Research Methods in Psychology (MSc) 2027 entry

Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of St Andrews. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.

• Compulsory

  • Generic Research and Professional Skills in Psychology and Neuroscience: Introduces students to the various skills and issues that are of importance to academic psychologists and neuroscientists
  • Methods of Data Analysis in Psychology: advanced training in research design, statistics, qualitative methods and modelling.
  • Philosophy and Methodology of the Social Sciences: introduces students to the basic theoretical approaches in the social sciences, covering the methodological and epistemological issues involved in conducting social scientific research.
  • Qualitative Methods in Social Research: offers both a theoretical and practical introduction to the collection, analysis and writing of qualitative social science research.
  • Quantitative Research in Social Science: Provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of quantitative analysis - underlying principles, research design, sampling strategies, uncertainty and missing data, and some statistical approaches to data analysis

• Optional

  • Animal Models in Neuroscience and Psychology: focuses on the animals frequently used in psychology and neuroscience research; discussing key physiological and behavioural characteristics of the animals, why these characteristics make them good or bad models for given areas of research, and how these behavioural and physiological characteristics must be accounted for when designing experiments.
  • Data Science for Psychology & Neuroscience: introduces modern data science methods such as machine learning and data mining, with emphasis on the practical utilisation of these methods in the context of psychology and neuroscience.
  • Evolution of Human Behaviour and Culture: Available only to undergraduate students in their second year of Honours. Also available to postgraduate students on 'MSc in Evolutionary and Comparative Psychology: the Origins of Mind' and MSc in 'Research Methods'.
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Colloquium: This module features cutting-edge, interdisciplinary Psychology and Neuroscience research, covering cells to minds. Students will critically reflect on key issues and learn to communicate across disciplines.
  • Research Methods in Cognitive Neuroscience: showcases the state-of-the-art approach of observing the brain in action to to understand the physical bases of behaviour.
  • SGSSS Core: Becoming a Confident Social Science Researcher
  • The Impact of Science: focuses on a writing review of a research finding in psychology and neuroscience selected by the student and approved by the module controller, with one aspect of the review based on the impact of the research finding on science and society.
  • The Narratives that Shape Psychology and Neuroscience: This course explores dominant and alternative narratives in Psychology and Neuroscience, addressing diversity, eugenics, psychiatric control, neuroscience inequities, and marginalisation through critical discussion.

• Dissertation

  Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.