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What you will study

Exactly what you'll study will depend on the topic of your PhD. We can supervise a wide range of areas relating to criminology, sociology, gender, and digital media and communications. We engage with rapidly developing areas and urgent challenges such as climate change, social justice and artificial intelligence. Please see the research areas tab for a full list.

We formally review your progress twice a year, offering the opportunity for medium and longer-term research planning, the identification of training needs, and provision of CV and career advice. Progress reviews also offer you the opportunity to raise any queries, concerns or suggestions.

Close to the end of your first year (full-time) or second year (part-time), you will complete a PhD confirmation process in which you will receive detailed feedback and guidance on your work, from staff outside your supervisory team.

You will also attend a range of courses, workshops, seminars, conferences and other events as appropriate to your project. As well as offering training in research skills or different aspects of the PhD process, such events offer opportunities for you to present your work to one another, or exchange findings and ideas with staff or external speakers.

You will also have the option to take relevant modules from our taught courses in your first year of study, to extend and deepen your field of knowledge.

Establishing a vibrant academic environment where PhD students develop supportive relationships with one another and with staff, is central to our approach. In addition to close one-to-one mentoring and tuition from supervisors, you will benefit from a range of bespoke events.

Doctoral students can also attend our day courses in social research and the extensive range of courses run by the CAQDAS Networking project. There is also an extensive Researcher Development Programme run at university-level where you can benefit from the extensive central resources and research training opportunities provided by the University’s Doctoral College.

Assessment

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners.

You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Location

This course is based at Stag Hill campus. Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.