Skip to main content
Oxford University

Department of Experimental Psychology

The Department of Experimental Psychology has a thriving graduate community. Graduate students will receive advanced training in psychological methods and theory, and gain research experience under the supervision of world-class academic staff.

A stack of textbooks on psychology

A stack of textbooks on psychology. Credit: Tudor Popescu / Graduate Photography Competition

Overview

Research in the department spans several core themes, from perception and action, extending through neuroscience and cognition, language and reading, social behaviour, development and learning, to clinical psychology and diversity-affirming approaches to mental health and wellbeing. Our work combines cutting-edge experimental methods with real-world relevance and strong interdisciplinary links across the University.

Graduate students benefit from outstanding research facilities, including labs for behavioural testing, virtual reality, EEG, brain stimulation, infant research, and neuropsychological testing, as well as access to MRI, MEG, animal models, and genetic approaches. 

The department recognises the vital contribution of graduate students to its research and teaching and strives to create a competitive and supportive programme to develop and challenge students. You would be encouraged to participate in training within the department and wider university, and to attend invited lectures and seminars by leading scientists from across the world, to complement the close supervision on your chosen topic received within your home lab.

Courses offered

Medical Sciences Division

The Medical Sciences Division houses some of the strongest biomedical research in the world; Oxford is repeatedly placed first in clinical, pre-clinical and health in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The Medical Sciences Division at Oxford is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for biomedical and clinical research and teaching, made up of 16 departments.

The Medical Sciences Division's departments and institutes in Oxford and overseas are home to some of the strongest biomedical research in the world, regularly appearing at the highest levels in world rankings and rated world-leading and internationally excellent.

The division’s 2,000 researchers cover a wide range of research, from atomic-resolution molecular structural biology to epidemiology as applied to very large populations. This enables students to work on virtually any biomedical problem.

The division provides a stimulating and challenging environment for more than 2,000 talented graduate students with excellent new facilities and close personal supervision by world-class researchers. To complement research supervision and course teaching there is a wide range of facilities aimed at the personal and professional development of students, strengthening their existing skills and developing new skills.

All candidates who apply by the December or January deadline shown on the course page are automatically considered for full funding awards, irrespective of their nationality. The majority of students accepted by the Medical Sciences Division secure full funding, covering both fees and living expenses.

Further information