Psychology of Language (MSc)

Programme description

This respected programme provides advanced understanding of current research in psycholinguistics: the study of how the brain learns, uses and reacts with humanity’s most advanced and characteristic feature: language.

The programme is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of current research in psycholinguistics, and is aimed primarily at students who are considering advanced research in the area.

Students are actively encouraged to join in the activities of the Language, Cognition and Communication research group, and to collaborate with staff (many of whom are international experts in the field) and senior postgraduates.

You will gain perspectives on the latest developments, and gain the necessary statistical and methodological skills to conduct your own novel research.

Programme structure

This programme comprises two semesters of taught courses, followed by a dissertation.

The taught component consists of a number of lecture- and tutorial-based courses, which are assessed by essay or exam.

For the dissertation (which centres on original research) you will work in close collaboration with members of staff and senior postgraduates engaged in research in similar areas.

Compulsory courses:

• Psychological Research Skills
• Univariate Statistics and Methodology using R
• Multivariate Statistics and Methodology Using R
• Current Topics in Psychological Research

You will also choose from the following:

• Dialogue
• Discourse Comprehension
• Disorders of Language Functions
• Language Behaviours, Brains and Cognition: Principles and Approaches
• Language Production
• Sentence Comprehension

Under exceptional circumstances, alternative courses may be substituted with the permission of the programme director.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this programme you will have developed an up-to-date knowledge of a broad range of areas relating to the psychology of language. The programme is also designed to help you acquire the statistical and methodological skills that allow you to conduct novel research in the field.

Many MSc dissertations have lead to conference presentations or journal publications and graduating students typically proceed to study for PhDs at Edinburgh or elsewhere.

Career opportunities

This programme has been designed to help you progress your research career and offers a firm basis for further postgraduate study.

Visit the Psychology of Language (MSc) page on the University of Edinburgh website for more details!