Deepen your knowledge and research skills for an academic or professional career that focuses on social and public policy. This course is delivered by the Department of Social & Policy Sciences. Our department is internationally recognised with a strong focus on policy and practice, and a commitment to contribute to social wellbeing and social justice. Our PhDs are not formally assigned a discipline and successful candidates can describe their PhD to reflect its main research area (e.g. PhD in Social Policy; PhD in International Development). The programme will enable you to contribute a significant piece of research to the academic community through a written thesis (typically up to 90,000 words). Most students complete this programme in 4 years. You cannot take less than 2 years to finish your research and the maximum time you are allowed is normally 4 years.

Assessment description

Most research students who ‘do a PhD’ register in the first instance as probationer for the programme of PhD. Confirmation of PhD registration is subject to your passing an assessment process, which normally involves submission of written work and an oral examination. Candidates are expected to carry out supervised research at the leading edge of their chosen subject, which must then be written up as a substantial thesis. The final stage of the PhD programme is the oral or viva voce examination, in which students are required to defend the thesis to a Board of Examiners.