Research degrees (MSc, MPhil, PhD)
Research areas
The School offers supervision for full-time or part-time research degrees at MSc, MPhil and PhD level in any of the following areas. Applicants should send an outline of the research they propose to pursue with their application form.
- Cognitive psychology/neuropsychology: visual cognition; memory; clinical neuropsychology; language; human-computer interaction.
- Developmental psychology: cultural ideas regarding development; children's conversational skills; discourse and conversation analysis; recognition memory processes in children; development of prejudice and stereotyping; children's social identity; children with learning disabilities.
- Forensic psychology: police procedures; legal decision making; eye-witness testimony
- Group processes and intergroup relations: social identity and self-categorisation; small group performance; group decisions; intergroup relations; stereotyping; prejudice; discrimination; inequality; collective behaviour.
- Health psychology: health beliefs and behaviour; communications in medicine; stress, illness, and coping; adherence to treatment in medical conditions; occupational health; social inequalities in health; psychoneuroimmunology and health in adults and children; respiratory infection and chronic illness; psychosocial interventions.
- Social psychology: group processes; intergroup relations; prejudice; attributional style; attitude change and persuasion; personality and individual differences.
Research degrees are based on a research project and do not involve coursework; however, research students who have not already passed a suitable advanced statistics course may be required to take our Advanced Statistics and Methodology module in their first year.
Testimonials
Studying a PhD at Kent has many advantages: The School of Psychology has several research groups that meet on a regular basis. These provide a friendly platform for the postgraduate students and staff to discuss ongoing research projects, present recent findings and receive feedback from colleagues. The School also has very good laboratory facilities with dedicated support team to provide help with setting up studies, including help with programming, specialised software and hardware. Both the academic and support staff are very approachable and supportive. With its international staff and student body the School of Psychology at Kent is a place where it is possible to meet people from all corners of the world thus making it a really interesting and rewarding place for study.
The support of the faculty, staff and resources at the School of Psychology have all contributed toward achieving an outstanding doctoral programme. The University’s large on-line School Research Participation Scheme (RPS) allows you to recruit students to participate in your studies. There is also easy access to several laboratories to conduct your research. Postgraduate meetings and weekly departmental seminars are held to discuss research projects and share knowledge. You too are given the opportunity to present your work in a friendly, informal atmosphere where you can develop your presentation skills and receive informative feedback. The library includes a large collection of books and all psychology journals are available on line. All of these resources will facilitate your research and support your development. The faculty and student body at the School are a dynamic and diverse community, giving you the potential to develop in social, applied, experimental, and cognitive psychology. As a result, The School of Psychology has provided me with the necessary foundations to build a successful career in academia.
My experience studying for a PhD in Psychology at Kent has been exceedingly rewarding and challenging. Thanks to the support of the faculty and staff, I feel that I have gained all of the knowledge, experience, and skills achievable from an excellent doctoral course. Studying at UKC has already opened many doors for me and will undoubtedly open countless more in the future.
Entry requirements
1. Degree requirement:
You are required to hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with:
a. Adequate level of academic achievement
This is defined as a final degree classification (grade average) with at least a 2.1 or Merit in the UK system, the second highest classification after First/Distinction.
Academic results from institutions in other countries will be assessed individually according to this standard, as institutional practices and marking systems vary.
b. Statistics and research methods training in the social sciences
You must have taken a minimum of one term each in statistics and social science research methods courses (or two terms of a joint statistics and research methods course), and passed these courses, as noted on your degree.
Our graduate research programmes involve a rigorous one-year statistics sequence. The teaching assumes that you are familiar with the following topics before arriving:
1. Means and standard deviations
2. Distributions, hypothesis testing and statistical significance
3. t-tests
4. Correlation coefficients
5. Variables and measurement
Evidence required:
An authorized copy (not a photocopy) of the university transcript, sent directly from the issuing institution to the Information, Recruitment and Admissions Office, The Registry,
University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ. Tel: +44 (0)1227 827272/824040, Email: recruitment@kent.ac.uk, Web: www.kent.ac.uk/aps/information-recruitment-admissions.
The transcript is part of the general University postgraduate admission procedures.
The degree does not necessarily have to be in psychology as long as the statistics training requirement is met.
2. English language
For students whose degree is from a non-English-speaking institution, you must meet at least one of the following University English language test requirements for postgraduate study:
- 6.5 in the International English Language Test (IELTS) with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the reading and writing categories
- 600 in the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- 250 in the computer-based TOEFL and a TWE of 4.0
- 90 in the internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT) with a minimum of 20 in writing and reading
- 'C' in the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
- 'B' in the Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English.
Evidence required:
An authorized copy (not a photocopy) of the test certificate sent to the Information, Recruitment and Admissions Office, The Registry, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ. Tel: +44 (0)1227 827272/824040, Email: recruitment@kent.ac.uk, Web: www.kent.ac.uk/aps/information-recruitment-admissions. These test results are part of the general University postgraduate admission procedures.
3. References
Two reference letters are required from academic referees at the applicant’s degree granting institution who are able to assess the applicant’s suitability for postgraduate study. Reference writers should describe their impression of the applicant’s academic achievements, preparedness and motivation for postgraduate study in the chosen field, and personal qualities relevant to postgraduate study. They should give specific examples of things the applicant has done, where possible, that illustrate the reasons for their judgment of the applicant. Also, those applicants who do not qualify for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society must request that their referees complete the appropriate School of Psychology pro-forma available for download on our website.
References should take the form of letters on official headed paper of the institution, sent directly by the reference writer to the Recruitment and Admissions Office, The Registry, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ, with completed pro forma attached where applicable.
References are part of the general University postgraduate admission procedures.
See also the University's general entry requirements.
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Further information
For informal enquiries please phone +44 (0)1227 827709 or Email psypgadmissions@kent.ac.uk.
For the University's general information on research degrees, see www.kent.ac.uk/studying/postgrad/types/research.html.How to apply
You can apply for our graduate research programmes at any time.
Please send an outline (about 500 words) of the research that you propose to pursue with your application form.
In this outline you need to state the reasons why you are interested in that particular area. You should also discuss similarities between your proposal and specific areas of research expertise in the School, such that your research could be supervised effectively by one or more of our current staff members.
The following Web link will take you to the School of Psychology's research pages, and by following the links from there you will find information on specific staff research interests.
www.kent.ac.uk/psychology/research/topics.html
You can apply either online or by post. For further details see the University's application Web page.
Please make sure that you have fulfilled the entry requirements as detailed under the tab above.
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