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Overview

Psychology has been defined as the science of mental life and its scope includes a wide variety of issues. It addresses such questions as: how do we perceive colours? How do children acquire language? What predisposes two people to get on with each other? What causes schizophrenia?

Psychology at Oxford is a scientific discipline, involving the rigorous formulation and testing of ideas. It works through experiments and systematic observation rather than introspection.

The Oxford Experimental Psychology Department is widely regarded as one of the leading psychology departments in the UK. The department’s size and its commitment to excellence in teaching and research means there are typically four or five research seminars each week, in addition to undergraduate lectures and classes. At present, there are particularly strong research groups in the fields of human cognitive processes, neuroscience, language, developmental psychology, social psychology and psychological disorders.

Fieldwork/international opportunities

A wide choice of research projects is available to students in their final year, including projects based in other departments and outside the University. Experimental Psychology has excellent facilities and very close links with neuroscience, including neurophysiology and neurology, as well as the Philosophy and Linguistics Departments. Students benefit from the department being one of Britain’s most active centres for psychological research, with an outstanding international reputation.

Careers

Experimental Psychology graduates enter a wide range of careers including professional psychology, education, research, medicine, the health services, finance, commerce, industry, the media and information technology. This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership, provided you achieve the minimum standard of second class honours.

During her time as a client consultant at Nunwood, Rachel said: ‘Since graduating I have worked for two large market research companies specialising in brands and advertising research. My degree helped me to develop my analytical skills as well as gaining project management experience which have been invaluable in my chosen career path.’

Whilst working as a Graduate Research Assistant at Oxford’s Department of Experimental Psychology, Lauren said: ‘Studying EP gave me the opportunity to conduct my own research project from its inception, from recruiting participants, to collecting and analysing data, and writing it up in a report. These skills have been invaluable to me in my job as a research assistant, as it involves co-ordinating a large number of participants taking part in a randomised control trial, and handling large amounts of data.’