MSc Research Methods in Psychology
- Programme director
- Paul Sowden
- Programme length
- Full-time: 12 months, Part-time: 24 months
- Programme start date
- September 2013
Covering the breadth of contemporary psychological research methods, allowing you to develop research approaches that combine multiple methods in unique ways.
Programme overview
Do you want to do research in psychology? Do you want the skills to be able to work across levels of explanation from group behaviour, to qualitative analysis of individual experiences, through to the underlying brain activity? The MSc Research Methods in Psychology at the University of Surrey gives you a uniquely broad training because you cover the theory and get hands-on experience of conducting research in psychology from the level of social groups through to neuro-imaging of brain activity.
The programme is designed to provide you with expertise in psychological research methods appropriate for the behavioural sciences. We will provide you with the skills necessary for formulating research questions, conducting empirical research, and analysing and reporting research results. The programme also provides a potential stepping stone for research at PhD level.
The programme covers the breadth of contemporary psychological research methods, allowing you to develop research approaches that combine multiple methods in unique ways. By the end of the programme, you will have developed an individual profile of research skills.
Entry requirements
A first or 2.1 honours degree in psychology from a UK university (or recognised equivalent overseas qualification). Applicants with other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis. For further details, please contact the programme director.
English language requirements
IELTS minimum overall: 6.5
IELTS minimum by component:
6.0
We offer intensive English language pre-sessional courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
Fees and funding
All fees are subject to increase or review for subsequent academic years. Please note that not all visa routes permit part-time study and overseas students entering the UK on a Tier 4 visa will not be permitted to study on a part-time basis.
| Programme name | Study mode | Start date | UK/EU fees | Overseas fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Research Methods in Psychology | Full-time | Sept 2013 | £6,400 | £15,570 |
| MSc Research Methods in Psychology | Part-time | Sept 2013 | £3,200 | £7,785 |
Funding
For students who may be interested in progressing on to study for a PhD, there is the possibility of funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. Successful applicants will be given a grant for the MSc year and then further support (subject to satisfactory progress) to enable them to undertake a PhD.
Occasionally, students receive financial support from industry through sponsorship. This would involve students undertaking a piece of research for their dissertation which would be of interest and value to industry or commerce, in return for which they will be given a grant by the commissioning company. In the past, this sponsorship has ranged from £500 to £6,000. This is mutually beneficial to both the student and sponsor, and allows the student to undertake a ‘real’ piece of research that has practical or policy implications, whilst receiving a sum of money to assist with fees and subsistence costs.
Programme content
Module Overview
All modules have two assessments, usually a piece of coursework and a test or short project report.
Compulsory Modules
Quantitative Research Methods
You will learn about advanced techniques including power analysis, factor analysis, simple, multiple and logistic regression, reliability assessment, cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling.
Qualitative Research Methods
You will learn about the epistemology of qualitative research, about formulating research questions and generating qualitative data. You will discover techniques including interpretive phenomenological analysis, thematic analysis, discourse analysis, multidimensional scalogram analysis and smallest space analysis.
Preparation for Academic Research
This module will provide you with the necessary skills to conduct academic research. You will cover the basics of research design, data analysis and ethical conduct, learn about professional and research skills in publishing and develop the skills needed to produce a dissertation report of publishable standard.
Aspects of Experimental Psychology
This module presents current methods and concepts in experimental psychology. It will equip you with the information to critically assess experimental research methods and findings, apply knowledge to your own research designs, interpret output and communicate results.
Psychology Neuroscience: Electrophysiology
This module will provide you with an understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of electrophysiological techniques. You will have lectures on EEG, ERP, TMS and tDCS theory, take part in critical discussions of these techniques and gain hands-on practical experience of using them to conduct psychological research.
Psychology Neuroscience: Psychophysics and fMRI
This module will provide you with an understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of psychophysics and fMRI. You will have lectures on the theory of these techniques, take part in critical discussions about them and gain hands-on practical experience of using them to conduct psychological research.
Crafting Research: Linking Theories and Methods
This module aims to guide students through the complexities of research crafting, enabling them to generate research questions in inductive and deductive ways and to select appropriate tools to investigate them.
Optional Modules
You will select one optional module from over 30 offered by the Department of Psychology.
Professional recognition
Recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for research training.
Dissertation
In addition to the seven compulsory modules and one option, you will also carry out an original piece of empirical research, within any area of psychology, for your dissertation. To give you an idea of the range of dissertation topics, recent titles are listed below:
- Predicting homesickness in international students: a longitudinal study at a British university
- The acute effects of exercise intensity on desire to smoke and withdrawal symptoms
- An exploration of the effects of being given a diagnosis of ADHD on adolescent self-esteem: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
- The Thatcher illusion: the effect of static images versus motion clip rotation
- Gender differences in anger expression and eating behaviour
- A comparison of learning by observation and learning by action
- An evaluation of a home-based forced use therapy (HFT): a mixed methods approach
- Investigating the existence of colour categorical perception in the perceptual mechanism of visual mismatch negativity
- The British media’s portrayal of brain injuries amongst troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
- The perception and understanding of autism and inclusion in education
- Investigating the influence of sex roles, handiness, height and family studies on sexual orientation
- Cultural differences in the social representations of PMS
- Pathway(s) to pain: an fMRI investigation into the efficacy of an endogenous pain pathway
The Department of Psychology
The Department of Psychology at the University of Surrey is one of the most active and highly regarded psychology departments in the country. We specialise in research in five main theoretical areas of psychology that, in combination, cover the breadth of the discipline. The Department puts a further emphasis on policy-oriented work and on the application of theoretical knowledge to everyday life. The international, interdisciplinary, policy and applied strengths of the Department mean that students’ theoretical and methodological research puts them at the cutting edge of the discipline. We are one of the highest ranked departments in the country for graduates entering employment and also one of the largest providers of postgraduate training in the UK.
Students who have completed the Psychology programmes have progressed to a range of careers in areas such as local government, management, research posts in universities and commercial organisations, healthcare and clinical psychology, and many have progressed on to study for a PhD.
Why study at Surrey?
Should you choose to study psychology at the University of Surrey, you will be provided with a combination of opportunities that would be hard to match elsewhere. We offer you a degree that provides a thorough grounding in the theories, methods and practice of contemporary psychology.
Our programmes lay particular emphasis on the application of psychology to real-world problems, and also consider issues related to professional practice in preparation for your career as a professional psychologist. The basis of good postgraduate courses is the research activity of staff, the incorporation of current research programmes in teaching material and a reciprocal relationship between theory development and applied research in everyday contemporary issues.
The MSc Research Methods in Psychology programme is designed to provide you with expertise in psychological research methods appropriate for the behavioural sciences. We will provide you with the skills necessary for formulating research questions, conducting empirical research, and analysing and reporting research results. The programme also provides a potential stepping stone for research at PhD level.
The programme covers the breadth of contemporary psychological research methods, allowing you to develop research approaches that combine multiple methods in unique ways. By the end of the programme you will have developed an individual profile of research skills.
We believe in involving all postgraduate students in the research life of the Department through active participation in one of the research groups, attendance at research seminars and, where possible, an attachment to ongoing research projects. As a student of the Department of Psychology, you will also have access to a number of conferences, seminars and workshops hosted throughout the year.
Department links
Contact us
For general enquiries
0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681 681
For admissions enquiries
+44 (0)1483 681 681