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PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy
University of Oxford
Full Time
OCT-25
3 years
Select a course option
PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy
University of Oxford
Full Time
OCT-25
3 years
PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy
University of Oxford
Part Time
OCT-25
6 years
Select a an exam type
About the course
The DPhil in Politics is a three- to four-year course of full-time doctoral study, or six to eight years of part-time study, which is intended for students who would like to undertake detailed research in preparation for an academic career in political science or political theory. Note that the part-time option is not a distance-learning programme; part-time students are required to attend face-to-face teaching in Oxford on one or two separate days each week during term.
If you are admitted to this degree, you will conduct your own research under the guidance of a University supervisor.
You are required to have a good general knowledge, to master's level, of the field within which your research falls and of the methods appropriate to the study of this field.
You will spend the first year in the development of, and early work on, the thesis topic; in improving knowledge of research design, including statistical, qualitative and other methods appropriate to the advanced study of politics; in attendance at relevant lectures, seminars and classes; and in preparing your transfer from Probationer Research Student (PRS is the status at which you will normally be admitted – see Assessment) to DPhil status. Full-time students must be resident in Oxford in term time throughout the probationary period, while part-time students must attend classes and other obligations in Oxford on set days of the week. Students should not normally undertake fieldwork until after they have successfully transferred to full DPhil status.
You will discuss your research training needs with your supervisor and agree a suitable programme of research training (Training Need Analysis) to assist your research.
Finally, you will be expected to participate in the various workshops and research groups - most notably the Oxford Politics Research Colloquium, which involves research presentations by faculty, senior researchers, academic visitors and DPhil students.
As a part-time student you will be required to attend classes, seminars, supervision meetings and other obligations in Oxford for a minimum of thirty days each year.
There will be limited flexibility in the dates and pattern of attendance. Attendance will be required during term-time at least one day each week throughout the first two years of your study on days determined by your class and seminar attendance and by your supervisor. Attendance will be required outside of term-time on dates to be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor. You will be required to attend fieldwork and training sessions on dates to be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor.
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the equivalent of the following UK qualifications or their equivalent: a master’s degree with distinction in politics, or in a closely related discipline that has prepared you to undertake advanced graduate research on your chosen thesis topic; and a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in political science or international relations or in a related discipline such as economics, history, philosophy, sociology or law. Nonetheless, each application will be assessed upon its own merits, and so candidates with a degree in an unrelated discipline should demonstrate the relevance of their academic background to their proposed subject or topic of study. Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a record of academic performance at first-class and/or distinction level. For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.
Students living in
Domestic
£16,330 per year
Students from Domestic
This is the fee you pay if the University is in the same country that you live in (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
£31,090 per year
Students from EU
The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from somewhere in the EU.
£31,090 per year
Students from International
The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from a country outside the EU.