
Overview
- Degree awarded
- PhD/MPhil
- Duration
- PhD 3-4 years, MPhil 1 year
- Entry requirements
-
We require applicants to hold, or be about to obtain, an Upper Second class Honours degree (or overseas equivalent) in a related subject area for entry to a PhD programme. A Lower Second class Honours degree may be considered if applicants also hold a Master's degree with a Merit classification.
- How to apply
-
See full guidance on how to choose a project and submit an application on our website . You should then complete the online application form to apply for this programme. Ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, or this may delay the processing of your application.
Applications must be submitted online well in advance of your anticipated start date (6 weeks for Home, 12 weeks for overseas including EU). We cannot accept late applications without prior agreement via the Doctoral Academy.
Application deadlines
Home applicants:
September entry - apply by 15 July
January entry - apply by 15 November
April entry - apply by 15 February
Overseas (including EU nationals) applicants:
September entry - apply by 1 st week of June
January entry - apply by 1 st week of October
April entry - apply by 1 st week of January
Programme options
Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
---|---|---|---|---|
PhD | Y | Y | N | N |
MPhil | Y | Y | N | N |
Programme overview
- Learn from some of Europe's leading researchers while undertaking your own project.
- Access some of the best research facilities in the world at both the University and in hospitals around Greater Manchester.
- Undergo training in transferable skills critical to developing early-stage researchers and professionals through the Doctoral Academy's training programme.
- Conduct research at a university ranked 6th in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2020).
Open days
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2021, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
PhD (full-time)
UK students (per annum): Standard TBC, Low £9,000, Medium £16,000, High £21,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £24,500, Low £25,500, Medium £32,500, High £37,500 -
PhD (part-time)
UK students (per annum): Standard TBC, Low £4,500, Medium £8,000, High £10,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £12,250, Low £12,750?, Medium £16,250, High £18,750?
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
- Contact name
- Admissions
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 275 5608
- admissions.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/
- School/Faculty
-
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Programmes in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
English language
We require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall or TOEFL iBT 90. For the writing component, we expect that you have achieved a minimum of 6.0 (IELTS) or 21-23 (iBT). For each of the other components of the English test you should meet the minimum requirement of IELTS 5.5, TOEFL iBT 18.
For more information about English language tests see English language requirements .English language test validity
Other international entry requirements
Application and selection
How to apply
See full guidance on how to choose a project and submit an application on our website . You should then complete the online application form to apply for this programme. Ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, or this may delay the processing of your application.
Applications must be submitted online well in advance of your anticipated start date (6 weeks for Home, 12 weeks for overseas including EU). We cannot accept late applications without prior agreement via the Doctoral Academy.
Application deadlines
Home applicants:
September entry - apply by 15 July
January entry - apply by 15 November
April entry - apply by 15 February
Overseas (including EU nationals) applicants:
September entry - apply by 1 st week of June
January entry - apply by 1 st week of October
April entry - apply by 1 st week of January
Advice to applicants
About the personal statement
We recommend that your personal statement summarises:
- any research experience and your interests;
- your motivation for postgraduate research study;
- why you want to do a postgraduate research degree in Manchester;
- your career development to date;
- your future career plans;
- other supporting information: recent publications if any or other research training and experience.
If you have completed a research project during your undergraduate/master's study, please give a short description of the work you undertook, including the following details:
- the research problem
- your key findings
- techniques acquired and skills learned.
This information is especially important for applicants from overseas, so we can fully assess your practical background and experience alongside your academic qualifications. Failure to include this information may delay the processing of your application.
See further guidance on how to choose a project and submit an application on our website .Interview requirements
Disclosure and Barring Service check
Programme details
Programme description
Experimental Psychology has a long tradition at the University of Manchester. Prof. Samuel Alexander, the late 19 th and early 20 th century philosopher, kick-started the study of psychology in Manchester after visiting experimental psychologists in Germany. This eventually led to the appointment of the first lecturer in experimental psychology in Manchester in 1909 and the establishment of a dedicated psychology department - a rare phenomenon for Britain and, indeed, anywhere outside of London at the time.
We primarily use behavioural experimental methods in order to study psychological processes, measuring key metrics such as perceptual biases and thresholds, reaction times, pupil responses and eye-movements. We use these measures to inform, and further develop, models of cognition.
Our major research themes include:
- Sensation and perception
- Vision and action
- Memory
- Judgement and Decision making
- Language processing
- Emotion
- Time perception
To search for specific project keywords, disciplines, topics and/or supervisors visit our research project pages.
Special features
All of our postgraduate research students attend the Doctoral Academy Training Programme delivered by the Centre for Academic and Researcher Development (CARD).
The programme provides key transferable skills in areas such as commercial awareness, academic writing and public engagement. This training equips our postgraduates with the tools to progress beyond their research degree into influential positions within academia, industry and consultancy.
The emphasis is on enhancing skills critical to developing early-stage researchers and professionals, whether they relate to effective communication, disseminating research findings and project management skills.
See the training and development page for more information.
Teaching and learning
Applicants are specifically matched with a Primary Supervisor and individual project based on their research interests and background.
International applicants interested in this research area can also consider the our PhD programme with integrated teaching certificate .
This unique programme will enable you to gain a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning, whilst also carrying out independent research on your chosen project.
Scholarships and bursaries
Funded programmes and projects are promoted throughout the year. Funding is available through UK Research Councils, charities and industry. We also have other internal awards and scholarships for the most outstanding applicants from within the UK and overseas (including EU nationals).
For more information on available the types of funding we have available, please visit the funded programmes and funding opportunities pages.