MA in Research Methods (Developmental Psychology)

The MA in Research Methods (Developmental Psychology) is designed for students who plan to continue their graduate studies at the Ph.D. level in an area of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, or social psychology. It is recognized by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as providing suitable training for this purpose, and the course is one of the named routes on the MA in Research Methods. It is a Social Sciences faculty degree that involves other departments within the University.

Students intending to have a career as a research psychologist need to acquire a high level of research skills at the postgraduate level. Research methods training, therefore, forms a central part of the MA program, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods. One-third of the course is also devoted to the dissertation which may be carried out in any area of psychology related to development. The taught course modules include both generic and subject level components, providing an introduction to broad issues and methodological approaches in developmental psychology and the social sciences.