PhD Degree: Politics and International Studies

Course

In City of London

£ 4,271 + VAT

Description

  • Type

    Course

  • Location

    City of london

  • Start date

    Different dates available

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time
The Department of Politics and International Studies accepts students for research work leading to a PhD. The primary aim of the PhD programme is to train students to design, research and write a successful doctoral thesis. Those who have completed the doctorate will be familiar with the conceptual and methodological aspects of political research and qualified as experts in their field.
To be considered for entry into the PhD programme, applicants must possess a good advanced degree in Politics equivalent in level and content to the Department's MSc, although applications from individuals with related degrees in cognate disciplines will also be considered. Guidelines for Research Proposals can be found here.
Admission takes place on a rolling basis. The application cycle opens in November and closes on 30 June for entry in October. Applicants also wishing to be considered for a SOAS scholarship or an ESRC studentship should refer to the Scholarship information for the deadlines.
The primary building block of the PhD programme is the relationship between student and supervisor. Students are admitted on the basis of the expressed willingness of at least one member of staff to serve as the main supervisor for the student's project. Thus, from the student's entry in the programme, the supervisor assumes primary responsibility for monitoring and supporting the student’s progress towards the completion of the degree. Every research student also has an associate supervisor, another member of staff with a close interest in the student’s region and/or sub-field of the discipline. The Department’s research tutor oversees the PhD programme and is available for discussing general problems.
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Furthermore, research students are embedded in a structured training programme during their first year, attending courses dealing with research design, theory and methods. In addition, they may attend an MSc course relevant to their research

Facilities

Location

Start date

City of London (London)
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Start date

Different dates availableEnrolment now open
Different dates availableEnrolment now open

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This centre's achievements

2018

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The average rating is higher than 3.7

More than 50 reviews in the last 12 months

This centre has featured on Emagister for 7 years

Subjects

  • Full Time
  • Project
  • Supervisor
  • Staff
  • Politics
  • IT
  • Primary
  • Teaching
  • Design
  • International
  • Writing
  • Language Skills
  • Training
  • Fieldwork
  • Literature
  • Analyzing
  • Intercultural awareness
  • Supervisory

Course programme

The PhD programme at SOAS follows a three-year model, with the possibility to extend into a fourth year. The programme consists of research training and coursework in the first year, after which students must pass an upgrade from MPhil to PhD status. This is followed by primary research/fieldwork undertaken in the second year, and the writing (up) of their thesis in the subsequent year. Students should aim to be ready for submission by the end of the third year and must submit by the end of the fourth year at the latest.

Research Training Year 1
Students are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD student within 12 months of their registration. Progression requires successful completion of the Department’s training programme consisting of an Introduction to Research course (term one and two), Research Project Seminar (term two) and the Research Projects Conference (term three). Students also have the opportunity to take a course in quantitative methods. Most importantly, students will produce an upgrade paper that forms the basis of a viva, which students have to pass to gain PhD Student status.

Fieldwork Procedure
Students undertaking fieldwork will generally do so in their second year. A maximum of three terms’ fieldwork is usually permitted in a full-time PhD programme. Fieldwork of longer than 12 months has to be approved by the Associate Dean for Research.

Training Beyond Year 1
Throughout the process of research design, fieldwork, and writing, students are expected to maintain regular contact with their supervisors. Writing the dissertation is the student’s work alone, supported by regular meetings with the supervisor(s) and participating in a write-up seminar for advanced PhD students. The Department strongly encourages students to participate in workshops offered outside SOAS and to attend and present at conferences organised by the major research associations in the field (limited funding available).

Teaching is an important part of doctoral training for PhD students considering an academic career. The Department aims to offer advanced Research Students the possibility to work as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) on one of the courses offered in the Department for a maximum of two years. Duties involve seminar teaching, holding office hours, and marking. Research students taking on a GTA post are expected to have completed a GTA training module offered by the Academic Development Directorate (ADD), usually offered in September. See also the Department’s GTA Handbook.

For more information about the PhD programme in the Department of Politics and International Studies, see the 2016/17 Research Handbook.

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Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules

PhD Degree: Politics and International Studies

£ 4,271 + VAT