This programme has been developed not only for therapists, counsellors and psychiatrists who are interested in branching out into the psychedelic sphere, but also for those with a growing interest in psychedelic research who want to continue their studies in this space. We have a global reputation as leaders in psychedelic healthcare and you will be taught by academics at the forefront of research.
Our MSc programme offers a combination of key theories and approaches in psychedelics involving both science (medicine, psychological therapy, neuroscience and research methods) and philosophy (ethics, metaphysics, aesthetics, and cultural contexts), history and anthropology. During the course you will be introduced to both practical and theoretical sides of contemporary psychedelic research.
Compulsory modules include: ‘Psychedelics – Mind: Metaphysics and Neuroscience’, ‘Psychedelics – Medicine: Clinical Application and Evaluation’, ‘Psychedelics – Culture: History, Anthropology, Ethics’, and a ‘Psychedelic Project’, which offers students the opportunity to explore in depth a particular topic of personal interest.
You’ll also choose from a diverse range of optional modules, which might include ‘Magic and Ritual’, ‘Nature, Health and Wellbeing’, and ‘Current Issues in Mind and Cognition’.
The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
If you are studying psychology to Masters level and beyond, you will need to develop a well-honed set of skills to enable you to conduct research and communicate your ideas effectively. In this module, you will learn important skills that will enable you to study and research psychology successfully. In particular, this module will provide invaluable training that will support the other modules you will undertake during your Masters. The initial sessions are core for all students. In these sessions you will gain a deeper understanding of the ethical issues that surround research in psychology, and learn how best to communicate your research ideas using a range of methods (oral presentations, written research proposals and on TV, radio or in the press). In addition, the flexible nature of this module permits you to choose at least five from a wide range of optional sessions in order to make up the requisite number of sessions. These choices are made dependent upon your MSc programme, self-assessment skills audit, interests and future aspirations. Indicative sessions might include writing up research for publication, learning how to use software such as survey design in Qualtrics, designing complex interventions, qualitative methods, open science and research culture.
This module will give you training on a variety of different statistical techniques commonly used in research conducted by psychologists. As such, it provides core skills required for the research project that you will take as part of your Masters. The aim is to provide you with knowledge of commonly used tests such as analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression. The module discusses conceptual issues and provides hands-on experience of using statistical software (Jamovi) for carrying out such analyses in the practical classes accompanying the lectures. Whilst basic mathematical skills are required, the module does not assume Mathematics A level or degree- level experience.
The central objective of this module is to provide you with the skills to carry out research in psychological domains, analyse relevant datasets using statistical software to carry out between and within-subjects ANOVA and multiple linear regression, and interpret the results, allowing you to then report your findings using relevant reporting conventions. These skills will assist you in your Research Project.
A broader objective is to equip you with the skills to understand published research papers that employ these methods and forms of analysis, allowing you to understand the Methods and Results sections of such papers and provide opportunities for critical appraisal of the methods used to collect and analyse data, and to critically assess the conclusions drawn by the authors.
PSYM248: Psychedelics - Mind: Metaphysics and Neuroscience
This module will introduce you to frameworks of understanding psychedelic experience in its many guises - from philosophy and science, or more specifically from metaphysics and neuroscience. You will study the metaphysics of mind in terms of the proposed relationship between mind and matter, and the associated 'hard problem of consciousness' - traversing theories such as dualism, physicalism, idealism, neutral monism, transcendentalism, pantheism, panpsychism, indigenous animism, perennialism, contextualism, and set & setting. You will complement this by studying the brain sciences that examine purported neural correlates of psychedelic experience, neurophenomenology, filtration theories, and causal mechanisms of psychedelic therapy.
In this module you will:
Explore psychedelics through scientific and philosophical lenses.
Study metaphysics of mind, focussing on the mind-matter relationship and the hard problem of consciousness, as it pertains to psychedelics.
Examine theories such as dualism, physicalism, idealism, panpsychism, animism and mysticism.
Investigate brain sciences and neural correlates of psychedelic experience.
PSYM249: Psychedelics - Medicine: Clinical Application and Evaluation
Here students will look at the actual contemporary practice of psychedelic-assisted therapy from experts and practitioners in the field, yet it will relate to notions studied previously. Topics here include introductions to clinical protocols, psychopharmacology, neuroplasticity, practicalities of clinical trials (Preparation, Session, Integration), questionnaires used (MEQ, etc), practical ethical considerations that occur including the risk of harm. And beyond the therapy room we shall also look at mysticism, breathwork, group activity, the idea of medicalization as an evaluation of psychedelic clinical practice, as well as a number of issues that arise in the current psychedelic medicinal sphere.
This module introduces you to some aspects of the psychedelic humanities through historical, anthropological, and ethical approaches. You will learn something of the history of psychedelics in Europe and North America, from Romantic era use of opium to the psychedelic sixties to contemporary festivals and rave, and contrast this with traditional practices in the Americas, exploring how the latter have been, and continue to be, impacted by the ongoing mechanisms of colonialism (e.g. ayahuasca tourism). You will also look at ethical issues arising from psychedelic use, that may include the prohibition of drugs and psychedelic exceptionalism, decolonial approaches, feminist approaches, and ecological ethics.
Module aims include:
To introduce you to a range of historical, anthropological and ethical approaches to the study of psychedelics.
To broaden your knowledge of the many historical and cultural contexts in which psychedelics are consumed, the way in which the experiences that they occasion are variously interpreted and understood, and of ethical issues that arise therefrom.
To equip you with better tools to examine your own assumptions regarding the meaning of psychedelic practices and experiences.
To equip you with improved and transferable critical study skills, in terms of reading and assessing texts, and writing.
This module addresses current issues in psychedelics. A series of research seminars – headed by guest speakers – and a biweekly seminar hour allows for critical appraisal of these with the requirement that you compose a number of thought papers on a selection of topics.
This dissertation/project module offers you the opportunity to explore in depth a particular topic that you have found to be of particular interest. You will be expected to work with certain independence on this project, albeit with supervision, in order to display proficient research and communication skills, which, at the highest level, could produce an output suitable for academic audiences. As this course is in a relatively new discipline, you will here find a chance to enrich the discourse with novel perspectives, or to deepen knowledge in prior subfields.
You will work individually or in a small group (roughly 2-4, engaged in the same piece of research), depending on the nature of the project. All students in each group will write and submit an individual final report.
Philosophising Magic: From Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages
15
Medical Mycology
15
The Western Dragon in Lore, Literature and Art
15
Magic and Folklore in the Greek and Roman Worlds
15
Qualitative Methods and Process Evaluations
15
Planetary Health
15
Behavioural and Systems Neuroscience
15
Current Issues in Mind and Cognition
30
Mind, Body and World
30
Philosophy and Psychedelics
15
Social Psychology
15
Biological Psychology
15
Advances in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience
15
Social Theory
15
Magic and Ritual
15
From day one, my mind was blown. In the context of psychedelics, ‘expanded’ would maybe be a more fitting word. From metaphysics, history, ethical conundrums – from PAT to appropriation of indigenous peoples’ knowledge and tradition – and anthropology to clinical stuff, neuroscience, and policy issues, combined, it gave me a very broad, rich understanding of the world I never knew existed.
Lina
Studying MSc Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine, and Culture
Fees
2026/27 entry
UK fees per year:
£14,450 full-time; £7,250 part-time
International fees per year:
£30,000 full-time; £15,000 part-time
Scholarships
The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships. We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship
We are pleased to offer the University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship, a scholarship for University of Exeter alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship worth 20% of the cost of your first year tuition fees.
Our staff are recognised internationally for their academic excellence, high-quality research and applied output. They actively research the areas of psychology they teach, so their expertise feeds directly into our research-led courses.
Contact hours
10 -12 hours per week on average.
Tutorial support
You will be allocated a personal tutor who is available for advice and support throughout your studies. You will also have access to specialist helpdesks for statistics and assessment feedback which are run by postgraduate tutors.
Assessment
Assessments will comprise examinations, essays, critical reviews, reports, posters and oral presentations.
Psychedelics research at Exeter
The programme is led by a group of world-leading experts in psychedelics, covering a wide array of disciplinary orientations. Exeter is at the forefront of psychedelics research:
Dr Andy Letcher is an Ecologist and Religious Studies scholar with expertise in the critical study of neopaganism, shamanism, animism and psychedelic spiritualities.
Professor Celia Morgan is a psychopharmacologist and a leading researcher on psychedelics as a treatment for addiction. She has been listed as one of the most influential women in the psychedelics field (Insider 2022).
Dr Leor Roseman is an interdisciplinary psychedelic researcher with a background in neuroscience, psychology, phenomenology, anthropology and peacebuilding.
Dr Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a Philosopher of Mind and Metaphysics who specialises in altered states of consciousness. He has a reputation as the leading philosopher of psychedelics in the world, having given numerous talks on the subject.
Professor Christine Hauskeller is an expert in philosophy of medicine, sociology and the ethics of emerging healthcare technologies and is examining clinical trial methodology in psychedelic research through this lens.
I am interested in the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain and behaviour. My research has concentrated on examining both the benefits and side effects of recreational drugs on cognition, mental health and neurobiology. Through behavioural, neuroimaging studies and clinical trials, I have investigated the potentially therapeutic sides of controlled substances in clinical trials aimed at the treatment of addiction and in particularly looking at drugs such as ketamine and MDMA in combination with psychological therapies.
Dr Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a Philosopher of Mind and Metaphysics who specializes in the thought of Whitehead, Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Bergson—and in fields pertaining to panpsychism, pantheism, mental causation, and altered states of consciousness. Peter is co-director of Europe’s largest psychedelics conference, Breaking Convention, and is on the board of breathwork charity Dreamshadow. He is a member of the drugs advisory committee group, DrugScience, he is on the advisory board of the Tyringham Institute, and is on the team of the established UK independent publisher, Psychedelic Press.
I specialise in the critical and psychological study of what have been called 'dark green' religions: that is, religions that centralise their relationship to the nonhuman, such as Paganism, shamanism, animism and especially psychedelic spiritualities. I remain fascinated by the ways in which psychedelic experiences become interpreted through the language of religiosity and spirituality, but also by the hidden theological assumptions that sometimes lie behind psychedelic research, especially that regarding the psychology of mysticism.
I am the author of Shroom. A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom (Faber &Faber 2006), numerous papers on psychedelics, and have most recently studied the use of psychedelics amongst contemporary Druids.
I am fascinated by the ways psychedelics modify consciousness from a biopsychosocial perspective. I have previously worked at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, 2013-2023, under the mentorship of Prof. Robin Carhart-Harris and Prof. David Nutt. I have been in the midst of a so-called psychedelic revolution, supporting the foundational work of a re-emerging research field.
My interdisciplinary research covers neuroscience, psychology, phenomenology, anthropology and conflict resolution, using a wide array of research methods such as fMRI, quantitative, qualitative, microphenomenology, ethnographic, and participatory research
This programme has been developed not only for therapists, counsellors and psychiatrists who are interested in branching out into the psychedelic sphere, but also for those with a growing interest in psychedelic research who want to continue their studies in this space.
Our MSc degree will provide you with one of the most institutionally-accredited certificates available globally for this type of employment within a rapidly-growing sector. It can either be used as a starting point for such work, or it can be used to upskill and up-qualify practitioners with experience.
Careers services
Our careers teams at theCareer Zonecan help guide you through a wealth of information to match your skills and interests to a career that will suit you. Our staff work with regional, national and international employers to develop new work placement, project and graduate opportunities.
The majority of students are based at our Streatham Campus in Exeter. The campus is one of the most beautiful in the country and offers a unique environment in which to study, with lakes, parkland, woodland and gardens as well as modern and historical buildings.
Located on the eastern edge of the city centre, St Luke's is home to Sport and Health Sciences, the Medical School, the Academy of Nursing, the Department of Allied Health Professions, and PGCE students.
Our Penryn Campus is located near Falmouth in Cornwall. It is consistently ranked highly for satisfaction: students report having a highly personal experience that is intellectually stretching but great fun, providing plenty of opportunities to quickly get to know everyone.
