Why a PhD in Psychology at Edinburgh?

Our fully-funded PhD Scholarships offer an excellent opportunity to join an internationally renowned department within a world-class university

Why a PhD in Psychology at Edinburgh?

• We’re ranked 3^rd in the UK and 16^th in the world for psychology (THE World University Rankings by Subject 2021).
• The University of Edinburgh is firmly established as a world-leading centre of research, psychology research at Edinburgh ranks 1^st in Scotland and 11^th in the UK as part of a joint submission for psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience in the Times Higher Education ranking by subject of the REF 2014.
• Our research environment is rated as 100% conducive to producing world-leading research, and 81.5% of our research is rated as outstanding in terms of its reach and significance (REF 2014)
• We bring together world-class researchers approaching the scientific study of mind and behaviour through a range of topics - from language development to dementia, personality to paranormal beliefs.

What do the PhD Scholarships cover?

The PhD Scholarships, funded by the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences (PPLS) cover the full-time tuition fee (UK/international level) with an annual stipend of approximately £15,700 for three years (pro rata for part-time students).

In which research areas do staff offer supervision?

We can offer expert supervision across a wide range of topics within the following key research areas:

• Developmental science

We examine how nature and nurture interact across the lifespan, from before birth through infancy and childhood, on to adulthood and old age.

• Human cognitive neuroscience

Our core interests are in memory, attention, executive function, visual cognition, and perceptuo-motor control

• Individual differences

We focus on projects relating to Cognitive Epidemiology, Cognitive Ageing, Evolutionary Psychology, and Positive Psychology.

• Parapsychology

We take a broad approach to parapsychology, conducting research into the psi hypothesis, pseudo-psi (‘what’s not psychic but looks like it’), beliefs about the paranormal and the history of accounts and studies of anomalous phenomena.

• Psychology of language

Our core interests are in representation of language in the brain, analysing communicative processes in dialogue, and researching the earliest stages of language development in infants and young children.

• Social psychology

The group focuses on this theme both at the individual level and by studying interactions at the inter-individual, intra-group, inter-group and socio-cultural levels.

Entry requirements and how to apply

Successful applicants will have UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a related subject. Ideally you will also have, or will be studying for, a postgraduate masters degree (or equivalent).

To be considered for this scholarship you must apply online for the PhD Psychology by Monday 22 November 2021. There is no need to apply separately for the Scholarship. Your application will be automatically considered.

To find out more and apply please visit our website:

PhD Programme in Psychology

Please get in touch with our Postgraduate Office should you have any questions: pplspgoffice@ed.ac.uk

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