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Course information

Department

Psychology

Length

3-4 years full-time or 4-6 years part-time

Course overview

We're committed to developing our postgraduates into skilled researchers who can conduct rigorous research using a variety of methods and analytic techniques.

  • During your first year you may take a range of taught modules including research methods, theory, and statistics; requirements will vary depending on any postgraduate training you have already undertaken.
  • You will attend and contribute to research seminars, and through departmental and Goldsmiths-wide modules you will also be encouraged to develop practical skills such as public speaking, poster preparation, scientific writing, and how to interact with the media.
  • You will meet regularly with your supervisor, and develop a structured approach to designing, executing, analysing and writing up your research.
  • You will have access to the Department of Psychology's range of laboratories, testing rooms and research equipment. You will also have an annual allowance to contribute towards your research expenses and/or conference attendance.

What kind of research could I do?

  • We are able to support PhD research in most areas of psychology. Some students have already formulated specific research ideas before they apply here, and find a supervisor in the department who is able to help them develop these into a doctoral research programme; if this applies to you, see information on the expertise of all our staff and contact any who you think may be able to help you to pursue these.
  • Other students are attracted by the research interests of our staff, and may decide to undertake a project that has been suggested by them and which relates to their ongoing research. To explore these or other research ideas, start by emailing the member of staff whose research interests you and make arrangements with them to discuss research ideas.
  • You need to agree on a research proposal with a potential supervisor before you apply to the programme.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Madoka Kumashiro.

Structure

Our postgraduate students are offered a stimulating study environment in which to research their higher degree. We have a thriving postgraduate school with some 50 current students on full-time and part-time programmes, including mature students and students from the EU and overseas.

Training and support

All our MPhil/PhD students are assigned a specific research supervisor (or sometimes joint supervisors).

Students undergo comprehensive training in psychological research methods (unless they already hold an MSc approved by the ESRC) in line with current ESRC training guidelines, including quantitative and qualitative research methods. This is mainly during the first year of registration (or first two years for part-time students. Students also attend various short generic research skills and methods training modules run by the College.

Students have full access to the Department's excellent facilities for lab and field research, and first-rate technical support is available from the Department's team of full-time technical staff.

Progress and assessment

Students initially register for an MPhil until they achieve satisfactory upgrading to PhD status. This is dependent upon satisfactory progress reports, an upgrading report and a viva. The upgrading report is usually completed after 12 months full-time, or 24 months part-time. The report will include a plan of the thesis, a timetable, and one draft thesis chapter (or equivalent) and will be discussed at a presentation to the Departmental Postgraduate Committee.

Students will also be required to present their work at the Postgraduate symposium. Submission of the thesis is the final stage of the work, when your completed thesis is presented for examination (viva voce).

Most postgraduates take three years to complete a PhD full-time, and four to six years part-time. The maximum time period from registration to submission is four years of full-time study (eight years part-time). Your progress on your thesis is regularly monitored by the Department's Postgraduate Programmes Committee. The Head of Department can recommend suspension from the programme at any stage if progress is not satisfactory.

Postgraduate facilities

All full-time students have their own workplace and a networked computer with access to relevant software. Part-time students also have access to a networked computer, generally shared between two or three students. We also run a psychological test library for staff and students.

Seminars and presentations

Our postgraduates have regular opportunities to meet with other students and to make contact with staff. The Department runs a number of active visiting lecturer seminar series. There are also several specialised research groups that hold regular meetings and talks that are open to staff, researchers and postgraduate students. Postgraduates are also strongly encouraged to present their work as a paper or poster at national or international conferences and financial support is set aside for this.

Entry requirements

You should normally have (or expect to be awarded) a taught Masters (upper second-class or Merit, equivalent to a B) in a relevant subject area in order to be eligible for a Departmental studentship. However, students with a relevant Bachelor's degree are eligible for a 1+3 ESRC studentship, which will cover the costs of a taught MSc degree and PhD. Similarly, a taught Masters is not required for applications for a self-funded PhD although you will be required to complete modules in research methods and statistics as part of your degree.

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

 

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2023/2024 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £TBC
  • Home - part-time: £TBC
  • International - full-time: £TBC

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

The department offers a number of studentships through ESRC funding (via the South East Network for Social Science) and Departmental Bursaries (involves contributing to our undergraduate teaching). Both sources of funding pay a stipend, though the Departmental Bursary only covers home tuition fees, whereas the ESRC funding also covers international student fees. The ESRC funding will also cover the 1+3 (MSc + PhD) ESRC studentship.

You must indicate on the departmental application form if you wish to be considered for one of these studentships.

To find out more about ESRC funding available to the department, please go to the SENSS website (though you must first apply through the department). Research proposals that fit one of the following thematic pathways will be considered. Please consult your proposed supervisor to see if your research proposal fit under one of the themes:

· Health, Well-Being and Social Care

· Justice, Institutions and Social Change

· Digital Social Sciences

· Advanced Methods in Social and Economic Research

It is important that you contact the potential supervisor as soon as possible as they may have funding through their grants and can advise you on whether a particular source of funding is suitable for you. You will also not be admitted without supervisor support of your research proposal.

How to apply

Apply now

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. You will also need to attach a copy of a completed Psychology departmental application form.

On the online form you will need to provide:

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • Contact details of a second referee
  • A personal statement – This can be copied and pasted from your personal statement that you will include in the departmental application form
  • An electronic copy of your educational transcript (undergraduate and Masters if available)
  • If required to provide English proficiency as an international student, a copy of the IELTS results (see Entry Requirements section above)

For the department form you will need to provide:

  • a research proposal
  • a proposed timeline for your PhD
  • a personal statement
  • the name of your proposed supervisor at Goldsmiths
  • a statement of support from your proposed supervisor at Goldsmiths
  • the name of your proposed second supervisor (you can consult with your primary proposed supervisor about who would be suitable)
  • funding eligibility
  • any training needs you might have
  • whether you're intending part-time or full-time study
  • a copy of your CV.

Note that all aspects of the application are required for an application to be considered. Your application will not be considered until all of this information is included in your application. Please make sure you upload the department application form.         

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply 

The deadline for applications for Departmental studentships (Departmental Bursary and ESRC SENSS studentships) must be received by 4pm (GMT) on 5 January 2024. Interviews (online) will take place on the same day in the week commencing either on 15 or 22 January 2024.

Applications from candidates who are self-funded are accepted throughout the year. Interviews will be arranged on an ad hoc basis. Decisions will normally be made within two weeks of the interview. Find out more about tuition fees.

Selection process 

Admission to the programme is based on an interview (typically online) and the panel’s assessment of your application.

 

Find out more about applying.

Staff

Find out about staff in the Department of Psychology.

Careers

You will receive training in and develop wide-ranging research skills, including:

  • database searching and bibliographic skills
  • managing and analysing data
  • presentation and communication skills
  • quantitative and qualitative research methods
  • handling legal and ethical issues in research
  • research design
  • project management

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.

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