edinburgh university thesis submission

SUBMITTING YOUR THESIS

All students producing theses/dissertations in the School of Informatics are asked to produce an electronic archive of their thesis. These theses are an extremely valuable resource for other researchers and for students doing projects in the future. The electronic archive enables them to make a stronger contribution, building on work that has gone before, and appropriately putting their work in context and acknowledging previous contributions.

The list of archived MSC theses can be viewed at http://www.informatics.ed.ac.uk/publications/thesis/msc.html.

For this reason, you are asked to also submit a PDF document electronically.

There may be some people who have good reasons why their theses cannot or should not be made part of an electronic archive. Those people should ensure that their supervisor knows the reasons and tick the appropriate box on the submission page. Nevertheless they must still submit the thesis electronically so that it is available in that form for the external examiners.

You are asked to make an submit of your thesis in pdf format as follows:

1. Create the PDF file

Most word processing packages have the option to save a file as pdf, so generating your thesis in pdf format should be straightforward. For example, if you are using LaTeX, on a DICE machine you can use pdflatex to convert your thesis directly from latex to pdf as follows:

This will produce a file <thesis>.pdf in the same directory.

Take care to ensure that all figures, tables and listings are correctly incorporated into the pdf file you plan to submit.

2. Submit the PDF

Use the online form to submit the PDF form of your thesis. You will need to specify the name of your PDF file on this web form.

This form requires you to nominate a "project directory" that contains appropriate supporting evidence for the project examiners, as well as to provide the location of a pdf file containing your project report. The project directory should contain sufficient additional material to allow the project examiners to come to a decision on matters such as: level of completion of the project, the quality of the project and the amount of work required to complete the project.

The marking guidelines and form used to grade projects are based entirely on the content of the report. The additional material will be used to assess the accuracy of claims in the report.

Projects often build on work previously carried out, in some cases re-using code and data from earlier projects. We would like your project materials to be available for further use in research, private study or education, if requested. However, if you decide that you do not want your project materials re-used, please tick the relevant box.

School of Social and Political Science

Dissertation guidance.

All SPS students have access to the SPS Research Training Centre Support for Dissertations Learn hub (accessed via MyEd).   If you do not have access, please email [email protected] .

The Student Development Hub provides general advice on academic writing, including the Graduate School's Learning and Academic Skills Handbook.

Visit the Student Development Hub

Dissertation deadline

The deadline for Taught MSc dissertations in the 2023/24 academic year is Thursday 8th August 2024, 23:59 (UK Time).

Regulations and requirements

The formal requirements and binding regulations that apply can be found in the School MSc Dissertation Handbook 2023-24

There will be variations across programmes, and programme directors and/or subject areas can provide more detailed specific guidance on the scope of dissertations, the general timeline of the dissertation cycle, and the way supervisors are allocated.

Guidelines for writing a master's dissertation

Most research begins with a question. Think about which topics and theories you are interested in and what you would like to know more about.

Think about the topics and theories you have studied in your degree programme. Is there some question you feel the body of knowledge in your field does not answer adequately?

Once you have a question in mind, begin looking for information relevant to the topic and its theoretical framework. Read everything you can - academic research and peer-reviewed journals, and information in the popular press and on the Internet.

As you become well-informed about your topic and prior research on the topic, your knowledge should suggest a purpose for your dissertation. When you can articulate this purpose clearly, you are ready to write your dissertation proposal.

Dissertation proposal

This proposal specifies:

• the purpose of the study
• the significance of the study
• a tentative review of the literature on the topic and its theoretical framework (a working bibliography should be attached)
• your research questions and/or hypotheses
• how you will collect and analyse your data (your proposed instrumentation should be attached)

Getting advice on your chosen topic

At this point, you are encouraged to go and see any staff members that you feel could advise your on their topic.

After a supervisor is allocated, you should try to set up a first meeting to refine your plans and to plan the process towards completion of the thesis.

At this stage it is very important to have a good understanding of the different sections most dissertations comprise. You will then start to work on drafting a first outline of your dissertation together with your supervisor.

Each supervisor prefers a distinct approach regarding the structure of a dissertation and is dependent on the kind of project you undertake. Please refer to your course guide and departmental regulations for further information.

A short description of dissertation chapters is provided in the section below. However, bear in mind that these are brief in scope and only advisory. Please refer to the secondary literature at the end of this page for more in-depth information.

Dissertation chapters

The following chapters are commonly used:

The title itself is an important opportunity to tell the potential reader what your research is about. You will need it to be succinct, specific, descriptive, and representative of the research you have done.

There is likely to be a required format for the title page in your discipline, so you will need to check what that is.

The abstract is a very short summary or digest of an article or dissertation whose basic task is to tell a potential reader, searching for scholarly or research-based material by topic or title, whether or not this is what she is looking for.

Writing a good one is quite a craft and there is no substitute for reading lots of abstracts to develop the knack of summarising and selecting the key points.

A good abstract gives information about the problem under investigation, research aims, methods and procedures, results and implications.

A quick test involves checking whether your abstract answers the questions ‘why?’, ‘how?’, ‘what?’ and ‘so what’?.

Acknowledgements (if applicable)

In the acknowledgements, you thank those who have helped you at any stage in the research or writing process; for example:

• your supervisor
• other academic and/or technical staff in your School
• experts in other institutions who may have provided advice or access to information
• funding bodies
• those close to you that have given you help or support

Contents page(s)

The contents pages will show up the structure of the dissertation.

Any imbalance in space devoted to different sections of content will become apparent. This is a useful check on whether amalgamation of sections, or creation of further sections or sub-sections is needed.

Introduction

The introduction should discuss:

• the field of study
• the research question
• the hypothesis (if any)
• the research question that is to be investigated

It should also include a summary of the contents and main arguments in the dissertation.

Literature review

Generally, a literature review is a survey of the work that has previously been published in your subject. It can be a separate assignment or it can form part of a larger body of work, such as a dissertation. It should be comprehensive and relevant in its scope.

A literature review can also mean the process of reviewing the literature. It starts when you pick up your first paper, book, or source, it continues as you research and question, write, and edit the piece, and finishes when you complete your final draft.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

Methodology and Methods

A key part of your dissertation or thesis is the methodology. This is not quite the same as ‘methods’.

The methodology describes the broad philosophical underpinning to your chosen research methods, including whether you are using qualitative or quantitative methods, or a mixture of both, and why.

If you are submitting your dissertation in sections, with the methodology submitted before you actually undertake the research, you should use this section to set out exactly what you plan to do.

The methodology should be linked back to the literature to explain why you are using certain methods, and the academic basis of your choice.

There are numerous research methods that can be used when researching scientific subjects; you should discuss which are the most appropriate for your research with your supervisor.

Here are some helpful pages on the Skills You Need website:

Writing your Dissertation: Methodology – Skills You Need Research Methods – Skills You Need

This is where you review your own research in relation to the wider context in which it is located.

You can refer back to the rationale that you gave for your research in the literature review, and discuss what your own research has added in this context.

It is important to show that you appreciate the limitations of your research, and how these may affect the validity or usefulness of your findings. Given the acknowledged limitations, you can report on the implications of your findings for theory, research, and practice.

Discussion or Findings

The discussion is arguably the most difficult section to write, as it is predominantly interpretative and discursive.

In this section, you will examine your results in relation to your research questions or hypotheses and, more broadly, in relation to existing research. This will enable you to assess the contribution of your research to the field, and to make suggestions for further research where appropriate.

Useful hints on the DOCEO website in the section on findings and discussion

Conclusions

In this section you will bring together the work of the dissertation by showing how the initial research plan has been addressed in such a way that conclusions may be formed from the evidence of the dissertation.

No new material or references should be placed here. The conclusions should make a statement on the extent to which each of the aims and objectives has been met.

You should bring back your research questions and state clearly your understanding of those questions. Be careful not to make claims that are not substantiated from the evidence you have presented in earlier chapters.

Additional chapters

• Institute for Academic Development (IAD): advice and resources on dissertation writing
• Skills You Need (external website): writing a Social Science dissertation

How to write a master's dissertation

• Biggam, John (2015) Succeeding with your master's dissertation a step-by-step handbook , Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education. (available online at DiscoverEd, University Library Catalogue)
• Hart, Chris (2005) Doing your masters dissertation : realizing your potential as a social scientist , London: SAGE. (available at University Library Catalogue)
• Rank, Scott (2015) How to Finish Your Dissertation in Six Months, Even if You Don't Know What to Write , Scholarpreneur Press. (free Kindle edition available)

Information on social research methods

• Bryman, Alan (2015) Social research methods , Oxford: Oxford University Press. (available at University Library Catalogue)

Other book recommendations

• Bui, Yvonne N. (2015) How to Write a Master's Thesis (2nd Edition) , London: SAGE.
• Joyner, Randy L., Rouse, William A. and Glatthorn, Allan A. (2013) Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide , Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
• Foss, Sonja K. and Waters, William (2007) Destination Dissertation: A Traveler's Guide to a Done Dissertation , Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Schools & departments

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Open Content

This guide brings together information about Open Access Resources and Open Educational Resources. It aims to make Open Access resources easier to find and use for study, teaching and research.

Finding open Theses and Dissertations

University of edinburgh and uk theses.

Edinburgh Research Archive - Full text electronic copies of most University of Edinburgh PhD theses can be found online in the Edinburgh Research Archive (ERA). The collection comprises 23,500 items and includes MD theses from the 1700s through to PhDs recently awarded in 2020.

EThoS: e-theses online service - This service from the British Library aims to provide a national aggregated record of all doctoral theses awarded by UK Higher Education institutions, and free access to the full text of as many theses as possible for use by researchers.

Google Scholar Search

If you know the details of the thesis you wish to consult then an effective way to find the full text is via  Google Scholar. Search for the full title in quotes, followed by the author last name, and/or date if known. 

International theses

DART-Europe is a searchable database of electronic research theses held in European repositories. It covers around 586 Universities in 29 European countries.

EBSCO Open Dissertations   is a free database with records for more than 1.4 million electronic theses and dissertations from more than 320 universities around the world. 

Global ETD Search  from the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) contains around 6 million records, the majority of which are open, but some may not be publicly available.

Open Access Theses & Dissertations  currently indexes around 5 million open access theses and dissertations from 1100 institutions worldwide.

Making your thesis open access

Theses and dissertations from the University of Edinburgh are published online in the Edinburgh Research Archive  (ERA). In 2020, UoE theses were downloaded 829,804 times from ERA (source IRUS-UK download report).  The University has an expectation that a PhD thesis is a document available for public consultation. As such, unless a legitimate reason for restricting access to the thesis exists, all PhD theses will be made publicly available on the internet. Masters dissertations are not routinely made available online, but exceptional dissertations can be made open access.

PhD and other doctoral theses

Masters dissertations.

Only Masters Dissertations from the School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences and the School of Geosciences are routinely deposited in the Edinburgh Research Archive (ERA). If you are from a different School you can make your master dissertation open access by depositing in ERA. You can do this by logging in with your EASE credentials, then selecting your Schools Thesis & Dissertation Collection and follow the prompts for submitting a new item to the collection.

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Thesis submission

Before submitting your thesis, you must follow the correct procedures which are contained in the following documents. Please note that the University will be unable to accept your thesis if the correct procedures, relating to the submission and format of your thesis, have not been followed.

When your Initial Thesis has been accepted, it will then be sent to your approved Internal Examiner and External Examiner(s). You will be informed of your viva date by your School. After the viva takes place the Internal Examiner and External Examiner(s) send their reports to your School's Postgraduate Research Office. These reports then go to the Research Degrees Committee and the Examiners' decision is considered for approval. Once your award is approved, you will be contacted by Academic Registry directly, to make arrangements for the upcoming Graduation.

Guidance on the presentation and submission of your thesis

You will find a step by step guide and in preparation for submitting both your initial and the final thesis:

Resubmissions: If you have been asked to resubmit your thesis, please follow the same process for 'Preparing to Submit the Initial Thesis'. If you have any enquiries, please contact your School PGR Office, for assistance. 

Other useful documents:

• Request for Limited Access to Thesis
• Example Thesis Pages
• Example Thesis Pages for a Joint Degree
• Guide to Plagiarism
• Guidance for Thesis using Publications

Key information

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Thesis and Assessment

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Your thesis

As a research degree student, you must submit your research thesis for examination. You should aim to submit at the end of your standard period of registration, but it must be submitted before the maximum end date of your registration. You can find out more about writing your research thesis, and the required format in section 6 of the Research Degrees Framework.

What do I have to submit for examination?

You need to email the Research Degrees team at [email protected] copies of: A PDF file of your thesis (Due to Covid-19 restrictions soft-bound paper copies of your thesis are not being accepted at this time) a completed Candidate’s Declaration Form (RD15)

The viva exam

All MPhil, DBA. Prof Doc and PhD students are examined by having a viva voce (oral) examination. If you are registered for MRes you may be examined on the basis of the thesis alone, although examiners can decide that you should have a viva as well. You can find out more about the assessment of research degrees in section 7 of the Research Degrees Framework.

How are the exam arrangements approved?

Your Director of Studies is responsible for the examination arrangements, which includes the appointment of examiners.  Examination arrangements should be approved at least three months before you plan to submit your thesis. For approval your Director of Studies must submit a: completed application for approval of examination arrangements (RD12)brief CV for each proposed examinercopy of your thesis abstract Directors of Study can use our checklist to help with completing the application.

What happens after the viva?

You will receive formal notification of the outcome of your assessment in writing. This includes full detail on any amendments required by the examiners, and information on how, and when you can resubmit your thesis.

Who approves the award of a research degree?

The final recommendation of award made by your examiners must be considered and formally approved at a meeting of the University’s Research Degrees Committee. The date of that meeting will be recorded as your formal completion date. If your award has been approved by the University Research Degrees Committee you are eligible to graduate at the next ceremony for the conferment of awards, providing you: apply to graduate submit the final approved copies of your thesis before the graduation ceremony have no outstanding fees to pay

How do I submit the final approved version of my thesis?

The final version of your thesis should be submitted after the examiners’ recommendation of award has been approved by the University Research Degrees Committee (RDC) and before you plan to graduate. You must submit: one hard bound copy of the thesis and a completed thesis submission form (RD20) in person or by post to: Research Degrees Team Research, Innovation and Enterprise H18, Merchiston Campus Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh, EH10 5DT (Due to Covid-19 restrictions hard-bound copies of your thesis are not being accepted at this time) and a digital full-text electronic copy of the thesis by emailing [email protected]

You can find more information on Completion and Graduation in section 8 of the Research Degrees Framework.

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Submitting your thesis for examination (PhD, EdD, MD, BusD, MLitt, MSc)

Format of the thesis, the thesis must:.

be written in British English, apart from quotations and recognised technical formulae

be in A4 portrait format

use one-and-a-half spaced type

include any photographs or other illustrations scanned into the text

be saved in the electronic format and naming style specified by your Degree Committee

Examiners are not expected to edit work. They will deal with errors of fact and typographical errors that affect the meaning of your work, as well as larger structural issues. The extent to which the text has or has not been properly prepared may influence their recommendation concerning the award of the degree. You are therefore advised to check your thesis thoroughly prior to submission to ensure clear, formal British English has been used throughout and that there are minimal typing and/or spelling mistakes.

How and when to present the thesis for examination

You must submit an electronic copy of your thesis for examination, and any required accompanying documents, to your Degree Committee by your submission deadline (which can be found under 'Thesis Submission details' on the Academic tile in your CamSIS self-service). If you are not a self-funded student, the terms and conditions of your funding may require you to submit your thesis earlier than the date shown in CamSIS. If you are unsure what your funder-expected submission date is, you should contact your Funding Administrator. You are required to submit your thesis for examination by your deadline even if the date falls over a weekend or holiday period.

Your Degree Committee should provide you with guidance for electronic submission; please contact them directly if you require any assistance.

The thesis you submit to your Degree Committee will be the thesis forwarded to the examiners for examination. It is not possible to 'retract submission' or to send a revised copy directly to your examiners. Therefore you should carefully check the file(s) you upload when submitting your thesis.

Postgraduate students must keep a minimum number of terms of research before they can submit (for example, 9 for the full-time PhD) unless they have been granted an allowance or exemption of terms . The thesis may be submitted from the first day of the term in which this requirement is met, provided that full-time students have also met the minimum residence requirement (unless they have been granted an allowance of terms). If you attempt to submit too early and have not had an allowance or exemption of terms approved, your thesis submission will not be accepted. If you have an application for an allowance or exemption of terms under consideration in CamSIS at the time you submit your thesis, your thesis will be kept on hold until a decision on your application is made.

Requirements

You must include the following bound inside your thesis:

Please ensure the pages are in the correct order. This is very important - if these preliminary pages are in a different order in your final hardbound thesis to your thesis submitted for examination, this could cause problems and delay approval for your degree.

1. A title page displaying:

the full title of the thesis

your full legal name (as it appears on your passport, marriage certificate or deed poll)

your college

the date of submission (month and year)

a declaration stating: "This thesis is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Education/Doctor of Business/Doctor of Medicine/Master of Science/Master of Letters (as appropriate)."

2. A declaration in the preface stating:

'This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any work that has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted, for any degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee.'

The declaration does not need to be signed . For more information on the word limits for the respective Degree Committees see Word Limits and Requirements of your Degree Committee )

3. An abstract/summary of your thesis

4. [if applicable] the list of additional materials that were approved for submission alongside the thesis

You must also submit the following documents (not included inside the thesis):

Required: One declaration form

Optional: Research Impact Statement If pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster have significantly impacted on your research, you are invited to submit a Research Impact Statement with your thesis using the template provided. The purpose of the statement is for you to describe any restrictions or difficulties experienced in undertaking your research as a result of pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster, and to provide details of any alternative arrangements made to complete the work for your thesis. Further details for students and supervisors can be found in the Research Impact Statement guidance  and the Research Impact Statement form can be downloaded here . 

Inclusion of additional materials

Students other than those in the Faculty of Music must seek permission through their  CamSIS Self Service page if they wish to submit additional materials for examination alongside their thesis. Additional materials are integral to the thesis but in a format that cannot be easily included in the main body of the thesis (for example, 3D graphics). You should refer to the ' Policy on the inclusion of additional materials with a thesis ' before making an application to include additional materials. This process should be initiated prior to the thesis submission. If a thesis is submitted with additional materials and without permission to include them, it will be held by the Degree Committee until approval is confirmed.

Please bear in mind that if you are granted permission to submit additional materials, you are required to upload the same materials to the University repository, Apollo , when you submit your approved thesis  post-examination (doctoral candidates only). Therefore, the inclusion of additional material that contains uncleared third-party copyright or sensitive material may affect the access level that is most appropriate for your thesis.

Submitting a revised thesis

If you are resubmitting your thesis following a viva outcome of being allowed to revise and resubmit the thesis for examination for a doctoral degree, you need to follow the same procedure as for the original thesis submission .

What happens following submission of the thesis for examination 

When you submit your thesis for examination the Degree Committee will check the submission, acknowledge receipt, and inform Student Registry you have submitted. The Student Registry will update your CamSIS record.

The Degree Committee will forward your thesis to your examiners. If you have not received confirmation of the date of your viva (oral examination) within six weeks of submitting your thesis, or if you have any questions with regard to your thesis at this stage, you should contact your Degree Committee. 

Your Examiners should not ask you for a printed copy of your thesis or other material in advance of your viva (oral examination). If they do, please seek advice from your Degree Committee.

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Psychological Research MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Upcoming Introduction to Postgraduate Study session

Join us on the 26th June to learn more about studying at the University of Edinburgh.

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Programme description

This programme provides an opportunity for intensive advanced training in psychological research while giving you flexibility to select courses in the areas of psychology and cognitive neuroscience of most interest to you.

In addition to advanced training in general academic skills and statistical modelling, you will be trained in a variety of specific methodologies, typically including:

• brain imaging
• neurodisruption
• eyetracking
• clinical case analysis
• psychometric modelling
• discourse analysis

Key research areas

Building on the research methods training, you will take topical courses in one or more of the core research areas of our department: social psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, individual differences, psychology of language, and human development.

Your MSc culminates in a research dissertation in a core research area: an original, publication-quality piece of research, undertaken in close collaboration with researchers in the relevant group.

Psychology is rated 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

What will I learn?

You will take courses on the theoretical and methodological aspects of psychological science and conduct an original research dissertation in your area of interest.

You will receive thorough training in advanced academic skills and research methods within psychology, including a comprehensive coverage of statistical modelling and research design using the R statistical language.

Is this MSc for me?

This programme teaches you core research methods and specialist techniques, and you can flexibly choose optional courses to customise your learning in areas you are most passionate about.

It provides excellent preparation for further psychological research, whether you choose to pursue this in a professional setting or as part of a PhD programme. So whether you want to continue in academic research or move into professional training in psychology, this programme is for you.

Reputation, relevance and employability

The University of Edinburgh has a long tradition of research expertise in psychological research. Our large Psychology department is home to academics leading research in the field.

You will benefit from the breadth and strength of the interdisciplinary academic community at Edinburgh, having the opportunity to select option courses and attend research seminars across different disciplines.

Our students’ research projects are often published in academic or professional journals.

Our programme has an excellent reputation amongst employers and educators. Many of our graduates have gone onto PhD training and academic careers, or advanced professional training in psychology.

We maintain close contacts with professional organisations such as the British Psychological Society (BPS).

• Find out more about our community

The School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences is home to a large, supportive and active student community, hosting events and activities you can join in with throughout the year. As a postgraduate student, you will have access to a range of research resources and projects, state of the art facilities, research, seminars and reading groups.

Programme structure

This programme comprises two semesters of taught core and optional courses followed by a dissertation.

The taught courses and their assessments take place between September and December (Semester 1) and January and April (Semester 2). Planning for the dissertation will take place before April, and it is carried out between April and August.

Core courses

The core courses cover advanced research skills (how to plan for, conduct, publish and communicate research), statistics and qualitative research methods, and provide a grounding in computer programming using the R language.

Semester 1 core courses

• Psychological Research Skills - General advanced research methodology
• Univariate Statistics and Methodology using R - Introduction to R and statistical models

Semester 2 core courses

• Multivariate Statistics and Methodology using R – Advanced statistical modelling
• Qualitative Methodologies in Psychological Research Methods

Optional courses

The optional course can be selected to tailor the programme to your interests. These are normally selected from the core research areas of Psychology, but may also be selected from associated areas such as linguistics or informatics. Examples of optional courses are:

• Brain Imaging in Cognitive Neuroscience
• Clinical Neuropsychology
• Psychology of Language
• Neuroscience of Language
• Applied Psychometrics
• Any other course open to MSc students subject to approval from the programme director

Dissertation

The dissertation involves conducting an empirical research project in close collaboration with an expert supervisor, sometimes also working with fellow MSc students.

You will produce a written report, similar to an academic journal article. Indeed, some dissertations are published as journal articles.

You should liaise with potential supervisors and determine your choice of topic in the months before April. It is useful to start thinking about dissertation topics and supervisors early if possible. The empirical work and writing takes place between April and August and it is due in August.

The dissertation can be based on data collected by the student or existing datasets (e.g., from large cohort studies, biobanks or other projects).

How will I learn?

Most courses are taught through lectures, and some include seminars/tutorials and practical sessions. The number of contact hours and the teaching format will depend to some extent on the option courses chosen.

After classes finish in April, you will spend all your time working independently on coursework, exam revision and on your dissertation. When you carry out your supervised dissertation research, you will receive guidance from your supervisor through one-to-one meetings, comments on written work and email communication.

Learning outcomes

This programme provides you with a range of knowledge and skills to prepare you for a variety of career paths. On successful completion of this programme, you will have gained:

• an understanding of advanced topics, methodologies and issues in the areas of psychological science that are of most interest to you
• an understanding of the basic and advanced principles of research design and application
• competency in applying a range of methods and research tools, including statistical models and programming
• skills in research management, including managing data and conducting and disseminating research in ways consistent with both professional practice and the normal principles of research ethics
• transferable skills in written and verbal communication, group and teamwork, computing, programming and numeracy, time and project management
• the ability to work as an independent researcher and as part of a team

Career opportunities

The programme is primarily designed for students who aspire to pursue a research-oriented career in psychological science. However, students interested in careers outside research will obtain a broad range of highly desirable transferable skills applicable to a wide range of modern jobs, such as:

• research design
• data science
• data management and processing
• critical evaluation and synthesis of scientific literature
• statistical modelling and interpretation
• synthesis and communication of complex ideas
• Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service plays an essential part in your wider student experience at the University, providing:

• tailored advice
• individual guidance and personal assistance
• internships and networking opportunities (with employers from local organisations to top multinationals)
• access to the experience of our worldwide alumni network

We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying at the University of Edinburgh will lay the foundations for your future success, whatever shape that takes.

Important application information

Your application and personal statement allow us to make sure that you and your chosen MSc are good matches for each other, and that you will have a productive and successful year at Edinburgh.

We strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. You should avoid applying to more than one degree. Applicants who can demonstrate their understanding and commitment to a specific programme are preferred. If you plan to apply to more than one programme, you should discuss your choices with us before you submit your application.

Personal statements

When applying you should include a personal statement detailing your academic abilities and your reasons for applying for the programme

The personal statement helps us decide whether you are right for the MSc programme you have selected, but just as importantly, it helps us decide whether the MSc programme is right for you.

Your personal statement should include:

• What makes this particular MSc programme interesting for you?
• What are the most important things you want to gain from the MSc programme?
• The key courses you have taken and that are relevant for this specific programme.
• Your experience with collecting empirical data (e.g., preparing and carrying out experiments, surveys or interviews).
• Your experience with statistical analysis and programming or qualitative research methods.
• Your experience with writing empirical research reports (including any that have been published).
• Any other information which you feel will help us ensure that you are a good match to your intended MSc programme.

A good personal statement can make a big difference to the admissions process as it may be the only opportunity to explain why you are an ideal candidate for the programme.

You will be asked to add contact details for your referees. We will email them with information on how to upload their reference directly to your online application. Alternatively, they can email their comments to:

• [email protected]

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

• How to apply

Psychology at Edinburgh

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in psychology or a related discipline.

We may also consider candidates with a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a non-psychology subject if they can demonstrate evidence of their aptitude for research or research methods.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding.

There are a number of highly competitive scholarships and funding options available to MSc students.

Deadlines for funding applications vary for each funding source - please make sure to check the specific deadlines for the funding opportunities you wish to apply for and make sure that you submit your application in good time.

• Drever Trust Scholarship

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• PPLS Postgraduate Office
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5002
• Contact: [email protected]
• Programme Director, Prof Martin Corley
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 6682
• Contact: [email protected]
• Dugald Stewart Building
• 3 Charles Street
• Central Campus
• School: Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Awards: MSc (12 mth FT, 24 mth PT)

Application deadlines

This MSc programme operates a gathered field approach to applications. This means that all complete applications which meet our minimum entry requirements will be held until the nearest deadline at which point the Admissions Panel will meet to consider all applications received at this time.

Gathered field deadlines for this programme are as follows:

Applications submitted after the deadline date will unfortunately not be considered.

Please read through the ‘Important application information’ section on this page before applying.