MPhil at the National Institute of Psychology is a two-year degree. It aims for a comprehensive understanding of the discipline of psychology and provides quality education to students. The students are trained for high-quality, socially relevant, and cutting-edge education in the field of psychology. We offer research in different areas of psychology.

The admissions are approved by the Advanced Studies and Research Board (AS & RB) of Quaid-i-Azam University. In order to be eligible for admission in the M.Phil program, a candidate:  

• Must have obtained 1st Division in MA/MSc (Psychology) or BA/BSc.
• Should not have obtained 3rd Division in MA/MSc or BA/ BSc In case of 3rd Division in FA/FSc.
• The candidate should have obtained 1st Division in both MA/MSc and BA/BSc.
• If a selected candidate is an employee of any organization, he/she has to produce a “No Objection Certificate” and study leave from their parent organization.
• The above conditions can be relaxed for teachers of University/Degree Colleges engaged in Post-Graduate teaching and employees of research organization if recommended by director and/or Vice chancellor.

Procedure

The process for taking admission is as follows:

• A candidate seeking admission to MPhil Programme shall apply on the prescribed form.
• The application shall be submitted to the chairman of the department/ Institute in which the student wishes to persue his/her studies.
• The institute will then invite MPhil candidates for a qualifying test. The candidates passing the test will be considered for an interview.
• The selection for admission is made on the basis of merit determined by developing a merit constituting of:
  • Commulative Academic Record (55% marks)
  • Admission Test (35% marks)
  • Interview (10% marks).
• The Admission Test and Interview is conducted by NIP.
• The admission committee, when satisfied, shall recommend candidates to the Advance Studies and Research Board who they find suitable for admission to MPhil Programme.
• The admission shall be approved by the Advanced Studies & Research Board.
• A ‘notification of registration’ for each candidate approved for admission to MPhil Programme shall be issued by the university.

MPhil Courses

The MPhil program consists of (i) Course Work spread over two consecutive semesters of 24 credits, (ii) Research work spread over two semesters of 26 credits (extendable by another two semesters). Courses to be taken by a student are registered at the start of a semester. Selection of a research problem for the research work is approved by AS & RB within thirty days of the commencement of the third semester.

The MPhil program consists of 50 credit hours; course work of 24 credit hours and a thesis equivalent to 26 credit hours. Four compulsory courses of total of 12 credit hours are offered in the first semester. In the second semester students select optional courses of 12 credit hours. In the third and fourth semesters students undertake a research project and write a thesis equivalent to 26 credit hours. A CGPA of overall 2.5 is required to the degree.

Compulsory Courses (First semester) 12 Credit Hours

• The four compulsory courses (3 credit Hours each) will be offered in 1st and 2nd semester. MPhil research thesis will continue to be offered during the 3rd and 4th semesters. The basic premise of these compulsory courses is to train students with fundamental principles and concepts of psychology and research.

• The students select optional courses adding up to a total of 12 credit hours. The students will be encouraged to select a combination of courses that will help them to build a specialized area. The optional courses aim to represent an area of specialization within the field in which the students will go on to develop his or her dissertation research. These optional courses include:

M.Phil Research

• The focus of M.Phil research is to empower the significance of research culture and scientific knowledge in areas including, gender, education, health, clinical psychology, developmental psychopathology, developmental psychology, humanistic and transpersonal psychology, psychometry, social and interpersonal psychology and industrial psychology. Students are encouraged to take up new and innovative ideas in research, which have practical implications for the betterment of human being and society at large. It is strongly recommended that the topic of research should be from their area of specialization so that students could apply the acquired knowledge in practice. Some initiatives have been recently introduced to enhance the quality of research and to ensure the timely completion of research work these include

M.Phil Research Progress Sheet (MRPS)

• MPhil Progress Sheet is specifically designed to monitor and evaluate each student’s progress systematically in each semester as the Progress Sheet provides each student some specific benchmarks of research to be completed in each semester.

Research Seminars

• The budding researchers who are still in the process of learning are provided an opportunity to participate in research seminars that are held in each week. Students discuss their research plans and practical executions of their research and get instant feedback from senior researchers and faculty members. .

Examination

• A student is evaluated in each course on the basis of sessional tests, class assignments and terminal examinations, of which 50% of marks are reserved for sessional tests, class assignments and 50% for the terminal examination. A student is eligible to appear in the terminal examination provided that he/she has attended not less than 80% of the lectures delivered and 80% of practicals prescribed for the respective course.
• The minimum pass marks for the each course are 50%. A student obtaining less than 50% marks in any course is deemed to have failed in that course and has to repeat the same course, if it is compulsory or the repeat the same or take an alternative course, if the course in which he/she failed is optional provided that he/she maintains the cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.5. To continue in the second semester, the student must have obtained a Grade Point Average of 2.5 at the end of first semester and to continue the third semester student must have obtained a Grade Point Average of 2.5 at the end of second semester.
• The Supervisor submits two progress reports of the student (first in the middle and the second towards the end of the semester) to the Controller of Examination during the fourth semester. If both reports are unsatisfactory, the student ceases to be a student. A student who fails to complete the requirements of M.Phil. degree in the normal period of four semesters ceases to be a student. However, in special circumstances extension can be granted but no extension beyond six semesters is granted under any circumstances.

Monitoring of Research

• The focus of MPhil research is to empower the significance of research culture and scientific knowledge in areas including, gender, education, health, clinical psychology, developmental psychopathology, developmental psychology, humanistic and transpersonal psychology, psychometrics, social and interpersonal psychology and industrial psychology. The MPhil program consists of 50 credit hours; course work of 24 credit hours and a thesis equivalent to 26 credit hours. A CGPA of overall 2.5 is required to pass the degree pogramme. To better equip psychology students with scientific research knowledge and expertise certain initiatives have been recently introduced, to enhance and improve the quality and timely completion of the research. These initiatives include:

Research Progress Sheet (MRPS)

MPhil Progress Sheet is specifically designed to monitor and evaluate each student’s progress systematically in each semester. The MPhil Progress Sheet provides each student some specific benchmarks of research to be completed in each semester of MPhil Program.

Research Advisory Committee

Research Advisory Committee is specially constituted to facilitate students at any time in the process of their research; this committee is comprised of members who have sound professional experience of researches who provide valuable guidance and recommendations to the research students in order to ensure smooth progress of the research.

Research Coordinators

Research coordinators have been appointed along with the admin staff for the assistance & smooth running of the research process and they are tasked to facilitate researcher’s selection of research topic.

Research Guideline

Research guidelines are to facilitate the researches in research process.

• Selection of Research Topic
  • Students are encouraged to take up new and innovative ideas in research, which have practical implications for the betterment of human being and society at large.
  • Emphasize the exploratory rather than explanatory research only.
  • It is strongly recommended that the topic of research should be from their area of specialization so that students could apply the acquired knowledge in practice.
  • Research drafts should be prepared while taking into view following guidelines
• Outlines for Different Chapters

Chapter 1: Introduction/ Literature Review

• • Introduction to the subject area of study and its importance Relevant research literature discussing the theoretical viewpoints relevant to your research, particularly the following
  • Nature and rationale of the present study and its implications

Chapter 2: Method

• Objectives
• Hypotheses, if any
• Definitions of the variable
• Sample
• Tests and measures
• Procedure of data collection
• Nature of data and statistics

Chapter 3: Results

• Results should be reported preferably in the order/sequence of the variables and factors of the study which have been described in Intro/Objectives/ Hypotheses (the same order/sequence should be following everywhere.

Chapter 4: Discussion and Conclusions

• Students should not repeat relevant literature; rather should give a critical analysis of the findings of the present study in the light of relevant research quoted in the introduction.

References

• The ones quoted in the chapter must tally with the list at the end. Try to quote most relevant and latest references.

Annexure/ Copies of Tests and Measures

• Annexure/ Copies of Tests and Measures developed, translated or adapted must be submitted in Testing Resource Centre (TRC) at NIP and should not be made a part of thesis/dissertation in the bound form.

• Please also note:
  • After the finalization of the synopsis, draft 1 of all chapters has to be checked before Draft II of any other chapter is submitted.
  • Please proof read a draft very well before submission; it must be complete in all respects. It is expected that No typo/grammar/editing and referencing mistakes are made in any draft at any stage.
  • APA manual must strictly be followed in all drafts.
  • MPhil Research Progress Sheet must be strictly followed.
  • MPhil students must not do any job while they are student at NIP as it is a full time academic program.