Postgraduate Research Programmes
Potential research students are welcome to make preliminary enquiries directly to a possible supervisor or more generally through the graduate administrator. Areas of supervision can be found on individual staff web pages. We encourage the consideration of brief research proposals prior to the submission of a full application.
The School of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) offers supervision for postgraduate research at the following three levels.
PhD
PhD programmes are currently available leading to the award of one of the following, as appropriate: PhD Nursing Studies; PhD Health Studies; PhD Public Health; PhD Social Policy; PhD Occupational Therapy. The schemes can be tailored to meet individual requirements. Supervisory arrangements involve dual supervision: a principal supervisor with whom the research student has frequent contact and a second supervisory who supports both the student and the principal supervisor. We draw upon supervisory expertise in clinical areas, research methodologies, social sciences and management systems.
The school is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) recognised outlet for +3 studentships. Potential students for the PhD in Health Studies may enter the ESRC’s open competition for studentships. For more information on eligibility (including Masters level training requirements) and funding see the ESRC website (www.esrc.ac.uk) under postgraduate training opportunities.
Students may register to study full-time (normally 3 years) or part-time (six years). There may be opportunities to contribute to other HHS research or teaching activities depending upon experience and qualifications, and to participate in the activities of other allied departments such as the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), the Department of Sociology, and the Department of Psychology.
It is the policy of the university to register all PhD students initially as MPhil/PhD students. Assuming progress is satisfactory, confirmation of PhD students normally occurs in the first half of the second year for full-time students or in the second half of the third year for part-time students.
MPhil
The MPhil may be studied two years full-time or four years part-time in the areas above. The same supervisory and other arrangements as described for PhD students(above) apply.
Masters (MSc) by Dissertation
The Masters by Dissertation programme may be pursued 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time and is designed to provide research training and supervision for those with a limited and focused project in mind. Constraints on time and funding availability may make this option an attractive alternative to PhD / MPhil study although it may also be a useful opportunity to develop research skills before pursuing a PhD.
MSc by Dissertation students have one principal supervisor who will have a particular interest in their area of work and, as appropriate, the supervisor will be supported by the input of an internal or external adviser. Where the student requires research training they should expect to be able to attend a core research methods course (although they are not expected to produce assessed work for the course). They will also be welcome to participate in and present work at the school seminar series.
Entry requirements
Full details of Entrance Requirements
for Postgraduate Research Study
Applying
For further information on applying, please click
here
Scholarships
For information on school postgraduate research scholarships, please click
here
Further Information
Contact: Mel Hassack, Graduate Administrator
E-mail:mahass; Non-Essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full e-mail address
Tel: +44 (0)1206 873375
Fax: +44 (0)1206 873765