• Degrees offered by the department of experimental psychology
• General requirements
• Academic requirements
• Funding
• Application procedures
• Other information
• Other relevant departments
• Further enquiries
• Student testimonial

Graduate Education

• Facilities
• Training
• Supervision code

Graduate Programme

• Introduction
• Aims
• Structure
• Courses & Seminars
• Assessment

Graduate Admissions

DEGREES OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Please note that the Department of Experimental Psychology does not offer any ‘taught’ postgraduate degrees. All degrees are by research-only.

 Please also note that we do not offer:

• Degrees/programmes/courses/training in Clinical, Counselling, Forensic, Occupational, Organizational or Social Psychology
• Distance-learning degrees/programmes/courses/training

The Department offers the following research-based degrees:

1   PhD – Course Code BLEP22

The PhD degree is three years of full-time research with an individual supervisor followed by examination of a research thesis in an oral examination. This is the principal research degree offered in the Department of Experimental Psychology and the great majority of our students are registered for this degree.

At the end of their first year of study students are required to complete a satisfactory First Year Report and Viva. A brief report (without viva) is required at the end of the second year and third year.

There are no taught elements but all candidates are expected to take part in the Department’s Graduate Education Programme and the Graduate School’s  Skills Development

Most candidates taking this option start in October, to take advantage of departmental and university induction programmes, etc., but admission in January or April is also possible.

2  MPhil – Course Code BLEPM1

The MPhil is one year of full-time research with an individual supervisor followed by examination of a research thesis in an oral examination.

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.

There are no taught elements but all candidates are expected to take part in the Department’s Graduate Education Programme and the Graduate School’s  Skills Development programme

Most candidates taking this option start in October, to take advantage of induction etc, but admission in January or April is also possible.

3  MSc – Course Code BLEP42

The MSc degree is two years of full-time research with an individual supervisor followed by examination of a research thesis in an oral examination. 

There are no taught elements but all candidates are expected to take part in the Department’s Graduate Education Programme and the Graduate School’s  Skills Development programme

Most candidates taking this option start in October, to take advantage of departmental and university induction programmes, etc., but admission in January or April is also possible.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS [top]

All degrees require full-time residence in Cambridge. Non-residential research is not possible under present regulations.

All students receive instruction from their supervisors on an informal day-to-day basis but are also required to participate in both the Department’s Graduate Training Programme and that of the Graduate School of Life Sciences

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS [top]

Candidates who wish to become research students in the Department should usually have a good degree in psychology, neuroscience or in another subject (for example, physiology, linguistics, computer science, or engineering) which may provide sufficient background for research in certain areas of experimental psychology, behavioural or cognitive behavioural neuroscience.  Experience and/or training in experimental psychology is not a requirement, but may be advantageous for some research projects.

Graduate work in Cambridge is intense and very intellectually demanding and so the University has high academic entry requirements. You are normally expected to hold or to be about to achieve:

• at least a 2.I honours degree from a UK university 
• an equivalent standard from an overseas university

(On a 4-point GPA, we require  a minimum of 3.5 out of 4)

• a fluent command of the English Language
• completion of any current training or education course

FUNDING [top]

The Department usually admits 10-15 research students each year.

A small number of Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Grants may be available to fund UK PhD students. Students from the European Union/European Economic Area may be eligible for these studentships on a fees-only basis.  From time to time, additional studentships are available for particular projects. All studentships are advertised under  Studentships.  Eligible applicants are automatically considered for any available studentships. 

The Department itself does not have general sources of funding to offer to overseas students, but information about grants and scholarships can be found at the Graduate School of Life Sciences

APPLICATION PROCEDURES [top]

1 Identify a Potential Supervisor 

You must identify a potential supervisor from our website.  Go to ‘Research in the Department’ to browse our major research themes or click on ‘Academic Staff’ for information and contact details of individuals.  Applicants are expected to make email contact with those staff whose research is of interest to them in order to discuss research possibilities.  Please inform the Graduate Admissions Administrator, Ms J Hugh, whom you intend to contact and the outcome of your discussions. If you receive a positive response to your enquiry please go to Step 2.

Individual members of staff will be pleased to answer informal enquiries about specific research areas, and indeed candidates who are certain of their field of interest are encouraged to contact a potential supervisor at an early stage, to discover whether their research could be accommodated in the supervisor's laboratory. It is in the need for an early choice of supervisor that the Cambridge system most notably differs from a North American graduate school: candidates do not spend an extended period conducting research projects in different labs or taking courses in a large range of fields, but begin research work at once under the guidance of their supervisor, attending lectures devoted to their chosen field and to general principles of experimental design and analysis.

2 Submit an ‘Informal’ Application

If a potential supervisor encourages you to proceed with an application then you are asked to submit an ‘informal’ application to the Graduate Admissions Administrator, Ms J Hugh, via email. You must provide electronic copies of your covering letter (stating your primary nationality and which degree you are wishing to undertake), curriculum vitae, academic transcripts, names and full contact details of two recent academic references together with a research proposal. Please note that these submissions do not constitute the formal application to the Department and University.

The informal application will then be considered by the Departmental Graduate Admissions Committee.  If the Committee wishes to proceed further with an application the student is then asked to submit a formal application, the GRADSAF – please go to Step 3. 

Please note, however, that if you are within four weeks of a funding deadline (e.g., 15 October for US applicants intending to apply for Gates Scholarships, 15 December for candidates from the rest of the world (excluding UK candidates) intending to apply for CISS and Gates Rest of the World Scholarships) you are advised to consult with the Graduate Admissions Administrator urgently. 

3 Submit a Formal Application – the GRADSAF

In order to submit an on-line formal application, the GRADSAF, you must consult the website of the Graduate School of Life Sciences.  Here you will find all the information you need to submit the GRADSAF. 

Please note that it is most important that you follow the GSLF’s instructions very carefully and not those of the Board of Graduate Studies.

Please advise the Graduate Admissions Administrator when you have submitted your application.

OTHER INFORMATION [top]

More general information about the University and its admissions requirements (finance, English competence, etc) can be found on the Board of Graduate Studies website. You can consult the University's Graduate Studies Prospectus at this site.

OTHER RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS [top]

Please contact the following Departments directly if you are interested in their particular areas of research:

Research in neuropsychiatry (e.g., depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and drug addiction) is carried out in the Department of Psychiatry   and within the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute

Research in several areas of human experimental and applied psychology is also carried out at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

Research on ethology and on social aspects of developmental psychology is carried out at the Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour

Students interested in social or organizational psychology, in personality, or in social aspects of clinical psychology are advised to contact the Faculty of Politics, Psychology, Sociology and International Studies

FURTHER ENQUIRIES [top]

The answers to most of your questions should be found in these pages or those of the Graduate School of Life Sciences but candidates with additional questions are invited to contact the Graduate Admissions Administrator mailto:cjh61@cam.ac.uk

Molly Crockett PhD student Gates Scholar STUDENT TESTIMONIAL [top] It’s funny, all throughout my undergraduate years at the University of California, Los Angeles, I never imagined I would end up doing my PhD at Cambridge.  But toward the end of my studies I became interested in a niche research area: neurochemical modulation of human cognition.  The more I read about the subject, the more I realised that all the top-notch research in this area was coming out of the University of Cambridge.  This prompted me to seek out ways to study here. What I immediately noticed upon my arrival at Cambridge was its lack of academic and social boundaries.  In my lab, the “big” research questions transcended methodological approaches, as I found myself working alongside psychiatrists, behavioural neuroscientists and economists.  And in my college, social gatherings transcended academic disciplines, as I found myself dining alongside historians, mathematicians and chemists.  I cannot overemphasise the value of discussing your research with those outside your field- it forces you to think about your work from endless perspectives, and to communicate your ideas with universal clarity.  When the popular press picked up on a paper I had published last year, I had no problem discussing my findings with reporters—I’d had plenty of practice at formal hall! While I could go on and on about the perks of graduate study at Cambridge, the experience hasn’t been without challenges.  Unlike graduate programmes in the US, at Cambridge you jump right into your dissertation research from day one.  If you have a clear idea of what research questions you want to pursue, this can be a plus—there are fewer degree requirements, so you can finish your dissertation sooner.  But if you want to spend some time exploring different research areas, the academic timeline here can feel hurried.  The graduate programme here is relatively unstructured, which is great if you’re the self-directed type, but if you need constant feedback on your work you might feel lost sometimes.  Ultimately, I feel these challenges have helped me to become a better scientist.   I’ve learned to seek out feedback on my work from many sources, and to be resourceful in searching for ways to solve day-to-day problems.   As I near the end of my PhD, I feel well prepared for the next step in my career—I’m currently seeking out postdoctoral fellowships in the U.S. and Europe.  I couldn’t be happier with my decision to study at Cambridge- my years here have provided me with a rich and diverse academic and social life.  May these opportunities continue another 800 years!