About the Program

A PhD in the Department of Political and Social Change is a thesis-only degree although occasionally students must take some courses relevant to their discipline or for language study. The thesis must make a substantial contribution to learning and relate the research to a broader literature in political science and/or related fields. A full-time PhD program is a minimum of two years and a maximum of four, although scholarships are normally available for three or three-and-a-half years. Part-time candidature may be approved in special circumstances (but rarely for candidates on scholarship).

Each PhD student has a supervisory panel of between three and five academics with expertise in the area of her/his research. The Chair of the panel - the supervisor - is a member of this Department. Advisers can come from elsewhere in the University and on some occasions from other universities.

The progress of the PhD degree in the Department is monitored in accordance with University and School policies. Full-time PhD students normally devote the first six to nine months developing a full research proposal in consultation with the supervisory panel. The proposal explains the topic, its significance for relevant scholarly literature, and the research methodology to be used. Nearing completion of the proposal, the student presents it to a pre-fieldwork seminar. After approval, the student concentrates on research, usually in the relevant country or countries, for about a year. After completing the research, the student presents a progress review (also called mid-term review) seminar, summarizing research done and highlighting preliminary funding. Often the basis for this seminar is a chapter of the dissertation. Dissertation writing typically requires about a year or more. Students generally give draft chapters as they complete them to members of their supervisory panel.

The completed dissertation is examined by three (sometimes two) external examiners. The examiners usually report within two or three months.

For more information on the PhD Program in the Department of Political and Social Change, you should contact, in the first instance, either: