PhD in Psychology

University of Dundee

Study spaces are well equipped, student support is also very helpful when in need of assistance for most issues. The organisation of some courses and communication with lecturers etc. can be poor sometimes, creating delays in course work or not supplying information quick enough to implement it into coursework etc.

It is a great university to study in, because (at least for philosophy and psychology) the lecturers genuinely care about the students and enjoy interacting with them face to face. You can ask them questions or just talk about the material and they will be more than happy to do so. The student : teacher ratio is quite good, so lecturers are rarely too busy to be talked to. If you want to study philosophy, beware that it is continental philosophy, not analytic philosophy. If that is your cup of tea, then you will enjoy it a lot here. The lecturers are great at making the content genuinely fun and interesting. If you prefer analytic philosophy, you will not get much of that here. If you want to study psychology, the first two years are well-paced and ease you nicely into the discipline, before the last two years get going. Lecturers, as I said, are great, supportive, and encouraging, and often take students as research assistance (which is really good for you, so do it if you get the chance!). The city, Dundee, is not the nicest. While it tends to be quite sunny here (compared to other places in Scotland), the city itself is more run-down. As long as you find a community to integrate yourself into, you will not be bothered much by that, though.

The university is placed in a good location and very easy to navigate around, as it is all on one campus area. The student support throughout campus is top quality. However it has been impossible to get counselling appointments. However, since COVID-19, the union and student life experience have reduced significantly. I am unsure whether this is just because of how students are interacting since COVID or whether it has to do with reduced funding.

Small enough that it has a welcoming and friendly vibe, but also with an international community so that you have the opportunity to meet and make friends with people from all over the world. Lecturers care a great deal about what they are teaching and are friendly and approachable. Perhaps one improvement would be more resources for mature students. This may already be in place and I simply didn’t know where to access them.

Despite the challenges of online teaching, the university of Dundee have adapted to this change well. Lectures have been engaging and I often feel that I learn better from them as I can go back and rewatch areas that are less clear. The university has also communicated well with students keeping us up to date when in teaching classes may start and providing us with resources if we require further support.