PhD Social Psychology

Study psychology at postgraduate level and you become part of a diverse, dynamic and supportive community in which to research and learn. Some of the areas that Social Psychology research at Kent covers are prejudice and discrimination, justice and morality, leadership and power, conspiracies and social movement, and culture and social interaction.

Overview

A PhD is a doctorate of philosophy based on mostly independent study. You are assessed formally on the basis of one piece of work, a dissertation (or thesis), that reports your original thought and research. You must also successfully complete all required training.

If, rather than a research degree, you are interested in a Master's degree in this area comprising specialist modules and a dissertation element, our taught MSc in Social Psychology is a great choice.

Choosing a topic

Although sometimes we have specific PhD research projects related to funding awards, most of our research students choose their own research topics. Once you have decided on the nature of your project, you should then contact the member of staff in the School whose expertise and interests most closely match your area of research and ask them if they will act as your supervisor. Master's by Research applicants should also follow this procedure.

You then work with your proposed supervisor on refining your research proposal which provides the starting point for your subsequent research.

Careers

Our postgraduate students commonly go into the fields of health, teaching or further education. For instance, many of our graduates take up roles as assistant psychologists in the NHS with a view to becoming a professional clinical or forensic psychologist.

The programmes we offer help you to develop general critical, analytic and problem-solving skills that can be applied in a wide range of settings.