Sociology PhD

An PhD is an advanced postgraduate research degree that requires original research and the submission of a substantial dissertation of 60,000 to 100,000 words. At Birkbeck, you are initially registered on an MPhil and you upgrade to a PhD after satisfactory progress in the first year or two. You need to find a suitable academic supervisor at Birkbeck, who can offer the requisite expertise to guide and support you through your research.

The School of Social Science, History and Philosophy supports research projects in sociology. Sociologically oriented research takes place within and across a number of the School’s six departments, particularly, but not exclusively, Psychosocial Studies and Geography. Sociological research takes a wide variety of forms depending on topic, and is frequently interdisciplinary in focus, but the common thread is a distinctively sociological perspective. Research students benefit not only from the advisory insight of leading academics, but also from a wider culture of support and advice from staff and other students undertaking social research.