What you need to know about studying for a masters in psychology at Surrey

Our postgraduate psychology courses will provide you with a wealth of personal, professional and academic opportunities. Here's what you need to know about choosing Surrey for your postgraduate studies.

Credit: University of Surrey

You'll learn from leading experts in the field

Our academics are research-active in the world of psychology and use their findings to inform their teaching. This means your postgraduate studies will remain current, tackle real problems and address global challenges – so when you graduate, you can apply your knowledge to today’s world.

In addition to our dedicated academics, we host guest lecturers who bring their research into seminars and lectures. We also constantly refresh our curriculum to teach topics that address current societal challenges when applicable.

You will learn a range of advanced methods and techniques in psychology and discover how they are applied to develop knowledge in your field.

The staff are incredibly friendly and supportive with your studies and helping you think about life after graduation. They get you really involved in the research community by hosting seminars where internal and external speakers come to present their research – something that helps you develop your interests and network. George Murrell, Environmental Psychology MSc

You can join an associated research group

As a psychology postgraduate student, you’ll have the opportunity to join one of our research groups.

We have several groups researching a range of different areas, including:

These groups hold frequent meetings to discuss research and current problems in the field, and their work contributes to research across the globe. As a member, you’ll begin your research journey into the trends and issues affecting the world of psychology today.

You'll benefit from fantastic facilities

In the School of Psychology, we aim to provide the best learning environment for our students. Our facilities include an open-plan teaching space, a computer lab with 90 computers and a comfy common area available for all students to use.

You'll have access to onsite laboratories for biological and cognitive psychology and six rooms for VR/XR research. There is also an excellent Baby Lab with eye-tracking facilities suitable for use with young children and we have two observation labs which can be used for both teaching and research.

Take a virtual tour of our School of Psychology

We've also recently invested heavily in state-of-the-art equipment including eye-trackers, devices for recording physiological measures such as heart rate and skin conductance, brain stimulators, and mobile devices to monitor and alter brain activity to ensure that our School receives excellent conditions for research and teaching. We're also part of the CUBIC centre, which allows access to MRI scanning facilities.

You'll boost your employability and professional skills

100 per cent of our psychology masters graduates are in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2024, HESA), with many starting or continuing their careers as psychologists and psychoanalysts in organisations such as the Royal Mencap Society, the NHS and in private practices. Our graduates have also gone on to work in a variety of other positions in teaching and marketing, as well as in academia. This includes a community of alumni who’ve chosen to continue their research at Surrey. As a University, we also pride ourselves on the support and guidance we offer our students to help them on their career paths, from workshops and fairs to continuing support after graduation.