DPhil in Experimental Psychology

University of Oxford

About the course: Students on the DPhil in Experimental Psychology will carry out independent research under the supervision and guidance of principal investigators and researchers within a research group or lab. Areas of study include behavioural neuroscience, developmental psychology, perception and cognition, psychological and brain health, and social psychology. The Department of Experimental Psychology runs a number of seminar programmes and all graduate research students are encouraged to attend talks and presentations relevant to their research interests. On completion of the course, students are expected to have an in-depth knowledge of their field of research and to have made a contribution to scholarship in that area. They are also expected to have acquired research skills that will enable them to pursue independent research in psychology. The majority of our DPhil students are expected to be admitted for full-time study, referred to in the timeline below as FTE (full-time equivalent) study. A small number of part-time students may be admitted to the DPhil in Experimental Psychology. If you apply for admission to the part-time course you will be required to show that your proposed DPhil research topic is suited to part-time study and that the supervisor agrees with the part-time schedule. Assessment: First year of full-time study (part-time equivalent. years 1 and 2)You are initially registered as a Probationary Research Student (PRS status). During your first year of FTE study, you are expected to attend courses, lectures and seminars that will enable you to gain the most out of your time at Oxford and assist you with the design and analysis of your own area of research. These will typically include. graduate statistical workshops skills training courses eg in MATLAB and fMRI methods analysis of research methods. The Medical Sciences Division also offers a large number of courses on transferable skills such as teaching and communicating scientific findings which you are encouraged to attend as a part of your DPhil studies.You are expected to be fully integrated within your own chosen group or lab and attend group or lab meetings as well as attending related seminars and conferences. Graduate destinations: A majority of DPhil students remain in academia. Others go on to pursue careers in consultancy and government.