Goldsmiths Psychology Department is a thriving centre of excellence in research and teaching with around 450 undergraduates, 130 postgraduates (including PhD and MSc students across 6 postgraduate programmes) and 35 academic staff.
We combine mainstream academic and applied psychology with particular research strengths in:
- Cognition and Culture
- Cognitive Psychology, Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
- Individual Differences & Psychopathology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Social Relationships
In the December 2008 RAE, the department’s research activity was rated in the top 25 of UK psychology departments, with 50% of its research judged as internationally excellent or world-leading. The 2011 QS World University Rankings placed the department in the UK top 20 overall, and 8th for research publications. The Department has a track record of attracting significant research income, involving both interdisciplinary and cross-cultural work, thus reinforcing Goldsmiths’ key values.
Psychology programmes:
- BSc (Hons) Psychology
- Integrated Degree in Psychology (including Foundation Year)
- MPhil & PhD in Psychology
- MSc in Cognitive & Clinical Neuroscience
- MSc in Foundations in Clinical Psychology & Health Services
- MSc in Music, Mind & Brain
- MSc in Occupational Psychology/MSc in Organisational Behaviour
- MSc in Research Methods in Psychology
- MSc in the Science of Psychology, Genetics & Education
News and events
- Hayley Leonard & Elisabeth Hill have secured a £42K grant from The Waterloo Foundation to work with Lucy Henry at LSBU investigating executive functions in developmental coordination disorder.
- British Academy Small Grants have been awarded to three projects involving our staff: Michael Banissy (using tDCS to investigate STS and face recognition); Andy Bremner, Jan de Fockert & Karina Linnell (effect of urbanisation on perception in Namibia); Laura Crane, Lorna Goddard & Elisabeth Hill (experiences of autism diagnosis).
- Forty-two months after graduating, Goldsmiths' Psychology graduates have the highest median salary (tied with graduates of 3 other universities) out of more than 50 English universities offering an undergraduate psychology degree. This conclusion is based on the most recent data (from 2009-2010) collated by Unistats.
- The Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths has been acknowledged as one of the top Psychology departments in the world (placed between 101 and 150th in the table of QS World University Rankings). The rating is based on a number of measures, one of which is citations. Focusing on this latter metric, the Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths is placed 10th within the UK.
- Dr Yulia Kovas has been awarded £3 million by the Goverment of the Russian Federation to carry out cutting edge interdisciplinary cross-cultural research in the field of cognitive psychology and behavioural genetics. The research will be focused on the cognitive underpinnings of individual differences in STEM fields, and in particular on the origins of individual differences in mathematical ability.
Examples of research conducted by members of the Department of Psychology
Dr Elisabeth Hill’s research focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders. An example of one strand of her recent research is the Autism & Employment Study. This study addresses employment issues experienced by people with Autism, Asperger Syndrome and other conditions.
For links to this study, see: http://www.gold.ac.uk/psychology/staff/hill/ and for an HR factsheet that has recently been published, see http://www.gold.ac.uk/media/ASD%20employment%20mental%20health.pdf
Dr Lauren Stewart’s expertise focuses on music, mind and brain. Together with Dr Daniel Mullensiefen she is currently involved in a study whereby she is developing and launching a test battery measuring musical expertise and engagement. It is hoped that this research will increase our understanding about which types of musical expertise and engagement go together in the general population. For an online version of the test battery, see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/musicality/