MPhil & PhD Schemes in Sociology
Research Degrees
Confirmation of PhD status
From October 2008, PhD students will be registered for a standard
minimum period (three years for full-time students; six years for part-time
students), with an initial registration status as an MPhil/PhD student. Students
will be supervised as PhD students, but PhD status will need to be confirmed
during the second year (end of the third year for part-time students).
There are two main PhD schemes available:
- The Doctoral
Programme, which includes a substantial amount of coursework in the
first year, as well as a research dissertation, and leads to the award of a
PhD.
- The PhD by Research.
In addition there is an MPhil by Research and an
MA by Dissertation.
The Doctoral Programme
The Doctoral Programme involves a significant proportion
of coursework and essay writing in the first year. Detailed work on the thesis
is not started until the second half of the first year. Although final
assessment and the award of the PhD is by thesis only, satisfactory completion
of the coursework is required for progress onto the thesis. The thesis is
expected to be of the same quality as a PhD
by research.
In the first two terms, students take the taught courses
of the MA in Sociological Research and complete the course work for them. In
addition they attend the first year PhD Colloquium.
At the beginning of the third term a student’s progress is reviewed. Those whom
the Graduate Committee consider unlikely to complete the remainder of the course
are required to transfer to an appropriate MA course. Those who continue with
the scheme must submit a thesis proposal before the end of the first year. The
thesis proposal is reviewed and the Graduate Committee decides whether the
student may proceed to a PhD or to an MPhil. Attendance at the Doctoral
Colloquium is expected in the second and third years whenever possible. The
supervision arrangements are the same as for a PhD or MPhil by Research.
The PhD/MPhil by Research
Students with a strong background in sociology and a
well-formulated research problem may be admitted directly to supervised
research. All students must participate in the PhD
Colloquia and - depending upon their background - attendance at some other
courses may be required. The Department can offer supervision
in a broad range of areas.
Details of the
academic interests of staff
are also available online.
Students studying for a PhD or MPhil by research are expected to follow the
appropriate research training and skills courses listed below.
Additional PhD Research Training and Skills Courses
In addition to the graduate taught courses that PhD students may be required to
attend as part of their Doctoral Programme or as part of their PhD by Research,
the Department provides a range of other training for PhD students. These
include
The PhD Colloquia
During the autumn and spring term the Department offer
colloquiums alternate weeks for first, second and third year PhD students. All
PhD students are strongly advised to attend these colloquia in which PhD
students discuss their research and the problems they are facing.
The Doctoral Conference
This is an annual one-day conference for all PhD
students in which they present their work.
Mini-Methods Courses
During the spring and summer term the Department runs a series of
intensive workshops for PhD students on particular research methods. Likely
topics for two-day workshops include oral history, participant observation, and
conversation analysis. In addition there will be half-day workshops on the UK
Data Archive and the Qualidata archives.
Last modified on 10 December 2009