Why study for a PhD at Leicester
Expert Supervision
PhD students are an integral part of the academic life of our Department and we have a strong commitment to provide doctoral training and supervision to the highest standard.
Our research interests encompass most areas of sociology, which means that we are able to offer expert supervision to meet the interests of most applicants, usually combining the expertise of more than one member of staff in supervision.
We welcome full-time, part-time and distance learning (DL) students. [Click on this link for more information on our PhD by distance learning]
Our commitment to research students includes expert supervision with regular monitoring of progress and the opportunity to become involved in the life of the Department through its regular Departmental Seminars, Postgraduate Forum and Doctoral Days. Postgraduate student representatives also sit on the Department’s Graduate Committee.
All students are provided with office space and computing facilities within the Department.
Staff Research Interests
The department has particular strengths in:
- Political Sociology, Social Movements and Civil Society
- Wellbeing and Health
- Social Theory
- Language and Interaction
- Migration and Ethnicity
- Gender, Sexuality, Consumption and the Body
- Advanced Research Methods (Conversation Analysis and Computer Simulation)
A full list of interests is given on the staff page but topics outside the above areas are also encouraged.
Doctoral Training
The Department provides doctoral training in the first year of study through the MSc in Social Research. All students who have not already completed an ESRC recognised Masters degree are required to follow the core modules of the MSc Social Research . Other specific training needs, which can be met both within the Department and the Social Sciences Graduate School, are arranged in consultation with your supervisor(s) and the Department's Director of Postgraduate Studies.
- The Graduate School Reading Room in the David Wilson Library
Facilities for Research Students
The Department is generally able to provide shared office space for research students. Access is provided to telephone, fax and computing (including email) facilities.
In addition, the David Wilson Library is home to a dedicated study space for postgraduate students. The Graduate School Reading Room offers both formal and informal spaces for quiet and silent study together with group study rooms that can be booked only by postgraduate students and which are equipped with a PC, DVD player, plasma screen, and whiteboard.
Being a PhD Student at Leicester
The university produced this video to convey more directly what it is like to be a PhD student here in Leicester.
Equal Opportunities
During your time in the department, we will work together in ways that ensure you have a happy and successful Postgraduate career. The context in which we work is one of equal opportunities in which we aim "to ensure that students and staff are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of sex, gender (including homosexual and lesbian orientations), colour, ethnic or national origin, age, socio-economic background, disability, religious or political beliefs, family circumstances and union membership."
The Department of Sociology, as part of the University, fosters a culture of critical dialogue and mutual respect in which no-one feels discriminated against or excluded. We welcome the involvement of students in this ongoing process.
Through the evaluation of your courses and supervision and the staff-student committee, you can contribute to a critical dialogue which is of benefit to all.
