Research Degrees

Essex offers three types of postgraduate research degree.

A Master of Science by Dissertation (MSD) is a one-year research degree, sitting at the same level as an MSc. You will carry out independent research on a topic of your choice, with an academic supervisor. At the end you will write up your research and defend it in an oral exam known as a viva.

An MSD is an ideal degree if you are considering a research degree without the longer commitment of a PhD. However it does not preclude you from undertaking a PhD in the future, and if your research is progressing well you may be able to apply to upgrade to a PhD.

An MPhil is a two year research degree, on a topic of your choice with a supervisor. You will initially be enrolled on an MPhil if you apply for a PhD. If your research is progressing well then you will be changed to a PhD in your second year. You can opt to stay on the MPhil track, in which case you will finish your research and write up at the end of the two years, and will still have a viva.

A PhD is a minimum of three years. You will carry out research in to your chosen area of expertise, which will be written up in to a thesis and defended in your viva.

You can also take many of our research degrees on a part-time basis. This allows you to fit your research in around other things in your life, such as care and family responsibilities.

As a postgraduate research student you will have access to our innovative scheme Proficio.

Depending on your degree type you will have access to funding ranging from £1500 to £2500, with a portion of this money can only be spent on conference attendance.

The rest can be spent on training courses to help you with your professional development. Most courses are offered by the university and include topics such as public engagement, influence and impact, specialist software, and writing your thesis. You may also apply to use some funding for external workshops, which will be reviewed by the Director of Research Training.

By utilising these courses you can develop skills that will help you as an academic, or that are transferable to non-academic roles.

We take pride in our high completion rate. We achieve this in part by ensuring that you follow a clear path to completion in three years if you are studying full-time. We do this by setting specific appropriate milestones at the end of your first and second years. You will also find yourself working in an enthusiastic community of research students who will provide peer support.

Our department is part of the ESRC-funded South East Network for Social Sciences (SENSS) Doctoral Training Partnership psychology pathway. This recognises not only our research, but the excellent research training that we offer students and early career researchers. It also gives our PhD applicants access to SeNSS-funded studentships, which are advertised through the year.

You will be joining a Department with a strong commitment to research, covering many areas of empirical psychology. The research community includes academic staff, research fellows, research officers and postgraduates engaged on many research projects.