MPhil in Psychology (Course Code BLPCM1)
General information
The MPhil is one year of full-time research with an individual supervisor followed by an examination of a research thesis in an oral examination. Although the official course title is MPhil in Biological Science (Psychology), candidates can undertake research in any area of psychology.
The MPhil is most commonly taken as a stand-alone research degree by candidates with only one year of funding. If this course is taken as part of a route to the PhD a further three years of study and funding are required as well as satisfactory performance in the MPhil. The PhD project may draw on the topic of the MPhil, but the same work cannot be presented for both degrees.
All candidates are expected to take part in the Department’s Postgraduate Education Programme and the Postgraduate School of Life Science’s Skills Training Programme.
Applications are usually considered in one round - for October entry. This allows applicants to compete for funding and to attend the Postgraduate Induction events held at the beginning of the academic year.
In some circumstances, it is possible to defer entry to Lent or Easter terms or apply for a January or April start date. However, applicants should contact the Postgraduate Administrator in advance of submitting their application to discuss whether this option would be available to them.
Eligibility and application
Academic requirements
Candidates who wish to become research students in the Department should usually have a good degree in psychology, neuroscience or in another related subject (for example, physiology, sociology, linguistics, computer science, or engineering), which may provide sufficient background for research in certain areas of psychology. Experience and/or training in psychology is not always a requirement but may be advantageous for some research projects.
You are normally expected to hold or to be about to achieve:
- at least a good 2.I honours degree from a UK university or an equivalent standard from an overseas university (on a 4-point GPA, we require a minimum of 3.5 out of 4)
International qualifications | Postgraduate Study
- fluent command of the English language
- completion of any current training or education course
You are not required to provide GRE scores.
Application
Applications for postgraduate study in the Department of Psychology are made through the University's Postgraduate Admissions. Please note that the official course title is MPhil in Biological Science (Psychology), course code BLPCM1.
We recommend that potential applicants take the time to familiarise themselves with the useful material on the University's Postgraduate Admissions page.
Application deadline - To start October 2027
Applications for October 2027 will open in September 2026.
| Funding Round | Deadline |
| Gates Cambridge (USA) | Wednesday 14 October 2026 |
| All other funding rounds | Tuesday 8 December 2026 |
All deadlines are 12.00 (UK time).
The Department will continue to accept applications up until Thursday 25 March 2027 for October 2027 start date. Any application submitted after 8 December 2026 will not be considered for the funding round.
Continuation to the PhD programme
Students can apply to continue on the PhD programme. The preparatory work for the PhD proposal should be done in consultation with a supervisor.
FAQs
Find the answers to frequently asked questions.