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BA in Experimental Psychology Our Research

BA in PPL

MSci Experimental Psychology

BA or MSci Psychology Philosophy and Linguistics

Undergraduate psychology at Oxford is taught as a scientific discipline, involving substantial amounts of practical work and experimentation.  Our courses concentrate on biological, cognitive, human experimental, social and developmental psychology.  (Psychoanalysis and related areas are not taught as part of this course). 

Psychology at Oxford can be studied either on its own as a 4 year MSci in Experimental Psychology, or in combination with philosophy or linguistics as part of the 3 or 4 year BA or MSci in Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics.   

In exceptional cases it is possible to study all three subjects together. This option is only available once students have begun their studies at Oxford and is subject to college approval.  

Please note that the 4th year has a Psychology focus and is only available to students taking Psychology as a part of their PPL degree.  Philosophy and Linguistics PPL candidates will graduate after 3 years with a BA degree.  Experimental Psychology or PPL candidates who are taking Psychology can also choose to exit after 3 years with a BA.

Psychology also has very close links with neuroscience, including neurophysiology and neurology.  If you are interested in a pathway to Neuroscience, also see the Biomedical Sciences courses.

You can access the full video playlist of everything you ever wanted to know about studying Experimental Psychology or Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics (PPL) at Oxford, course overviews, admissions, student experiences and the Q&A sessions all in one place on our departmental YouTube channel. You can even watch two of our professors do a mock interview with a student!

ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

Study with us

Students who wish to apply to study Experimental Psychology or Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics as an undergraduate degree must apply through UCAS. Information on entry requirements and the admissions process can be found here. 

OPEN DAYS

 

As a part of the Oxford University's Open Days, the Department of Experimental Psychology opens it doors to visitors to visit Oxford, the Department and speak with current students and tutors. Open Days are held in late June/early July and again in September.

 THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY ACCREDITATION 

Our degrees are accredited for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, provided you have studied sufficient psychology and achieved the minimum standard of a 
Lower Second Class Honours (2:2). This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

 British Psychological Society

If you have any further questions, please email admissions@psy.ox.ac.uk.

There are close connections between all three subjects of Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics, so studying them together makes a lot of sense.

Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics

Students apply to study two out of these three subjects:

  • Psychology
  • Philosophy
  • Linguistics

In exceptional circumstances it is possible to study all three subjects together, with college approval, once you have commenced your studies with us.

Students who have study psychology as part of their course are accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Charted Membership of the British Psychological Society, provided they study sufficient psychology and the minimum standard of a Second Class Honours (2.2) is achieved. 

What is Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics?

Psychology includes subjects as diverse as social interaction, learning, child development, schizophrenia and information processing. Philosophy is concerned with a wide range of questions including ethics, knowledge and the nature of mind. Linguistics is the study of language in all its aspects, including the structure of languages, meaning (semantics), how children learn language, pronunciation, and how people understand, mentally represent and generate language.

Students can elect to graduate after three years with a BA degree. Alternatively, they can decide to remain for an optional fourth year composed of a research-intensive, clinically-focused or translation-focused extended project in Experimental Psychology and allied disciplines. Students who complete the fourth year will graduate with a Master’s degree in PPL.  Please note that the 4th year has a Psychology focus and is only available to students taking Psychology as a part of their PPL degree.  Philosophy and Linguistics PPL candidates will graduate after 3 years with a BA degree.

Why study Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics at Oxford ?

Psychology at Oxford is essentially a scientific discipline, involving the rigorous formulation and testing of ideas. It works through experiments and systematic observations rather than introspection. The Oxford Department of Experimental Psychology is widely regarded as one of the leading psychology departments in the United Kingdom. At present there are particularly strong research groups and labs in the fields of human cognitive processes, neuroscience, language development and social psychology.

The Oxford Philosophy Faculty is the largest philosophy department in the United Kingdom, and one of the largest in the world. Many faculty members have a worldwide reputation, and the library and other facilities are acknowledged as among the best in the country. Philosophy at Oxford has active interests in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of science, and has very close links with working in neuroscience and psychology.

The Faculty of Linguistics, Philology & Phonetics is the newest faculty in Oxford; it brings together internationally-renowned scholars working in theoretical and descriptive linguistics (especially syntax, historical and phonology), experimental phonetics, psycholinguistics, linguistics of romance languages, historical linguistics and comparative philology. Unlike other subjects in humanities, it includes the two scientific research laboratories; The Language & Brain Laboratory and The Phonetics Laboratory.

If you have any further questions, please email admissions@psy.ox.ac.uk.

After finish your degree, what can you do next?

If your aim is to take up a professional career in psychology, you will need to be prepared to undertake further study which typically requires independent but supervised research in the area which interests you e.g. neuroscience, developmental psychology, psychiatry or pharmacology.  About a quarter of our undergraduates go on to take graduate degrees (a taught masters or a doctorate) either here at Oxford, Cambridge or other institutions within the United Kingdom or overseas.   

Further information is available on our MSc and DPhil courses on our website. 

After completing a taught masters or doctorate, post-doctoral students may then develop research careers in universities, or in applied laboratories, government agencies or industrial companies and consultancies.

A Doctorate in Clinical Psychology requires a three-year period of graduate training which is usually preceded by gaining some practical experience in a job related to mental health.  Educational and Occupational Psychology are other fields with their own graduate training requirements.                                          

There are also careers, which are closely related and benefit from psychological training. For example: personnel, probation and social work.

Our degrees provide you with general training in systematic analysis of questions about human beings, including numeracy, literacy, and IT skills.  As such, they are widely regarded as excellent training for a very wide range of careers in commerce, government, industry, media, and the professions.

Students can enter careers in fields including professional psychology, education, research, medicine, the health services, finance, commerce, industry, media and information technology. However, some careers will require further study and/or training after your degree.

What is Experimental Psychology?

Psychology is a sophisticated and diverse subject which employs an impressive range of research tools. The subject includes studies of the brain, the different ways that we perceive the world and the effects of social and cultural influences on people’s behaviour. During your degree, we will cover all these topics and many more. We will also encourage you to think critically and constructively about the research that has been done in these areas of psychology.

The course allows you to study intensively within the discipline of psychology.  After the preliminary examinations you will have the opportunity to specialise in psychology alone.  

Why Study Psychology at Oxford?

Undergraduate Psychology at Oxford is taught as a scientific discipline, involving substantial amounts of practical work and experimentation. The course concentrates on biological, human experimental, cognitive, social and developmental psychology. (Psychoanalysis and related areas are not taught as part of this course).

The degree is intellectually stimulating and you will be encouraged to take a critical and enquiring approach to your studies. Our teaching style is aimed at supporting and developing you as an individual, so that you can maximise your full potential.

Experimental Psychology has excellent facilities and very close links with neuroscience, including neurophysiology and neurology, and also philosophy and linguistics. Students benefit from the Department being one of Britain's most active centres for psychological research, with an outstanding international reputation.

Students can elect to graduate after three years with a BA degree. Alternatively, they can decide to remain for an optional fourth year composed of a research-intensive, clinically-focused or translation-focused extended project. Students who complete the fourth year will graduate with a Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology. Experimental Psychology can be studied either on its own as a MSci in Experimental Psychology (C830) or with a combination under the BA or MSci Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics

The course is accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society; provided you have studied sufficient psychology and achieved the minimum standard of a Lower Second Class Honours (2:2).

If you have any further questions, please email admissions@psy.ox.ac.uk.