%.

Candidates are awarded a Distinction if they attain a weighted average mark of 70 or above across the Research Project Dissertation and the eight other graded modules taken.  The Research Project dissertation will receive a weighting of 50%, while the other eight modules will each receive a weighting of 6.25%.

Teaching Methods

• Lectures provide core knowledge, concepts and principles
• Seminars provide opportunities for testing ideas through dialogue, learning from group interactions
• Workshops provide opportunities for putting skills into practice
• Assessment is undertaken through written submissions, presentations and the completion of the Research Project Dissertation
• The teaching, learning and assessment methods are used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

The aim of the course

On completing this course, students will have the following:

Overall Disciplinary and Professional Skills

• Designing and implement psychological investigations
• Make ethical decisions in psychological contexts
• Understand the procedures for ethical approval when research involves human participants
• Researching topics using appropriate information source
• Knowledge of  PC-based application packages
• Analysing data using an appropriate statistical package e.g. MATLAB
• Produce reports in a format appropriate for the dissemination of scientific findings

Overall Transferable Skills

• Effectively managing time, tasks and resources
• Being able to work autonomously and in groups
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Communicate using appropriate media
• Presentation Techniques

There is no need for applicants to contact a potential supervisor prior to applying to this course. A list of available Research Projects and the associated supervisors will be made available to new students at the start of the academic year.

If you have any further questions about this course then please email graduate.admissions@psy.ox.ac.uk