University of Essex

Department of Psychology

A picture of a globe with the focus on a map of Africa

Understanding our place in the world by thinking, interacting and experiencing.

It's an exciting time to be studying human behaviour! Across the globe, people are confronted daily with new technologies, unfamiliar cultures, and ongoing challenges that affect all facets of how we live. Studying psychology at Essex allows you to embark on a journey into the thoughts, feelings, and actions of those individuals.

Whether you join as an undergraduate or a postgraduate student, your journey will be guided by the University’s founding set of principles of breaking new ground, of challenging existing expectations and conventions, and – ultimately – of making a meaningful difference in the world. All while developing friendships and professional networks to set you up for life!

To achieve these goals, we organise our research and our teaching across three distinct areas of concentration: thinking about the world, interacting with the world, and experiencing the world. Using state-of-the-art facilities, and learning alongside world-renown experts in the field, you can pursue your intellectual passion at Essex, as we work together to help you ‘TIE’ it all together.

Our department is proud of the multicultural mosaic that makes up our community. Our staff and students come from over 40 countries around the world, bringing their own unique perspectives and experiences which enrich our teaching, learning, and research. Understanding Our Place In The World starts with us, and whether we're from near or far, We Are Essex.

Psychology at Essex: Your Place In The World.


Explore our courses

Why choose us?

90% of our Department of Psychology UG graduates are in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2023)
Exceptional research labs and facilities including our Centre for Brain Science
20th in UK for research outputs in psychology (Grade Point Average, REF 2021)
Courses accredited by the British Psychological Society
28th in the UK for Psychology in the Guardian University Guide 2024
Top 200 for Psychology in THE World University Rankings by Subject 2024
An over-the-shoulder shot of a computer screen showing two figures, with someone to the left reaching across to point at one of the figures.
A woman with blonde hair wearing a blue EEG cap, with someone to the right attaching a small sensor to her cheek.
A computer screen showing a persons eye, with tracking information around it.
A student wearing a black EEG cap, resting her chin on a frame, with sensors attached to her face.
A sequence of MRI brain scans on a blue background, detailing images of a brain.
An over-the-shoulder shot of a computer screen showing two figures, with someone to the left reaching across to point at one of the figures.

Explore our facilities

The Department of Psychology is home to several research units and houses a range of equipment used for non-invasive psychological research. Take a 360 tour of our facilities or find out more about our research units, labs and facilities.

Graduate stories

Our graduates have gone on to a broad range of careers, from Clinical Psychology and medical imaging, to therapy and academic research.

Professor Silke Paulmann, sitting in a red chair with a stage and screen in the background.
Never has it been more important to learn about the way we think about the world, interact with the world, and experience the world. Our departmental mission is to foster world-leading research on understanding our place in the world. Join us in our endeavours and contribute to exciting discoveries about the human mind.
Professor Silke Paulmann Head of Department
Latest news
Bed-sharing has no impact on children’s psychological development
22 Aug 2024
Underground hit - researcher's tube map goes viral
19 Aug 2024
Mind-craft! World-first video game psychology lab opens
13 Aug 2024
Get in touch
Lucy Glover Department Manager
Undergraduate Admin Team