Cognitive Psychology and Vision Science PhD

Overview

This is a potential research degree area, subject to the approval of the University. If you are interested in undertaking a research degree in this area, please make contact with the Dean to discuss your proposal.

Abertay’s Division of Psychology has a strong and active role in delivering research degrees, including those in partnership with the NHS, local education authorities, Police Scotland, and the business and digital technology communities.

Abertay is a member of the Scottish Graduate School for Social Sciences, and our psychology researchers collaborate across disciplines with colleague from our other academic schools. Abertay has expertise in psychophysics and vision science; numeracy, language learning and processing; comparative and evolutionary psychology; forensic and investigative psychology; social psychology and self-other processing; laterality; cognitive neuroscience; and dance and movement perception.

Abertay’s psychology research environment is well resourced with nine dedicated staff, research labs and a suite of experimental cubicles. Laboratories are equipped with High-end PCs and appropriate software (E-prime, Superlab, N-Vivo, Paradigm, SPSS, Observer XT). Hardware of note includes an anechoic chamber, wall-mounted remote controlled CCTV cameras, SMI 3.0 Eye View eye-movement recorder, SMI Eye View X HED Eye-Tracker, GSR, EEG and tCDS, and the BioHarness Telemetry System. Our psychology researchers also have access to a virtual reality laboratory and other digital technologies through cross-school collaborations.

Our research programmes will prepare you for a career as a researcher and an academic, as well as a diverse range of professions outside of academia.

Our research degrees

You have the option of studying an MSc by Research, an MPhil or a PhD.

When deciding which degree is right for you, you should consider the level of commitment required, the duration, cost and your career aspirations.

That being said, our research degrees are flexible. You can begin an MSc or an MPhil and then seek to transfer to a PhD without having to start your project all over again. You can also switch from full-time to part-time study, and vice versa.

PhD

The award of the Doctor of Philosophy demonstrates that the main focus of your work is your personal contribution to knowledge in your discipline or field, through original research or the original application of existing knowledge.

How long is a PhD?

If you are studying full-time, you are expected to complete the award in 36 months. The minimum period to receive this is award is 24 months and the maximum is 48 months.

If you are studying part-time, you are expected to complete the award in 48 months. The minimum period to receive this award on a part-time basis is 72 months and the maximum is 96 months.

The minimum entry requirement for all our research degrees is an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or equivalent) at undergraduate level in an appropriate discipline and/or a Master’s degree. In some cases, appropriate professional or experiential learning may be considered in combination with a lower classification of Honours degree.