Master of Science by Coursework in Psychological Research

• 1. The Divisional Board of Medical Sciences shall appoint for the supervision of the course an Organising Committee, which shall have the power to arrange lectures and other instruction.

• 2. The Organising Committee shall appoint an academic adviser for each candidate.

• 3. Each candidate shall follow a course of study in Psychological Research for at least three terms and for a substantial part of the three subsequent vacations, as determined by the course timetable, and shall, when entering for the examination, be required to produce a certificate from their academic adviser to this effect.

• 4. The examination shall consist of the following parts:

  • A. Core Modules

    Candidates shall be examined in each of sixfive core modules:

    • I. Research Evaluation

      Each candidate shall be required to submit one electronic copy of a 2,000 word review of a journal article assigned by the Organising Committee. TheThis deadlineassignment for submission shallmust be notifieduploaded to studentsthe University approved online assessment platform by the time and date specified at the start of the course in the Course Handbook. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work

    • II. Statistical Theory and Methods

      (a) Each candidate shall be required to submit aone serieselectronic copy of reportseach of the three Statistical Workshop assessments based on SPSS data analyses carried out during statistical workshops. EachAll ofsuch assignments must be uploaded to the reportsUniversity willapproved beonline assessedassessment onplatform aby pass/failthe basis.times Theand deadlinedates for each submission shall be notified to studentsspecified at the start of the course in the Course Handbook.

      (b) Each candidatesubmission shall alsomust be requiredaccompanied to sitby a two-hourdeclaration writtenindicating examination.that Theit examination will be marked on a pass/fail basis and candidates failing to reachis the requiredcandidate’s standardown will have one further opportunity to enter for the examination before the end of the academic yearwork.

    • III. MatLab Programming for Experimental Psychology

      Each candidate shall be required to submit one electronic copy of a piece of MatLab code that they have produced, whichas shallwell beas accompaniedone byelectronic copy of a report of no more than 23,000 words that explains the code. TheAll deadlinesuch forassignments submission shallmust be notifieduploaded to studentsthe University approved online assessment platform by the time and date specified at the start of the course in the Course Handbook. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work. Each candidate shall make a brief oral presentation of their code to a group of two assessors, after which, the candidate shall be assessed viva voce on the code. The form of the presentation to the assessors shall be specified in the course information at the beginning of the academic year of the examination. Candidates who do not give a presentation and do not pass the viva voce assessment to a satisfactory standard will be deemed to have failed the module.

    • IV. Philosophical Computer ModellingFoundations of Brain Function Psychology

    • Each candidate shall be required to submit one electronic copy of an essay of no more than 3,000 words. This assignment must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by the times and dates specified at the start of the course in the Course Handbook. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate's own work. Essay topics must be approved by the Organising Committee. The deadline for submission shall be notified to students at the start of the course.

    • V. Project Design

      Each candidate shall be required to submit one electronic copy of a 3,000 word review of relevant literature and methods relating to their chosen research project. TheThis deadlineassignment for submission shallmust be notifieduploaded to studentsthe University approved online assessment platform by the time and date specified at the start of the course in the Course Handbook.

    • VI Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work. Mini Project

      Each candidate shall bemake requiredan oral presentation on the methodological aspects of their own research project. Candidates who fail to submitgive a writtenpresentation reportwill ofbe activitiesdeemed conductedto inhave failed the mini-project. The deadline for submission shall be notified to students at the start of the coursemodule.

  • B. Optional Modules 

    Candidates shall be assessed in each of three optional modules, selected from the following list:

    • I. Computer Philosophical FoundationsModelling of PsychologyBrain Function

    • II. Brain and Cognition

    • III. Emotion,Affective Personality and Social BehaviourScience
      

    • IV. LanguageDevelopmental and DevelopmentScience
      

  • For each optional module undertaken, candidates shall be required to submit one electronic copy of an essay of no more than 3,000 words. All such assignments must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by the times and dates specified at the start of the course in the Course Handbook. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work. Essay topics must be approved by the Organising Committee.

  • For Thethe deadlinesComputer forModelling submissionof Brain Function optional module, each candidate shall additionally be notifiedrequired to studentssubmit one electronic copy of a portfolio of reports based on practical work completed during the module. This assignment must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by the time and date specified at the start of the course in the Course Handbook. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work.

  • C. Research Project

    Candidates shall be required to submit not later than noon on the first Monday in September, threeone copieselectronic copy of a typewritten or printed dissertation of not more than 10,000 words in length (excluding bibliography and any appendices) on his or hertheir research project. This assignment must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work.

    Candidates shall also be required to deliver a poster presentation based on their research project. However, this shall not contribute to the overall result for this module. The date on which candidates are required to deliver their presentations will be in the Long Vacation.

• 5.  Candidates must achieve a pass in each of the modules in order to pass the examination overall. In the event that a candidate is deemed not to have achieved the required standard in an element of the examination, he or shethey will have the opportunity to re-submit or re-sit the relevant assessment on one further occasion before the end of the academic year.

• 6. Written submissions must be sent to the Chair of Examiners, M.Sc. in Psychological Research, c/o Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford:

  • (a) two copies of each of the required written submissions for the assessment of core and optional modules must be submitted by the times and dates specified at the start of the course.

  • (b) three copies of the dissertation on the research project must be submitted not later than noon on the first Monday in September.

• Each written submission must be accompanied by a statement signed by the candidate confirming that it is his or hertheir own work.

• 7. Candidates may be required to attend an oral examination at the discretion of the examiners and this may include questions on the candidate's dissertation, or on any other element of the examination.

• 8. The examiners may award a distinction for excellence in the whole examination.

Schedule

A. Core Modules

• I. Philosophical Foundations of Psychology  This module begins with historical and foundational issues and progresses to philosophical issues arising from areas of contemporary research in psychology. Topics studied will include some of: the subject matter of psychology; levels of description; the epistemology of psychology; psychological understanding; cognitive science; the study of neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders; the scientific study of consciousness; and philosophical issues arising from areas of contemporary research.

• II. Brain and Cognition   This module covers methods used in research in cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. It presents foundational knowledge from neuroanatomy, neurological disorders, neurological and psychological assessment and the use of experimental methods, to familiarise students with the diverse methodologies which contribute to cognitive neuropsychology. Methodologies deployed in the investigation of perception and cognition are discussed and evaluated.

• III. Emotion,Affective Personality,Science and Social Behaviour  This module provides a critical analysis of the range of methods and approaches used in social psychology and the study of individual differences.

• IV. Developmental LanguageScience and Development  This module addresses theories and methods used in selected areas of developmental psychology with a particular emphasis on language. Longitudinal designs, and observational and experimentalExperimental methods are reviewed and evaluated with examples from recent research. Attention is also given to studies of brain function during typical and atypical development and to the uses of fMRI, EEG and EEGother dataneuroimaging techniques. ParticularWe will discuss particular issues arising from the study of infants, lackingchildren verbaland skillsthose arewith identifieddevelopmental disorders, and consider translation to the clinic and the classroom.

C. Research Project 

• Each student shall carry out a project involving data collection and analysis under the supervision of a research supervisor, on a subject selected in consultation with the academic advisor and approved by the Organising Committee. The Organising Committee shall be responsible for the appointment of the research supervisor.