Curious about studying MSc Research Methods in Psychologyat University of Essex? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Master of Science - MSc
University of Essex
Full Time
Oct 2027
1 Year
Our MSc Research Methods in Psychology develops your awareness of psychological science in relation to its philosophical and biological contexts, and in relation to research in the natural and social sciences. In addition to this research-focussed training, you also study advanced topics in psychology that will extend your theoretical knowledge.With the skills and knowledge you acquire from studying within our Department of Psychology, you will find yourself in demand from a wide range of employers.Our graduates have been employed in clinical psychology, educational psychology, criminal and forensic psychology.We also have excellent links with the research community; we are recognised by the ESRC as providing excellent postgraduate training and are an accredited Doctoral Training Centre, offering several studentships.Our recent PhD students have taken up post-doctoral positions in other top UK universities and international universities (in the US, Italy and Australia), as well as being appointed to lectureships.
In this module you complete a research dissertation with a maximum of 10,000 words, written up as a report. You have a lot of flexibility as there are a wide variety of topics that you can choose to research. You report on the results of an original psychological research study carried out under the supervision of a staff member. A good research report will look like a psychology study reported in a peer-reviewed journal (such as Cognitive Neuropsychology, or Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology).
This module provides you with a detailed overview of the most common statistical tests used by postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in psychology.
Knowing how to manage your research effectively will be invaluable when producing quality work throughout your course. This module will teach you how to critically review existing literature, communicate effectively to a scientific audience and take into account ethical issues. You’ll then have the opportunity to put this into practice, preparing your own presentations and research proposal
This module is an empirical investigation into an area of Psychology, leading to the production of a written report resembling research reviews published in Psychology journals. You will gain first-hand experience of behavioural methods and/or research techniques chosen in agreement with your placement supervisor(s). The unique aspect of this module is the focus on obtaining an in-depth understanding of a placement-specific research method (e.g., a psychological paradigm or research technique) through reading, discussion and application. There is no specific requirement for data collection beyond that which may be necessary for comprehensive understanding of the application of a paradigm or technique.
What are the different approaches to qualitative data analysis? And when should qualitative interviews be used? Learn about the qualitative research process, including design, selection of interview subjects and analysis, so that you are equipped to tackle your own qualitative research in the future.
This module provides you with a detailed overview of the most common statistical tests used by postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in psychology. The module will build upon the module 'Statistics I' and will provide opportunities to specialise in advanced concepts and statistical techniques, including mixed effects modelling (aka multilevel modelling), factor analysis, bootstrapping and Bayesian statistics.
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