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  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biochemistry
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

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  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
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  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
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  • Philosophy
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  • Politics and International Relations
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  • Wildlife Conservation
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We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2026/27 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2025/26 courses.

MSc Research Methods in Psychology

  • Year of entry
    2025/26
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months
  • Year of entry
    2025/26
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months

Gain the analytical and methodological skills that are essential for all psychologists with our MSc Research Methods in Psychology course.

This long-standing course prepares you for a career in academic, clinical, educational or health psychology, as well as roles where analytical skills are essential.

Skills you'll gain with MSc Research in Psychology

Through intensive research training, you will develop:

  • strong analytical skills
  • a deep understanding of research methodologies
  • critical thinking abilities
  • essential transferable skills.

The flexibility and research focus of this course make it an excellent choice for those aspiring to pursue a PhD in the future.

To learn more about how you’ll study as a master’s student, please visit the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences website.

Taught by active researchers

Taught by active researchers, our MSc Research Methods in Psychology course ensures you gain essential skills for a successful research career while staying engaged with the latest developments in psychology.

You’ll have the opportunity to learn from and contribute to groundbreaking research. 100% of our research impact classified as 'outstanding' or 'very considerable' in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (combining 4* and 3* submissions for Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience).

Learn more about our research.

Gain hands-on experience

You'll have the opportunity to gain practical experience in our clinics and centres.

  • Our clinics: The School is home to a Speech and Language Therapy Clinic, Anxiety and Depression in Young People Research Unit, and the Centre for Autism. These public-facing clinics not only enhance our School’s teaching and research but also provide vital support and treatment to the local community.
  • Our research centres: Our internationally renowned research centres specialise in areas such as child development, psychopathology, neuroscience, and clinical training, offering you exposure to cutting-edge research.
  • Clinical training: Study within an active clinical environment where research from our clinics and centres ensures you're up-to-date with the latest theories and practices in clinical psychology.

Access specialist facilities

The Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN) offers access to modern technology and expertise in cognitive and computational neuroscience.

Our facilities support experimental and observational research, including specialised laboratories equipped for a wide range of studies, including:

  • virtual reality
  • ageing
  • infant vision
  • infant language
  • auditory perception
  • body kinematics
  • psychophysiology.

Overview

Gain the analytical and methodological skills that are essential for all psychologists with our MSc Research Methods in Psychology course.

This long-standing course prepares you for a career in academic, clinical, educational or health psychology, as well as roles where analytical skills are essential.

Skills you'll gain with MSc Research in Psychology

Through intensive research training, you will develop:

  • strong analytical skills
  • a deep understanding of research methodologies
  • critical thinking abilities
  • essential transferable skills.

The flexibility and research focus of this course make it an excellent choice for those aspiring to pursue a PhD in the future.

To learn more about how you’ll study as a master’s student, please visit the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences website.

Learning

Taught by active researchers

Taught by active researchers, our MSc Research Methods in Psychology course ensures you gain essential skills for a successful research career while staying engaged with the latest developments in psychology.

You’ll have the opportunity to learn from and contribute to groundbreaking research. 100% of our research impact classified as 'outstanding' or 'very considerable' in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (combining 4* and 3* submissions for Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience).

Learn more about our research.

Gain hands-on experience

You'll have the opportunity to gain practical experience in our clinics and centres.

  • Our clinics: The School is home to a Speech and Language Therapy Clinic, Anxiety and Depression in Young People Research Unit, and the Centre for Autism. These public-facing clinics not only enhance our School’s teaching and research but also provide vital support and treatment to the local community.
  • Our research centres: Our internationally renowned research centres specialise in areas such as child development, psychopathology, neuroscience, and clinical training, offering you exposure to cutting-edge research.
  • Clinical training: Study within an active clinical environment where research from our clinics and centres ensures you're up-to-date with the latest theories and practices in clinical psychology.

Access specialist facilities

The Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN) offers access to modern technology and expertise in cognitive and computational neuroscience.

Our facilities support experimental and observational research, including specialised laboratories equipped for a wide range of studies, including:

  • virtual reality
  • ageing
  • infant vision
  • infant language
  • auditory perception
  • body kinematics
  • psychophysiology.

Entry requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall with no element less than 5.5 (or equivalent).

Entry requirements: Typically a good second class honours degree (57% or above, with 2.1 marks in Research Methods and project/dissertation modules) in psychology or a related discipline (for example, cognitive neuroscience). It must reflect psychology as a scientific discipline and have included the study of brain and behaviour.

Pre-sessional English language Programme

Our Pre-sessional English Programme is for international students who need to meet their degree programme English language requirements.

Our courses equip you with the skills and language needed for academic success, including critical thinking, self-reflection, learner autonomy, research skills and integrating sources. The Pre-sessional English Programme is accredited by the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP), which guarantees you will receive a high-quality student experience.

To find out more, visit Pre-sessional English.

Structure

  • Year 1

Compulsory modules

Gathering Data for Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience 

Gain working knowledge of research in the field of cognitive neuroscience and practical experience of gathering and analysing fMRI and EEG data. You will focus on robust, open and reproductive methods of data gathering, processing and analysing 

Analysing Data Using R

Learn in-depth strategies of data analysis and their applications to psychological research using R. Building on undergraduate-level statistics, you’ll gain theoretical and practical knowledge of data analysis, and learn how to use R scripts to analyse data for your dissertation.    

Programming for Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences

Learn the importance of experimental design and programming experiments when conducting scientific research in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience. You will become acquainted with  Matlab with Psychtoolbox and Palamedes packages.  

Empirical Project

Explore empirical research in psychology by designing, undertaking and reporting your own research project. You will be introduced to key activities for research as you gain generic and transferable skills.  

Research Placement  

Working with an established researcher, you’ll gain exposure to practical issues in the industry and learn how to address them.  

Gathering Data for Applied Psychology

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/2025 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods. 

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. 

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading. 

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £12,800

New international students: £30,950

Tuition fee information

The fees listed are for full-time study, unless otherwise stated. Fee information will be confirmed in offer letters sent out to successful applicants. You can find further information, including information for part-time study, through our dedicated fees and funding page.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

Our MSc Research Methods in Psychology course will provide you with the expertise to pursue PhD research and postgraduate clinical training.

Career outcomes

Overall, 100% of graduates from Psychology are in work or further study within 15 months of the end of their course. (Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022-2024, Graduate Outcomes Surveys 2019/20-2021/22; includes Postgraduate (Taught) and Postgraduate (Research) Psychology responders only.

Career paths

Our graduates have moved on to various careers, including:

  • PhD positions
  • research assistant or assistant psychologist posts in the NHS and private sector
  • clinical training
  • non-psychology positions in industry.

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