Psychological Research Methods with Advanced Statistics

Course description

This 12-month course is designed to train you in the advanced statistical skills and latest research methods that are needed to handle and interpret large datasets documenting human behaviour, preparing you for clinical training, a PhD or an exciting psychological career.

Our advanced statistical training program will equip you with the latest modelling techniques, ranging from generalised and multilevel models to the intricacies of structural equation modelling. Our curriculum will teach you essential skills and provide hands-on opportunities to apply these techniques using the R statistical environment.

Whether your interests lie in cognitive and developmental psychology, or you're drawn to social and clinical psychology, our program is tailored to enable the application of advanced statistical methods in these domains.

Alongside your statistical training you will learn a broad range of research techniques such as neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI), behavioural genetics, clinical trial design, qualitative interview, diary study methodologies and specialist methods for working with infants, children and clinical populations.

You will also begin training in a range of skills that are important for psychologists in academia and professional roles: you will understand ethical issues in research, learn how to write a grant proposal, and develop your presentation skills ready to take part in our annual student-led summer conference.

The Research Project with Advanced Statistics and Systematic Literature Review course components, which include coverage of meta-analysis, give you the opportunity to focus on a chosen psychological research question in detail under the supervision of one of our world-class researchers. You can choose a supervisor from an area of psychology that matches your research interests and future career aspirations within cognitive, developmental, social or clinical psychology.

These projects give you the opportunity to put your new statistical skills and research methods knowledge into practice while addressing an issue at the cutting edge of psychological research.

MSc research projects and literature reviews often form the basis of publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Example research projects:

• Identifying subtypes of autism
• Relationships between drinking motives and alcohol consumption: secondary data analysis of the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey
• Comparing the characteristics of child psychopathology reported by self, parent and teacher: Analysis of the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey.

Psychological Research Methods at Sheffield

In addition to Psychological Research Methods with Advanced Statistics, at Sheffield we offer two other specialist masters courses in this area that allow you to specialise further and develop the skills you need for a successful career:

• MSc Psychological Research Methods
• MSc Psychological Research Methods with Data Science