Psychology

Thinking of applying for a PhD in Psychology?

The Department of Psychology welcomes applicants with a suitable qualification (2:1 or 1^st class honours degree in Psychology, Neuroscience or a related subject) to undertake Full-time or Part-time PhD’s. 

Prospective students

Before applying for a PhD, you will need to identify a supervisor and funding.

Step 1: Finding a Supervisor

Once you have identified an area of research, we advise you to contact supervisors directly and provide:

1. An up-to-date CV
2. A clear and concise outline of your research topic ideas and areas of interest

Think carefully about how the supervisors research aligns with your proposed project(s).

Supervisors in the Psychology Department [PDF, 137KB]

Step 2: Finding Funding:

Unless you have successful secured your own funding already – via a government scheme, scholarship or will be self-funding, please visit the College’s Postgraduate Research funding webpage to see current funding opportunities.

Where to find studentship funding calls?

• Research Council Competition Studentships: MRC, ESRC, BBSRC, Wellcome Trust
• The Department also submits projects to the IoPPN Health Faculty PhD Studentship  webpages

Self-funded students:

The department will consider self-funded PhD’s on a case-by-case basis.

As a guideline, for the academic year 2019/20, the total cost of a full-time PhD for 3 years is approximately £70,000 for home students (£6,100 tuition fees, an estimated £2,300 for research expenses and conference attendance, and £17,009 living expenses in London, per annum), and approximately £125,000 for overseas students (£23,000 per annum tuition fees). Further information can be found here

If applying as a self-funded student, you will be required to provide a clear statement confirming how you propose to fund your studies in your application. Be prepared to provide evidence to support this.

Step 3: Making an application

To apply for a PhD, complete an online application via myApplication

It is essential that the following information is provided before a decision can be made in regards to your general eligibility:

• Two academic references
• Degree transcripts
• English Language test certification (if appropriate)
• Personal statement and supporting information
• Letter of support from your supervisor

For more information on the application process and deadlines, please visit the ‘How to Apply’ webpage. 

For general enquiries about PhD opportunities at the Department of Psychology, please contact us.

Enhancing Cognition and quality of LIfe in the early PSychosEs (ECLIPSE) is an NIHR programme grant involving studies on the implementation of cognitive remediation therapy into early psychosis NHS services. We know that cognitive remediation works but we don’t know how we should roll it out into the health services. This study was developed with input from staff and service users and these groups are involved throughout the study. We have a Steering committee, a Data Management and Ethics Committee, and a Service User Advisory Board. The programme has four work packages. The first explores the make-up of the treatment teams for the context in which cognitive remediation is placed and develops satisfaction measure with service users and staff. The second work package develops an online training programme for therapists and evaluates whether it can provide adequate knowledge to deliver cognitive remediation. The third work package is a large multi-centre randomised controlled trial that assesses three different delivery methods for cognitive remediation (using the CIRCuiTS software):  (i)independent therapy; (ii) group therapy and (iii) face to face individual therapy against treatment as usual. An assessment part the way through the study will allow us to drop some arms of the study if they do not seem to be benefiting participants and particularly whether there is a large drop out. Finally, we will investigate which participants will benefit from the different types of therapy. The programme is led by Professor Dame Til Wykes and Professor Eileen Joyce (UCL). The main programme is run from KCL and supported by other KCL investigators including  Dr Matteo Cella and Dr Rumina Taylor. The other study sites are Cambridge, South London, North London, Sussex. Norwich, Birmingham and Warwick.

Our group has developed a new generation, computerised metacognitive cognitive remediation programme, CIRCuiTS (Computerised Interactive Remediation of Cognition – a Training for Schizophrenia). It was designed for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and was developed with service user and therapist involvement. CIRCuiTS is usually delivered by a therapist and can be supplemented by independent sessions. CIRCuiTS uses evidence-based cognitive training principles, and targets functioning directly. It specifically depends on training metacognition which we know aids translation of cognitive gains into functioning benefits. CIRCuiTS uses abstract tasks with neutral content and exercises based on real life situations such as going shopping, cooking or travelling. Unlike other programmes CIRCuiTS requires participants to choose strategies before they begin tasks or exercises and at the end participants reflect on their performance and rate how useful the strategies were. CIRCuiTS is currently available in seven different languages and is used in twelve countries around the world with beneficial effects for service users. CIRCuiTS is the software used in the ECLIPSE programme grant. CIRCuiTS has predominantly been evaluated for people with psychosis but it is also used in other studies where the participants have different diagnoses.One of these is a study of bipolar disorder called CRIB. Studies now include investigations of who benefits the most and under what circumstances. This is a list of publications using CIRCuiTS. Matteo Cella and Til Wykes are the main investigators.