MPhil/PhD
Psychology

Why study MPhil/PhD Psychology at Goldsmiths

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

  • Supervision can be offered in any of the areas of departmental activity.
  • 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.
  • You may be eligible for funding opportunities offered through the Department of Psychology such as the SENSS Supervisor-led collaborative studentship advertised by Dr Hilary Norman. Please view the fees and funding section below for more information on this award and other funding opportunities.

Contact the department

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

Length

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

Fees

Home - full-time: £TBC
Home - part-time: £TBC
International - full-time: £19000

Department

Psychology

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, so the first step is to contact potential supervisors. You should provide them with an academic CV and inform them of your academic and research qualifications (including degree classification on your undergraduate and MSc degrees),. You should also mention if you need funding.

Two students on a long table chat together over hot drinks, with other people in the cafe in the background

Staff research covers a broad range of psychological topics, including human behaviour and interaction, and individual differences.

Degree show visitors walking around an art exhibition looking at paintings

Other staff specialisms relate to how and why people respond so powerfully to works of art and music.

You'll research

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 international students.

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 Goldsmiths.

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.

An aerial view of the Goldsmiths campus, with the College Green in the foreground and the back of the redbrick Richard Hoggart Building in the background

Enjoy a single-site campus experience just 10 minutes by train to Central or East London

Several postgraduate students sit and stand around a desk in a seminar, chatting to each other

Postgraduates have regular opportunities to meet with other students and to make contact with staff.

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.

Skills and 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

Studentships and departmental funding

There are several scholarship and studentship opportunities you could be eligible for as a psychology research degree applicant.

It is important that you contact a potential supervisor as soon as possible as they can provide you with more information about potential research projects and can advise you on whether a particular source of funding is suitable for you. Please note that funding is extremely competitive, and successful students would usually be expected to have had considerable research experience (through their degrees and working or volunteering in research labs). Potential supervisors may also have funding through their grants or may be able to recommend additional funding sources. You will also not be admitted without supervisor support of your research proposal, so it is essential that you contact them first.

You must indicate on the Psychology Department PhD application form if you wish to be considered for one of these studentships (see the 'How to apply' section for information).

Departmental awards

Explore the postgraduate funding available from the Psychology Department. Application deadlines for departmental bursaries and SENSS studentship funding will typically be in December to start in the next academic year in September. There may be other funding available throughout the year, so please keep checking back, and contact potential supervisors as they may be aware of additional funding.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2025/2026 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £TBC
  • Home - part-time: £TBC
  • International - full-time: £19000

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.

Funding opportunities

A number of funded studentships are available through the ESRC SENSS Doctoral Training Centre or Department of Psychology Bursaries. The deadline for the student-led ESRC SENSS funding and the departmental bursary was 6 December 2024 and has now passed for applications to start in September 2025. Please check back again in autumn of 2025. View details of past funding.

There are also a number of other funding opportunities offered by the university and by specific supervisors (e.g., the supervisor-led ESRC SENSS collaborative studentship). Your potential supervisor may advise you of other sources of funding. The first step is to contact a potential supervisor, who can provide you with more information. You will not be admitted without supervisor support. 

ESRC funded SENSS Doctoral Training Centre

The Department of Psychology is part of the ESRC SENSS Doctoral Training Centre. This covers tuition (including for international applicants) and a stipend, though the number of places for international students are limited. This also covers 1+3 (MSc+PhD) studentships. SENSS encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. 

Available studentships

Supervisor-led collaborative studentships (deadline 10 February 2025, 12 pm)

Are you interested in suicide prevention in public health? Dr Hilary Norman is inviting applications for a SENSS funded PhD studentship to start in October 2025, in collaboration with East Sussex County Council. This innovative project will explore how particular locations have developed an association with suicide, and how that influences people’s own suicidal thoughts and actions. Read further information on this studentship project. 

If you are interested, please contact Dr Hilary Norman, H.Norman (@gold.ac.uk).

To be considered for this SENSS studentship, you must first apply for a place to study at Goldsmiths, noting that you are applying for the collaborative studentship. The deadline for applying to Goldsmiths is 12:00 GMT on Monday 10 February 2025. Please view the how to apply section for details on specific documents to submit for this studentship.

You must also make a separate application to SENSS - view guidance on making your application. The deadline for submitting your application for SENSS funding is 12:00 GMT on Monday 24 February 2025.

Student-led studentships (deadline has passed for applicants wishing to start September 2025)

Departmental bursary (deadline has passed for applicants wishing to start September 2025)

Goldsmiths scholarships and studentships

Explore the Goldsmiths scholarships finder to find out what other funding opportunities you may be eligible for.

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.

Paying your fees

Find out about paying your tuition fees.

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.

Students with a relevant Bachelors 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 study.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.

Please contact a potential supervisor first as your application will not be considered without supervisor support.

Before submitting your application you'll need to have:

  • A completed copy of the Psychology Department PhD application form, which you should attach to your online application (see guidance below) – you do not need this for supervisor-led funding schemes, such as the ESRC supervisor-led collaborative studentship offered by Dr Hilary Norman.
  • 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 either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online
  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

Please note that your application will not be considered unless all of this information is included in your application.

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.

Psychology Department PhD application form

For this 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

When to apply

Departmental studentships

The deadline for applications for departmental studentships (Departmental Bursary and ESRC SENSS student-led studentships) has now passed (6 December, 2024).

Supervisor-led collaborative studentship

The deadline for the supervisor-led collaborative studentship offered by Dr Hilary Norman is 12:00 GMT on Monday 10 February 2025. Please contact Dr Norman, H.Norman (@gold.ac.uk).

You do not need to submit the standard departmental form, but please do submit a research proposal (max 30.000 characters including spaces and other punctuation, in line with the SENSS application form), which should be based on the advertised project, a personal statement (max 3,500 characters including spaces and other punctuation), CV, academic transcripts (undergraduate and Masters if applicable), a letter of reference, and IELTS scores for international students needing to demonstrate English fluency. 

Note that you also need to apply separately online for the SENSS funding via HEIapply (View guidance on making your application (PDF)).   

Other funding opportunities 

Other funding may be announced by the university or through external sources, so please check external sources or with your supervisor about deadlines and requirements.

Self-funded applications

Applications from candidates who are self-funded are accepted throughout the year, with students having the option of starting at the beginning of an academic term (typically September, January, and April). Interviews (typically online) will be arranged on an ad hoc basis. Decisions will normally be made within two weeks of the interview.

For both self-funded and funded studentships, your first point of contact should be your proposed supervisor or the contact provided on the external funding website. Alternatively, you can contact Dr Madoka Kumashiro, M.Kumashiro (@gold.ac.uk), Psychology Department PhD director, for more information.

Selection process

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

Further guidance

Find out more about applying.

Similar programmes

Image representing Research Methods in Psychology

MRes Research Methods in Psychology

The programme aims to equip you with a sound understanding of the research methods and skills necessary to conduct high-level research in psychology, using a wide range of approaches and techniques.

Image representing Music, Mind & Brain

MSc Music, Mind & Brain

This unique programme combines music psychology with neuroscience, focusing on both the biological and cognitive aspects of musical behaviour.