Three kinds of research degree are available. A full PhD takes three years (six years part-time), while a Masters by Dissertation takes one year and an MPhil two years (two and four years part-time). The Masters by Dissertation in particular offers an affordable opportunity to try a career in research psychology without a long-term commitment.
PhD
The PhD requires three years of full-time study or six years of part-time study, after which a long dissertation of up to 80,000 words is submitted. Award of a PhD signifies an original and substantial contribution to knowledge, and that you can be considered an expert in your field. A PhD is nowadays often a requirement if you want to become a university lecturer and embark on an academic career. Research degree graduates are employed in many other 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.
If you are considering a research career, you may also be interested in our MSc Research Methods in Psychology ("MRes"). This is not a research degree, but provides a thorough preparation for embarking upon a PhD in Psychology, or undertaking research of a psychological nature for government agencies or in industry. Details can be found on the web pages covering taught MSc programmes.
All PhD students are initially registered on an MPhil. Students are upgraded to a PhD after 4 terms – subject to appropriate progress. Details of how progress is monitored can be found on the supervision page.
Masters by Dissertation / MPhil
The Masters by Dissertation requires one years of full-time study or two years of part-time study, after which a short dissertation of up to 30,000 words is submitted. The MPhil lasts two years (four part-time) and the dissertation is up to 50,000 words. These awards indicate that you have made a contribution to knowledge and have mastered the techniques and methods in your chosen area of research.
For general queries concerning application procedures please contact our Graduate Administrator: Lesley Monk (lamonk@essex.ac.uk) on +44 (0)1206 873822.
Research degrees
A research degree primarily consists of an intensive period of study on a specific research project, under supervision. It is assessed by submitting a thesis or dissertation: a scholarly and authoritative account of your research, written up after your research is complete. The dissertation is examined by one external examiner, who is an expert in the field, and one internal examiner who has some experience of the area. This will usually entail an oral examination. While studying for a research degree, you will be required to take some taught courses as part of your training (these courses will be tailored to your experience and needs).
