Postgraduate Prospectus

Psychology | www.essex.ac.uk/psychology
Taught course modules
MSc Cognitive
Neuropsychology
Fundamentals of
Neuroscience and
Neuropsychology
Research Methods and
Statistics in Cognitive
Neuropsychology
Six optional modules
MSc Cognitive
Neuroscience
Fundamentals of
Neuroscience and
Neuropsychology
Methods in Cognitive
Neuroscience
Numerical Methods for
Cognitive Neuroscience
Five optional modules
MSc Research Methods
in Psychology
Quantitative Data Analysis
Research Management
Interviewing and Qualitative
Data Analysis
Connectionist Modelling
Fundamentals of
Neuroscience and
Neuropsychology
Two optional modules
MSc Psychology
Research Methods and
Statistics in Psychology
Advanced Developmental
Psychology
Advanced Cognitive
Psychology I
Advanced Cognitive
Psychology II
Advanced Social Psychology
Brain and Behaviour
Personality and Individual
Differences
One optional module
All courses include a dissertation.
This information is a guide to course
content and is subject to change on an
annual basis.
Diploma
If your first degree is in a subject other
than psychology, or your psychology training
does not provide sufficient experience
for direct entry on our taught courses, we
offer a full-time, nine-month Diploma in
Psychology with English for Academic
Purposes.
If you obtain your Diploma with Merit
or Distinction, it may be possible to
automatically register for one of our taught
courses, so over two years you gain a
thorough training in psychology principles
and practice.
Research study
Our PhD students study in a stimulating
and vibrant research environment, and
we provide excellent research facilities.
In general, our PhD students enjoy the
same access to neuroscience and other
research equipment as our academic staff,
plus access to our research participant
pool, which is essential for your
experimental research.
Our PhD students also benefit from the
supportive supervision given by our staff,
and the friendly and collegiate atmosphere
provided by fellow students.
About our research degrees
Our PhD requires three years of full-time
study (six years part-time), after which
a dissertation of up to 80,000 words is
submitted. The award of a PhD signifies
an original and substantial contribution
to knowledge that means you can be
considered an expert in your field. In
our Department, all PhDs are based on
empirical data collected by you in a series
of experiments.
We take pride in our completion record with
PhD students. We achieve this, in part, by
ensuring from the outset that you follow a
clear path to ensure completion within three
years – with specific appropriate milestones
at the end of your first and second years.
Nowadays a PhD is often a requirement if
you want to become a university lecturer
and embark on an academic career.
However, as a research graduate of our
Department, you can find employment in
many walks of life, such as business,
management and the civil service. Having
a research degree indicates that you are
a person with high ability and motivation,
and capable of working independently.
Research areas
Research supervision is available in the
fields of cognitive psychology, sensory
and cognitive neuroscience, and social
psychology.
Within cognitive psychology, topics include:
n Artefact knowledge development
n Categorisation
n Emotional development and autism
n Executive function and its developmental
neuropsychology
n Lexical processes, reading and dyslexia
n Judgment
n Memory, including serial position effects
n Visual cognition and attention
Within sensory and cognitive neuroscience,
topics include:
n Emotion science
n Hearing, hearing loss and improving
hearing aids
n Language processing
n Mirror neuron system
n Modulating cortical activity
n Multisensory perception, touch and
body processing
n Visual stress and migraine
Within social psychology, topics include:
n Cultural difference and the interaction
of cultures
n Decision making and behavioural
economics
n Evolution of cooperative behaviour
n Human motivation in relationships
n Psychological experience of justice,
liberty and mortality
n Self regulation in relation to health
192 | Postgraduate Prospectus 2012