Psychology, MRes

Psychology, MRes

Introduction

This MRes degree programme provides you with comprehensive training in the skills required for psychological research. You will attend lectures and participate in hands-on workshops, and complete a research project supervised one-on-one by an academic member of staff.

Study Information

At a Glance

Learning Mode
On Campus Learning
Degree Qualification
MRes
Duration
12 months or 24 months
Study Mode
Full Time or Part Time
Start Month
September

The University of Aberdeen has one of the longest established departments of Psychology in the UK with a long tradition of high-quality research training.

The Masters of Research (MRes) course consists of several smaller taught modules and one large research module, lasting for one year of full-time study. The taught courses develop core skills required for research, including reviewing the literature, managing projects, preparing funding applications, disseminating your research through presentations and papers, and communicating with non-academic audiences. There will be training in IT skills, advanced statistics, and sessions on both quantitative and qualitative research design. These are taught using a combination of lectures and workshops, and use frequent assessment and feedback to ensure you develop a deep understanding of the skills and knowledge needed for a successful research career.

A major component of the MRes is the individual research project, supervised by an academic member of staff. These present an opportunity to put the acquired research skills into practice and work with experts in the field to answer cutting-edge questions in psychology. Please see a list of potential research projects that staff are willing to supervise.

What You'll Study

Stage 1

Compulsory Courses

Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5006)

This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.

Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

Introduction to Postgraduate Process & Professional Research Skills 1 (PS5015)

15 Credit Points

The initial lectures of this course provide introductory information that is essential for new postgraduate students. The subsequent lectures and assessments develop essential research skills and knowledge such as academic writing, ethics and grant writing.

IT Skills for Researchers (PS5016)

15 Credit Points

In order to conduct research in Psychology, students will need to use specialized software and learn some basic programming. This course provides instructive lectures on how to use some of the more widely adopted and useful software suites and programming languages, accompanied by workshops in which students perform PC based exercises to practice their skills.

Basic Research Methods for Postgraduates (PS5302)

15 Credit Points

A thorough understanding of common statistical techniques and the ability to apply them is essential to conduct research in Psychology. This course provides lectures on the most important statistical techniques in Psychology accompanied by workshops in which students perform PC based data analysis exercises.

Stage 2

Compulsory Courses

Quantitative and Qualitative Methods and Research Design (PS5557)

15 Credit Points

This course provides an overview of a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods in psychology.

Professional Research Skills (PS5520)

15 Credit Points

This course provides lectures on a range of more specific and/or advanced research skills than those provided in Term 1 such as Philosophy of Science and Career Development.

Advanced Research Methods for Postgraduates (PS5801)

15 Credit Points

This course covers statistical topics that go beyond the scope of what is normally taught at undergraduate level. The topics covered help researchers surpass the limitations of standard statistical approaches (e.g. NHST).

Stage 3

Compulsory Courses

This course runs over the whole session.

Assessment: By a combination of written examination and course work, as prescribed for each course. In addition, MRes candidates must must submit a dissertation on their project, and will be required to undergo oral examination.

Research Project for Postgraduate Students in Psychology (PS5017)

90 Credit Points

A major component of the MRes is the Research Module. For this, students complete their own research project supervised by a member of staff who is an expert in the relevant field. They also attend departmental seminars and present their research at a postgraduate psychologia.

We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

Fee Information

Fee information
Fee category Cost
EU / International students £27,000
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year
UK £11,100
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year

Additional Fee Information

  • In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
  • For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.

Funding Opportunities

The University of Aberdeen is very pleased to offer a 20% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with a degree from the University of Aberdeen. More information can be found on our Finance and Funding page.

Scholarships

Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships.

How You'll Study

Teaching consists of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical classes. A lot of research training is through hands-on learning by designing and running studies and analysing data in close coordination with supervisors. Most of the teaching proceeds in small groups, allowing for individual support and feedback. The research project is guided by individual meetings with the supervisor. A further member of staff, the assessor, will provide feedback on all assessments related to the research module.

You can supplement your required courses with a wide range of other courses and skills training sessions offered by the University of Aberdeen. Being part of an active and collaborative research unit means you are also welcome at our many informal seminars, research meetings, and workshops.

Learning Methods

  • Group Projects
  • Individual Projects
  • Lectures
  • Research
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops

Assessment Methods

Assessment includes weekly worksheets, small projects, essays, exams, oral ad poster presentations, and a final thesis reporting your research project.

Why Study Psychology?

  • You will be introduced to state-of-the-art research concepts and theories taught by award-winning teachers and world-class researchers, exposing you to the latest thinking in the field.
  • You will benefit from the key research strengths within the School of: social psychology, neuroscience, language, perception & attention and cognitive psychology.
  • A major focus of the MRes is in designing and running a unique research project to a professional level and working closely with an academic supervisor. Many of our MRes projects have been published in internationally renowned journals.
  • You will have the opportunity to gain experience using specialised laboratories and equipment including those for brain imaging, eye movement recording, movement analysis and visual neuroscience.
  • You will learn skills in communication, analysis, statistics and critical thinking which will be an excellent preparation for a future career in research.
  • To help you get a job we have an employability programme for our students which includes online resources, career talks and networking events.
  • The MRes in Psychology is recognized as compliant with the UK Economic and Social Research Council training guidelines, and the school is a member of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science.
  • Founded over 100 years ago, the School of Psychology at Aberdeen is one of the oldest in the UK.

What Our Students Say

Danai Papadaki

Danai Papadaki

Danai Papadaki

During my MRes I had the chance to choose my supervisor and develop together a project on my area of interest. I learned new skills such as programming and different statistical statistical analysis, this is a great way to start a career in research.

Pauliina Vuorinen

Pauliina Vuorinen

Pauliina Vuorinen

The courses are very relevant for what I want to do in the future, ranging from professional research skills such as giving a talk at a conference and grant writing to advanced statistical methods and usage of statistical programming tools.

Andreea-Iona Dragusin

Andreea-Iona Dragusin

Andreea-Iona Dragusin

The most important part of the master is the research component which provides you with the opportunity to take full leadership on a project and to know how to manage your time and tasks, while building resilience all throughout the process.

Natasha Dore

Natasha Dore

Natasha Dore

From increasing my confidence with data analysis and also introducing me to programmes such as R and MatLab, the MRes has also been good preparation for the amount of independence I’ll have during a PhD, which I hope is my next step.

Entry Requirements

View the list of potential projects and staff research interests on our School website to select areas of research which interest you. You should specify in your personal statement three members of academic staff that you might be interested in doing a research project with during the MRes. Note that this does not commit you or the School to carrying out a project with these particular supervisors. You are welcome to contact potential supervisors during the application process to find out more about their research interests. You do not need to prepare a research proposal at this stage.

A list of staff and their research interests and example projects can be found on our School website.

Qualifications

The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.

A 2:1 degree in Psychology or a cognate discipline.

Please check our International student pages for country-specific requirements.

Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.

English Language Requirements

To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:

IELTS Academic:

OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0

TOEFL iBT:

OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21

PTE Academic:

OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59

Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:

OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Read more about specific English Language requirements here.

Document Requirements

You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.

CV
an up-to-date CV/Resumé
Degree Certificate
a degree certificate showing your qualifications
Degree Transcript
a full transcript showing all the subjects you studied and the marks you have achieved in your degree(s) (original & official English translation)
Personal Statement
a detailed personal statement explaining your motivation for this particular programme
Reference
a reference letter from your university discussing your academic ability. If you have been out of education for a long time you may wish to use your current or most recent employer, or another professional person

Careers

This programme provides an excellent platform for those students wanting to pursue a career in psychological research, particularly those wishing to study towards a PhD. The transferrable skills included in the MRes programme would also be useful for careers in other fields. Potential careers for MRes Psychology graduates include human factors, industrial research, data science and business administration. Many employers seek psychology graduates as people with an understanding of human behaviour and knowledge of data processing.

Career Opportunities

  • Industrial Researcher

Student Research Project

Learn more about the individual research project undertaken as part of the MRes Psychology and the support available to students throughout the programme.

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REF 2021

Overall 94% of our Psychology research ranks as world leading or internationally excellent

Psychology at Aberdeen

Watch this short clip to see what you can expect when you study Psychology at Aberdeen

What our Alumni Say

Silke Jensen

Silke Jensen

Silke Jensen

Job Details
Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher
Graduated 2013

I really enjoyed the freedom to work on my own research project, while receiving all the support I needed from my supervisors. The taught component of the degree helped me build the skills I needed to become a better researcher.

Laura Prosser

Laura Prosser

Laura Prosser

Job Details
PhD student
Graduated 2013

The MRes course taught me not only different research skills that are now vital for a PhD but also enabled me to become a more independent and self-directed researcher than was previously afforded to me in my undergraduate course.

Our Experts

The School of Psychology provides an exciting and vibrant research environment. Our degrees are taught by a range of experts across our 3 research themes, Cognition, Perception and Attention and Social Cognition.

Programme Coordinator
Dr Joost Rommers

Information About Staff Changes

You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

Facilities

Image for Psychophysiology Centre
Psychophysiology Centre

Psychophysiology Centre

This facility consists of several spacious rooms that house electroencephalographic (EEG) equipment and sound-attenuated, shielded testing booths.

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Eye Tracking Facilities

Eye Tracking Facilities

The School of Psychology has four in-house eye trackers. The Eyelink 1000 system allows the recording of eye gaze at a sampling rate of 1000 Hz.

Image for Sir Duncan Rice Library
Sir Duncan Rice Library

Sir Duncan Rice Library

The University’s award winning Sir Duncan Rice Library is listed in the “Top 20 spellbinding University libraries in the World”. It contains over a million volumes, more than 300,000 e-books and 21,000 journals.

Find out more

Get in Touch

Contact Details

Address
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX