MPhil/DPhil in Psychology by Research

The Psychology Department fosters a culture of collaborative, multidisciplinary research and you will join a vibrant community that includes regular work-in-progress seminars to foster an active research environment. You will join one of our four research hubs described below, all of which are engaged in inter-institutional collaborations, including some with non-academic partners such as health-care providers.We are happy to consider research proposals on a wide range of topics relevant to our hubs, but may also be looking to fill specific research roles in some areas. Click on the link to each hub below to find out more.In terms of entry qualifications, MSc candidates normally require at least a 2:1 Honours degree in Psychology or an associated subject at Undergraduate level, and DPhil candidates would typically be expected to have an MSc degree (or equivalent), though exceptional candidates without postgraduate qualification will be considered. In the first instance, full-time doctorate research students are required to register for an MPhil degree for not less than one year after initial registration, and must then fulfil academic requirements to upgrade to a DPhil degree. For suitable students, there may be teaching opportunities after upgrade. Candidates must typically be self-funded, but there are a limited number of ‘fees-free’ places, awarded competitively each year.Interested in talking to us? Click here to contact us, and we will be back in touch for an informal chat to discuss the opportunities available. For our taught MSc in Health Psychology, click here.Our Research Hubs‘CREATE’ (Centre for Research into Expertise Acquisition, Training and Excellence)This research area is led by Dr Philip Fine and Dr Kathryn Friedlander together with Dr Gillian Hill. The main focus of the centre is the exploration of the drivers of excellence in performance (whether cognitive, creative or practice-based). We welcome applications from potential MSc and DPhil candidates across a wide range of related topic areas, including:

Insight and creativity

The drivers of performance excellence and expertise development (e.g. in music, theatre, puzzle-solving, board-games and medicine)

Hobbies, motivations and characteristics of niche populations

Music psychology

Time perception and those with ‘natural’ time-keeping abilities

A new methodology for studying expert populations (the ‘Grounded Expert Components Approach’) was published in May 2016, and has led to external collaborative opportunities; we also collaborate with a number of external contacts in the performance fields (such as music conservatoires), together with internal colleagues in Applied Computing and the University of Buckingham Medical School. More information here.Centre for Health and Relationship ResearchThis research hub, focusing on Health, Relationships and Well-being, is headed up by Dr Katherine Finlay, together with Dr Emily Doe and Dr Jasmine Hearn (Medical School). The main aim of the hub is to study the impact of the interpersonal world and support structures on health and well-being in clinical and non-clinical settings. This overarching focus has led to the study of topic areas such as:

Prevalence, impact of and psychosocial challenges facing people following spinal cord injury

Biopsychosocial understanding of pain and developing interventions for successful pain management

Social norms as a predictor of health behaviours in young people

Social factors affecting uptake of health behaviours

The role of social support in living well with chronic conditions

Together, these projects represent a body of work which seeks to fight patient isolation and to understand health experiences in the context of a social world. The hub aims to identify methods for supporting patients as they live with long-term conditions, including through developing interventions, assessment techniques and knowledge dissemination. We aim to share our findings through the design of downloadable materials, such as patient information leaflets and newsletters, which will allow for research outcomes to be demonstrated to patients and their support networks. With connections and active research work taking part at four local NHS hospitals, we can offer excellent opportunities for research studies with tangible impact.Emotion and Life-Span RelationshipsHeaded up by Dr Shelly Kemp and Dr Alan Martin, together with Dr Maša Popovac, the Emotion and Life-Span Relationships hub offers diverse research opportunities including:

Cyberpsychology and Cyberbullying, including online gaming (Dr Popovac)

Cyber versus real world behaviour

Social inference and emotion regulation

Interpersonal relationships, including dating, rejection, relationship maintenance and break down

Mental resilience and its relationship to social support

Dr Kemp is actively exploring external collaborative opportunities with non-academic contacts in the Milton Keynes area.Psychology of Educational DevelopmentThis research hub is led by Dr Alan Martin, together with Dr Maša Popovac and Dr Kathryn Friedlander. In this hub, we study the cognitive processes, behavioural issues and developmental factors that affect learning, and how learning environments and individual differences influence educational outcomes. With a focus on the resilience, creativity and happiness of learners, as well as on Specific Learning Difficulties which might impact upon academic performance, we welcome applicants to study a wide range of topics with us, including:

Children with Specific Learning Difficulties

Bullying and Cyberbullying in schools

Educating for Creativity

Children’s understanding of Science

Excellence in Performance and Academic achievement

Resilience, Wellbeing and Positive education