Postgraduate Research Degree (PhD)
Introduction
The Department is active and expanding, well-equipped and situated on a beautiful campus close to London. There are 20+ academic and research staff and about 30 postgraduate research students. Academic staff include leading researchers in several fields, and the Department received a rating of 5 in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise.
A wide range of research facilities are available, including extensive computing facilities (Sun, Silicon Graphics as well as Macs and PCs), systems for analysing brain imaging data, and a high field, on-site MRI scanner. There is psychophysiological and electrophysiological recording equipment, eye-movement recording equipment and equipment for accurate measurement for motor control. The Department also has a video studio and editing suite. These facilities are housed in a variety of dedicated laboratories.
All staff are available for supervision of postgraduate research students, and a description of the research conducted in the department (including research interests of individual staff members) is available on our Research webpages. Prospective applicants are invited to make contact informally with individual staff members, who will be able to discuss possible projects and provide information about the facilities and funding opportunities that are available within their specialist areas of expertise.
We also offer professional training for Clinical Psychologists (D. Clin. Psych), a Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Both full-time and part-time students are expected to engage in the departmental research training programme. This normally involves attending a research methods course, another course in an area of specialist interest, departmental colloquia, and an annual postgraduate convention.
Links with outside organizations
The Department has research links with Guy's, St. Thomas's, and Rampton Hospital, Charing Cross, St. Charles, St. Mary's and St. George's Hospitals as well as with more local hospitals such as St. Helliers in Carshalton and Hillingdon and West Middlesex hospitals. Links with the University of Liverpool and the university hospital in Freiburg, Germany exist for collaboration in brain imaging studies. Research opportunities are also available through established links with schools, civil aviation authorities, police, industrial sponsors, charitable bodies, National and International Research Institutes and the World Health Organization. Postgraduates may attend lectures and seminars at other London colleges and use the extensive collection of psychological literature at the University of London Library.
Funding opportunities
A limited number of awards are available each year from the College and from Research Councils. These awards may be applied for after consultation with the proposed supervisor. Funding may be available from charitable bodies or industrial sponsors. Overseas students may apply for ORS awards which provide assistance with tuition fees. Full-time employees of the college (for example research assistants) may be eligible for a fees waiver.
Applying for a place and applying for funding are separate operations. If you wish to seek funding through the Department, it is essential to apply for a place first and ensure a suitable supervisor before applying for funding. If you have independent funding, this should be stated on your application.
The Department has been approved for ESRC 1+3 funding, in a joint scheme involving collaboration between Reading University and Royal Holloway. Successful applicants for this funding (a limited number of places are available each year) will undertake a year of research methods training at Reading University before undertaking their PhD research at Royal Holloway (for a total of 4 years of study).
Overseas students
In some cases it may be possible to make arrangements for overseas students to spend time at the College for training and supervision, but to return home to do their research University regulations stipulate a total minimum period of nine months (full-time) at the college; normally the first three months and final three months of the students course must be spent in College.
Entrance requirements
Applicants should have the equivalent of an honours degree from a British University of which at least half consists of psychology and will normally be expected to have achieved at least the equivalent of an Upper Second Class Degree.
How to apply
Informal enquiries and further details about funding and the application process can be obtained HERE
Any remaining queries should be directed to robin.walker@rhul.ac.uk
In the first instance, you should check the research interests of members of academic staff in the department to (http://www.pc.rhul.ac.uk/web/about_us/people.asp) see who is conducting research in the area that you are interested in. You will be asked to provide some details of your research proposal. We are not expecting a fully worked up proposal here - rather an overview of what you would like to study (you can get help with this by emailing your potential supervisor). Please do not apply here unless you have found an appropriate supervisor as we can only take on PhD students in the research areas in which we work (http://www.pc.rhul.ac.uk/web/research/).
Further details on funding etc can be found at (http://www.rhul.ac.uk/graduate-school/pages/prospective.html).