About PhD in Psychology
The PhD degree is a minimum of three years of full-time research with an individual supervisor followed by an examination of a research thesis in an oral examination. This is the principal research degree offered in the Department of 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.
- 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 (email) 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)
- 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 course code BLPC22
We recommend that potential applicants take the time to familiarise themselves with the useful material on the University's Postgraduate Admissions page.
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Department application procedure
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List of potential PhD Psychology supervisors
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List of available PhD projects
➤ Application deadline - To start October 2025
Applications for October 2025 will open in September 2024.
| Funding Round | Deadline |
| Gates Cambridge (USA) | Wednesday 16 October 2024 |
| All other funding rounds | Tuesday 3 December 2024 |
All deadlines are 12.00 (UK time).
The Department will continue to accept applications up until Thursday 27 March 2025 for October 2025 start date. Any application submitted after 3 December 2024 will not be considered for the funding round.
➤ FAQS
Find the answers to frequently asked questions.
