About us
An overview of the school and key members of the management team
The School comprises Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences (Linguistics and English Language). The school aims to maintain its internationally-renowned reputation for research and to use this as a solid foundation for teaching.
All of the School's subjects rank top 5 in the UK and top 30 in the world (The THE World University Rankings 2018 by subject results).
In all subject areas the School is recognised as world-leading, as shown in its high rankings across all areas in the THE ranking by subject of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014).
- Linguistics research at Edinburgh ranks 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK
- Philosophy research at Edinburgh ranks 2nd in Scotland and 7th in the UK
- Psychology research at Edinburgh ranks 1st in Scotland and 11th in the UK as part of a joint submission for psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience
Our research environment is rated as 100% conducive to producing world-leading or internationally excellent research (REF 2014). In 2015/16 the school brought in around £8million in research funding.
There are over 100 academic staff within the School, and the breadth of expertise ranges from analytic philosophy and the study of English language, through theoretical and applied linguistics and experimental psychology, to cognitive neurosciences and genetic influences on human behaviour.
The School is unique in offering outstanding opportunities for inter-disciplinary teaching and in pioneering novel forms of research that reach across traditional boundaries.
Each year, the School welcomes a diverse mix of over 1,400 undergraduate and postgraduate students from around the world. The School has well-established links with other areas of the University such as Clinical Neuroscience, Medicine, Informatics and Edinburgh College of Art.
All subject areas have active links with research organizations outwith the University, and a broad network of collaboration with a range of universities around the globe. The School offers extensive support for academics, including dedicated undergraduate and postgraduate teaching offices, research and knowledge exchange support team and IT resources team.
The School facilities include a range of specialist laboratories and a well-stocked and resourced School library which is supported by a full-time librarian. This is in addition to the nearby University central library. The School is located across two buildings set in the heart of the University’s George Square campus.
The School is part of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
School Management Committee
| Head of School | Professor Holly Branigan |
| Deputy Head of School | Professor Bettelou Los |
| Director of Professional Services | Mrs Margarida Teixeira-Dias |
| Head of Operations | Mr Steven McGauley |
| Head of Philosophy | Professor Michael Gill |
| Head of Psychology | Dr Sarah E MacPherson |
| Head of Linguistics and English Language | Professor Simon Kirby |
| Undergraduate Director | Dr Steve Loughnan |
| Postgraduate Director | Dr Alistair Isaac |
| Director of Research | Professor Martin Pickering |
| Senior Tutor | Dr Sue Widdicombe |
| Knowledge Exchange Director | Dr Mark Sprevak |
| Director of Quality Assurance | Dr Claire Cowie |
| Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Director |
Equality and Diversity
Vacancies
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