phd sociology lse

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Entry requirements

Merit (65+) in a taught master's degree (or equivalent) in a related discipline and a 2:1 degree or equivalent in sociology or another social science.

Months of entry

Course content.

About the MPhil/PhD programme

The MPhil/PhD Sociology programme offers you the chance to undertake a substantial piece of research that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to sociology. You will begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status.

The Department of Sociology was the first to be created in Britain and has played a key role in establishing and developing the discipline nationally and internationally. Recent UK research evaluations (through the Research Evaluation Framework) have confirmed our position as one of the leading Departments in the UK. We are committed to empirically rich, conceptually sophisticated, research and scholarship addressing topics of social and political urgency. While building upon the traditions of the discipline we play a key role in developing new intellectual areas, and addressing the social problems and ethical dilemmas that face a globalised society.

LSE Sociology embraces a theoretically and methodologically diverse range of approaches. There are four research areas which constitute our strategic priorities and reflect overall a balance between "traditional" sociology and "innovation": economy, technology and expertise; politics and human rights; social inequalities; and urban sociology. Our teaching is informed by our commitments and by our active research in these areas. LSE Sociology will provide a learning environment in which you are encouraged to think critically and independently.

Department of Sociology

Established in 1904, the Department of Sociology at LSE is committed to empirically rich, conceptually sophisticated, and socially and politically relevant research and scholarship.

As a Department, we seek to produce sociology that is public-facing, fully engaged with London as a global city, and with major contemporary debates in the intersection between economy, politics and society – with issues such as financialisation, inequality, migration, urban ecology, and climate change.

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students .

Fees and funding

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme. Visit the website for more information about the fees .

The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

LSE offers studentships to new PhD students in the form of LSE PhD Studentships, LSE ESRC Studentships, LAHP AHRC Studentships and LSE & III PhD Studentships on Analysing and Challenging Inequalities.

These awards are open to high calibre students of all nationalities studying across all research areas at the School.

Find out more about financial support.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

• Campus-based learning is available for this qualification

Course contact details

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Academic department PhD contacts

Get in touch with your department.

Doctoral programme directors (co-directors) Dr Tommaso Palermo [email protected]

Dr Xi Li [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Rebecca Baker [email protected]

Department of Accounting 

Anthropology

Doctoral programme director 

Professor Michael W. Scott

[email protected]

PhD administrative contact Yan Hinrichsen [email protected]  

Department of Anthropology

Doctoral programme director Professor Maitreesh Ghatak [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Emma Taverner [email protected]

Department of Economics

Economic History

Doctoral programme director Professor Sara Horrell 

[email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Tracy Keefe [email protected]

Department of Economic History

European Institute

Doctoral programme director

Professor Jonathan Hopkin

[email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Florence Samuels and Samson Yeung [email protected]

MPhil/PhD in European Studies

Doctoral programme director Professor Daniel Paravisini [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Mary Comben  [email protected]

Department of Finance

Gender Studies

Doctoral programme director Dr Marsha Henry [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Annie Robinson [email protected]

Gender Studies

Geography and Environment

Doctoral programme directors Professor Claire Mercer (Director of Graduate Studies) [email protected]

Dr Felipe Carozzi (Economic Geography) [email protected]

Professor Simon Dietz (Environmental Economics) [email protected]

Dr Michael Mason (Environmental Policy & Development) [email protected]

Dr Austin Zeiderman (Human Geography & Urban Studies) [email protected]

Dr Romola Sanyal (Regional Planning) [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Tom Jones

[email protected]                                              

Department of Geography and Environment

Doctoral programme director Prof Sara Hobolt  [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Emily Metcalf [email protected]

Department of Government

Health Policy

Doctoral programme director (co-DPDS) Professor Joan Costa-Font  [email protected]

Dr Mylene Lagarde  [email protected]

Dr Justin Parkhurst [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Muheez Busari [email protected]

Department of Health Policy

International Development

Doctoral programme director Dr Arjan Gjonca [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact  Dr Monika Kruesmann    [email protected]

Department of International Development

International History

Doctoral programme director Professor Joanna Lewis [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Dr Edlira Gjonca [email protected]  

Department of International History

International Relations

Doctoral programme director Professor Chris Alden [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Amy Brook and Sarah Helias [email protected]

Department of International Relations

Doctoral programme director Professor Tom Poole [email protected]

PhD administrator Rebecca Newman  [email protected]

Department of Law

Doctoral programme directors Professor Ricardo Alonso (Main) [email protected]

Dr Jordi Blanes i Vidal (Economics and Management)  [email protected]

Dr Jonathan Booth (Employment Relations and Human Resources)  [email protected]

Dr Barbara Fasolo (Organisational Behaviour)  [email protected]

Professor Om Narasimhan (Marketing) [email protected]

Dr Edgar Whitley (Information Systems and Innovation)      [email protected]

PhD Programmes Manager  Camilla Kennedy Harper  [email protected]

Department of Management

Mathematics

Doctoral programme director Professor Luitgard Veraart [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Emily Jackson (Maternity Cover) [email protected]

Department of Mathematics

Media and Communications

Doctoral programme director Professor Ellen Helsper [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Danielle Blasse [email protected]

Department of Media and Communications

Methodology

Doctoral programme director Associate Professor Flora Cornish [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Camilya Maleh [email protected]

Department of Methodology

Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method

Doctoral programme director  Dr Kate Vredenburgh  [email protected]

PhD  administrative contact Anika Bloomfield [email protected] 

Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method

Psychological and Behavioural Science

Doctoral programme director Dr Michael Muthukrishna [email protected]

PhD administrative contact Karine Gay [email protected] 

Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science

Social Policy

Doctoral programme director  Dr Timothy Hildebrandt [email protected]

PhD administrative contact Sevilay Erdogan and Craig Stewart [email protected]

Department of Social Policy

Doctoral programme director Dr Carrie Friese [email protected]

Department Research Manager Emilia Borowksa [email protected]

Department of Sociology

Doctoral programme director Prof Clifford Lam [email protected]

PhD administrative contact Muhammed Iqbal   [email protected]

Department of Statistics

Our team Who's who in the PhD Academy

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MPhil/PhD Social Research Methods

• Graduate research
• Department of Methodology
• Application code L9ZM
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Closed
• Overseas full-time: Closed
• Location: Houghton Street, London

This programme offers the chance to undertake a substantial piece of original research that is of publishable standard and which makes an original contribution to social science methodology or which applies advanced methodology to a substantive research problem. You will begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status.

You will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of staff whose disciplinary backgrounds include political science, statistics, sociology, social psychology, anthropology and criminology. There are a variety of advanced-level courses, seminars and workshops in research design, quantitative analysis and qualitative methods available for you to attend. 

The Department of Methodology at LSE supports both standalone qualitative and quantitative research, as well as interesting ways of combining them. We encourage applications from candidates who demonstrate an interest in a substantive area of research and particular methodological approach, aiming at a methodological development. This could involve collecting innovative new data, new analytic techniques, method comparison, evaluation or validation, method critique, applying existing methodology in new contexts, or cost-benefit analysis of methodologies.

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd social research methods.

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is an upper second class honours (2:1) degree and a merit in an MSc broadly similar to the MSc Social Research Methods, or equivalent.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission.

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate  staff research interests  before applying. We encourage prospective students to email their proposals to potential supervisors before applying to gauge their interest. Browse our list of potential supervisors for MPhil/PhD Social Research Methods under ‘academic staff’ .

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - research proposal - sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.  See our English language requirements .

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 25 April 2024 . However, to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details.

Research proposal requirements

The Department of Methodology requires you to submit a proposal summarising and justifying your proposed research, to be attached to your formal application. This will provide the selectors with an idea of the topics of interest, and help in matching candidates to potential supervisors.

The research proposal should include the following questions: 

Why is the topic interesting? What is the central research question? Is there a theoretical and empirical 'gap' that your research will seek to fill? Is there a theoretical or empirical contradiction that your research will seek to resolve? How will your research take our understanding forward in your chosen field? What core theories and concepts will you draw on? What are the relevant literature(s) and field(s) the work will contribute to? What are the main theories in the area? What are the critical empirical phenomena in the area? Specify the key references relevant to the proposed research. How will you address the empirical aspects of the research? What empirical (qualitative and/or quantitative) information do you propose to collect, how, from where, and why? What methodology of analysis is appropriate and why? If the research question requires a combination of different methodologies, how will they be related? Do you foresee any practical difficulties in pursuing the research (eg finding suitable participants or data sources)? If so, how might they be overcome?

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Social Research Methods

Home students: £4,829 for the first year (provisional) Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

Fee status​

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships , and  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding . Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.  

Funding deadline for first round of LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 15 January 2024 The deadline for the second round of LSE PhD Studentships: 25 April 2024

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

In addition to progressing with your research, you are expected to take a selection of training and transferable skills courses. You will discuss with your supervisor whether the first year courses you take will be examined. You may take courses in addition to those listed, and should discuss this with your supervisor. The courses you take may also include ones from other institutes or departments at LSE, dependent on your needs.

At the end of your second year (full-time), you will need to satisfy certain requirements and if you meet these, will be retroactively upgraded to PhD status.

(* denotes a half unit)

A selection of training courses from an approved list

Transferable skills courses, c ompulsory (not examined) Department of Methodology Seminar 

Second to fourth years

Transferable skills courses Compulsory (not examined)   Department of Methodology Seminar 

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page.  

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.  

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar ,  or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information  page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision.

You will be assigned a lead supervisor (and a second supervisor/adviser) who is a specialist in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic. Lead supervisors guide you through your studies.

Progression and assessment

First year review.

In the Spring Term of your first year, you are required to produce a 10,000-word 'first year review' that outlines the aims and methods of your thesis: this means summarising the key literature(s), motivating your specific research questions, and highlighting the planned contributions of your work. A first year review document typically includes a general introduction, a comprehensive literature review (covering relevant empirical and theoretical work), a motivation of the research questions and hypotheses, and an indication of the literature(s) that you seek to contribute to (ie, the gaps in knowledge that will be addressed). You will also give an oral presentation of your proposal at the Department of Methodology PhD day.

Written and oral work will be assessed by two academics (not on the supervisory team), normally members of Department of Methodology staff. This work has to reach an acceptable standard to enable you to progress to the second year. It is particularly important that the first year review clearly states the objectives of the doctoral research and indicates how the empirical work will be carried out.

If the panel deems the first year review to be not suitably clear, they can choose not to accept the submitted document and give you up to a month to clarify. This decision will be taken maximum one week after the Department of Methodology PhD Day. Examples of unclear work might include (but not be limited to):

• a first year review that does not state clear research questions
• a first year review that does not adequately review the specific literatures that the empirical work is contributing to
• a first year review that does not give enough methodological detail, showing how the design will produce data that allows you to address the theoretical issues at stake in a systematic and rigorous way.

After your first year

After the first year you will spend more time on independent study under the guidance of your supervisor(s). This will involve the collection, organisation and analysis of data, and writing up the results. During your second year of registration, you will typically submit three (minimum) draft chapters of your thesis plus a short introduction and a detailed plan for its completion. The three draft chapters will typically include a detailed literature review, specification of research problem(s) and two empirical chapters. If you are pursuing a paper-based thesis, your upgrading documents will typically include a short introduction, a literature review and at least two empirical papers. Whether a traditional or paper-based thesis, the material will be evaluated by an upgrading committee (two academics, not necessarily of the MI or even LSE) who will recommend transferral to PhD registration if your work is judged to be of sufficient quality and quantity.

Throughout the MPhil/PhD and PhD, you will attend the Department's research seminar and other specialist workshops and seminars related to your interests. You must present at every Department of Methodology PhD day.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Meet the Department

You can find out more about the people that make up the Department of Methodology on our ' People ' page. Meet our academics, visiting staff, research students and professional services staff.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Methodology

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £48,000          

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Information, Digital Technology and Data            
• Education, Teaching and Research            
• Financial and Professional Services              
• Advertising, Marketing, PR, Media, Entertainment, Publishing and Journalism           
• Real Estate, Environment and Energy

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career. 

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mphil/phd sociology.

Code(s) L3ZS

MPhil/PhD Statistics

Code(s) G4ZS

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DPhil in Sociology

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The DPhil in Sociology provides academically outstanding students an unrivalled opportunity for those who would like to undertake original and independent research in preparation for an academic career and other research-intensive occupations.

The DPhil in Sociology can be taken full-time in three years or part-time over six to eight years. The DPhil is examined by a thesis, prepared under the guidance of one or two academic supervisors.

The DPhil programme offers individualised training in sociological analysis to prepare you for academic life and the job market. You will develop your skills by undertaking empirical research under the guidance of an academic supervisor and by participating in the department's DPhil workshops and seminars. Apart from these DPhil-specific set of seminars, you will be given ample opportunities to present your work in the department, and to develop your research ideas and proposals with the advice and support of your peers. In addition, you will find a wide variety of courses, lectures and seminars taking place all over Oxford, that are relevant for your research and allow you to become a well-rounded sociologist.

As a research student, you will have the opportunity to be fully involved in the department's research environment, which is characterised by a rich tradition of methodologically rigorous empirical sociology. You will be exposed to cutting-edge research undertaken by your supervisor(s), scholars in the department and the many visitors that the department welcomes each year.

Further information about part-time study

The DPhil programme in Sociology is also available on a part-time basis. The part-time version of the degree has the same high standards and requirements as the full-time degree, but spread over six-eight years. The degree is particularly well suited for students who are seeking the flexibility of part-time study. Part-time study also provides an excellent opportunity for professionals to undertake rigorous long-term research that may be relevant to their working life. For more information, please contact [email protected] .

As a part-time DPhil Sociology student, you will be required to attend seminars, workshops, and other events related to your intellectual development in Oxford. Departmentally scheduled events typically take place 2 days per week in the first term of your first year, and up to 3 days per week in the second term of your first year. You may be required to attend additional skills training courses during your first year. You will also be expected to attend the annual departmental DPhil Conference as an observer each year, and to present at the conference in the first term of your fourth year.

You should be present in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days of each academic year of enrolment. Supervisor meetings should take place on a regular basis on dates determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor. Attendance of supervisor meetings may be required outside of term-time.

Supervision

The allocation of doctoral supervision is the responsibility of the Department of Sociology. Allocation takes place as part of the admissions process, and it is helpful for applicants to indicate their preferred supervisor on their application. Moreover, applicants are encouraged to discuss their research plans with potential supervisors in advance of making a formal application, although due to the number of enquiries we receive a response is not always guaranteed. It is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Sociology. You can typically expect to meet your supervisor at least three times a term.

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a full-time PRS student or eight terms as a part-time PRS student, you will be expected to apply for, and achieve, transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. This application is normally made in the third term for full-time students and in the sixth term for part-time students.

Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for, and achieve, confirmation of DPhil status to show that their work continues to be on track. This should be done within nine terms for full-time students and eighteen terms for part-time students, though this application is normally made in the sixth term for full-time students and in the twelfth term for part-time students.

Full-time DPhil students are typically expected to submit a thesis after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. If you are studying part-time, you be required to submit your thesis after six or, at most, eight years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in Sociology, you must defend your thesis orally ( viva voce ) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate destinations

Alumni have gone on to academic/research positions at universities in the UK (eg Cambridge, LSE, Manchester, UCL, Bath, Essex, Birmingham and Durham) and across the world (eg UCLA, Yale, Penn, Stanford, EUI Florence, ETH Zurich, Berlin, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Tsinghua) and to research-intensive jobs in government and international organisations (eg OECD), think-tanks, NGOs and the private sector (eg banks and marketing).

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a master's degree with a high pass (2.1) or distinction ; and
• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in sociology or a related social science discipline.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent.

The department will only consider applicants who have a master's degrees in arts, humanities or science subjects if they can demonstrate a strong interest in sociology and have had sufficient methodological training.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0. However, most successful applicants have a GPA of 3.7 or above. 

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought, though you may include these scores as part of your application.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

• Part-time applicants will also be expected to show evidence of the ability to commit time to study and, if applicable, an employer's commitment to make time available to study, to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules. Where appropriate, evidence should also be provided of permission to use employers’ data in the proposed research project.
• Publications are not expected.
• It would be expected that graduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

The Department of Sociology has a vibrant graduate programme. About 60 students are currently engaged in original research for the DPhil degree. Many students come from the United Kingdom and other European countries; the department also attracts students from all over the world, from Chile to China.

The Department of Sociology is based at 42 Park End Street, which is near to the centre of Oxford and the railway station. The Social Sciences Library is the largest freestanding social science library in the UK, and is located in the Manor Road Building. Students also have reference access to the world-renowned Bodleian Library and the many other libraries around Oxford, including the Nuffield College’s library.

Many colleges offer computing facilities and desk space is available in the Department of Sociology for DPhil students. Hot-desking areas with access to printing are also available in the building.

There are also regular weekly lunchtime sociology seminars with many interesting speakers participating.

The Department of Sociology at Oxford is one of Europe's leading research departments,  evidenced by the 2022 QS World rankings .

The department is renowned for its strong analytical, empirical and comparative orientation. The department focuses on developing and testing theories that engage with real world puzzles and problems.

Each year around 30 students are accepted onto the Department of Sociology's MSc and MPhil taught courses. These programmes provide the theoretical and methodological foundations for advanced research. Many MSc and MPhil students go on to study for DPhil degrees either in Oxford or elsewhere.

A select cohort of qualified students are accepted directly into the DPhil in Sociology, which has around 60 students at any point in time.

Many students come from the United Kingdom and other European countries; the department also attracts students from all over the world, from Australia and Singapore to Ghana and Chile, which makes for a diverse and vibrant environment. 

The department prepares students for careers in research-intense environments. Many alumni pursue successful academic careers, but the department also celebrates a substantial number of graduates working in (national and international) government, in think-tanks and in senior positions in the private sector.

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The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Full-time study.

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Part-time study

Information about course fees.

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel, accommodation and living expenses, insurance premiums and, where appropriate, visa and medical fees (eg for vaccinations). Costs can vary considerably according to the duration and location of the fieldwork, but the department would generally expect the cost of such field research to range from £200 to £1,000. If you choose to collect your own data, you may also incur transcription costs. There may also be costs if you choose to acquire quantitative data from non-ESRC sources. The department has no funds available to help with these costs, however, you may be able to apply for small grants from your college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Campion Hall
• Green Templeton College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Nuffield College
• Regent's Park College
• Reuben College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• Trinity College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Wycliffe Hall

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines and when to apply  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

Before you apply, you should identify an academic member of staff who is willing to supervise you and has the resources to support your proposed research project. You should do this by contacting them directly. Details of academic staff, including their research interests and contact details, can be found on the department's website.

Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive responses from academics are not guaranteed.

General course enquiries should be directed to the course administrator via the contact details provided on this page. 

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

Under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) who you would like to supervise your research. 

Referees: Three overall, academic preferred

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Academic references are preferred, though professional references are acceptable if you have spent a significant amount of time in work.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation for doctoral studies, ability to work independently.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Research proposal: A maximum of 3,000 words

Your proposal should give details of the topic you propose to investigate, why it is sociologically significant, and how you would carry out the research. You are encouraged to discuss the research proposal with potential supervisors before submitting the application.

The proposal should be written in English and the overall word count should include any bibliography. 

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This will be assessed for:

• the coherence of the proposal
• the originality of the project
• understanding of the proposed area of study
• the ability to present a reasoned case in English
• the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course
• preliminary knowledge of research techniques.

It will be normal for your ideas subsequently to change in some ways as you investigate the evidence and develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at the time of application.

Your proposal should focus on the proposed research project rather than personal achievements, interests and aspirations.

Written work: Two writing samples, a maximum of 2,000 words each

Academic essays or other writing samples from your most recent qualification, written in English, are required. Extracts of the requisite length from longer work are also permissible and should be prefaced by a short note which puts them in context.

The written work ought to have sociological content and should preferably be closely related to the proposed area of study. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes. It is not permitted to submit one 4,000-word essay in place of the two shorter ones. 

This will be assessed for comprehensive understanding of the subject area, understanding of problems in the area, ability to construct and defend an argument, powers of analysis and powers of expression.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply - Full time Apply - Part time

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2025-26)

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 5 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships

Friday 1 March 2024 Final application deadline for entry in 2024-25

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Department of Sociology

• Course page on the department's website
• Funding information from the department
• Academic and research staff
• Departmental research
• Social Sciences Division
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 286183

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

Social Science MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

The MPhil/PhD at the Social Research Institute provides a route for students to carry out their own research project within a multidisciplinary and multi-method environment. Our research students engage with the academic community within UCL and benefit from a comprehensive research training programme. This programme is available to study both face-to-face and online.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

The normal minimum requirement is a Master’s degree from a UK university in a subject appropriate to the programme to be followed, or a qualification of equivalent standard appropriate to the programme to be followed awarded by a university (or educational institution of university rank) outside the UK. The majority of our successful applicants hold a Merit at Master’s level, and may have additional relevant experience.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Social Research Institute is one of the largest multidisciplinary social science research and teaching centres in London. Our staff include sociologists, psychologists, social scientists and economists. We have research-active staff able to supervise research in our key areas of expertise.

Who this course is for

We welcome candidates who have a commitment to social research. They are expected to identify two potential supervisors prior to applying. Overseas applicants also need to satisfy the English Language requirement.

What this course will give you

IOE is a world-leading centre for research in education and related social science. We host the UK's largest doctoral cohort in these areas. We are home to many prestigious research centres and projects. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023), the Institute was ranked first for education for the tenth year running, ahead of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. In the UK's recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), we were ranked first for research strength and research power in Education, according to the Elsevier REF 2021 Results Analysis Tool. We attract extensive research funding each year and host many prestigious research centres and projects.

Doctoral students at IOE have access to the wider UCL community as well as the education cluster constituting the ESRC  UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership . The Institute's programme has been designed to provide comprehensive and broadly based research training and to meet the requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the UK Researcher Development Framework.

The foundation of your career

Students develop general and specialist skills in research methodology, academic writing and presentation, as well as experience of engaging with a wide range of practitioners across different social science sectors.

Employability

Social Science doctoral graduates are found in a variety of occupational fields and a wide range of career paths including social research, media research, marketing research, human resources, government, health, policy development, charities, education, NGOs, youth work and managerial posts in business and retail.

The Social Research Institute has a wide range of research seminars where students can join discussion of our ongoing projects, and IOE is the base for national and international conferences. The Centre for Doctoral Education holds two annual conferences for doctoral students. There are also opportunities for students to offer specialist reading groups and workshops and to act as facilitators on courses within the research training programme.

Teaching and learning

Our PhD students work closely with a principal supervisor and subsidiary supervisors. At SRI, we have expertise on a wide range of topics. Students will have opportunities to engage in research activities and seminars. In addition, the UCL Doctoral School also offers a range of skills development courses for PhD students.

In addition to UCL's Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE's Centre for Doctoral Education provides a comprehensive Research Training Programme.

The Core Course aims to meets the needs of early stage doctoral students.

There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic academic skills courses, as well as student-led workshops and reading groups.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline. It must also represent a distinct and significant contribution to the subject, whether through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory, or the revision of older views. It should reflect the exercise of critical judgement with regard to both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.

For those who decide not to pursue the full PhD, or are unable to do so, the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should represent a contribution to the subject, either through a record of your original work or a critical and ordered exposition of existing knowledge.

You must ensure you have adequate time to devote to this research, at least six hours a day (2-3 days a week part time).

Research areas and structure

Our expertise at the Social Research Institute covers the following specialising fields:

• Children’s rights and advocacy; childhood studies; child development; children in care; maternal and child health; reproductive health; health behaviours; health promotion
• Families; family formation; parenting; work and family life; fatherhood; motherhood; food practices
• Gender; sexualities and intimate lives
• Longitudinal analysis; cohort studies cross-cohort and international comparisons
• Lifecourse transitions; intergenerational studies; demography; youth and young adulthood
• Social inequalities; intergenerational and intragenerational social mobility 
• Education; skills and employment; labour market behaviour
• Migration; transnational families; sociology of religion; culture and ethnicity
• Cultural and social psychology
• Political sociology and the study of social movements
• Advanced qualitative and quantitative methods; mixed methods and visual methods
• Systematic reviews of research evidence; study of how research evidence is used in policy, practice and decision making 
• Time use research; time use data to study social life, gender, work/family balance, family and economics

Research environment

The Social Research Institute (SRI) is one of the leading centres in the UK for multidisciplinary teaching and research in the social sciences. With more than 180 academic, research and professional staff, we work to advance knowledge and inform policy in areas including gender, families, education, employment, migration, inequalities, public health, health and child/adult wellbeing. At SRI, our postgraduate research students from all over the world work alongside supervisory teams, staff and current students. Students work closely with their supervisor(s) to develop each stage of research; supervisors also help put together a programme of additional courses and activities to support progress towards completion of the final thesis. We offer a wide range of seminars and teaching opportunities. As research students, you will have opportunities to organise your own reading groups, workshops, and seminars, working with other research students in other departments in IOE and UCL.

In addition to the campus-based mode, we offer the option to study online in a distance-learning mode. Choosing the distance-learning mode means that there are no residency requirements and it is not necessary to attend during doctoral study, the viva examination take place in-person at UCL or online. However, you are welcome to visit and use campus facilities including the library, attend seminars etc. In the first year of full-time study (and first two years of part-time study), distance learners take a series of compulsory research methods modules that are studied online. This typically involves provision of materials (articles, eBooks, videos etc.), forums to facilitate discussion of various tasks, and synchronous sessions to discuss the activities. Alongside these you will work with your supervisors on your research (e.g., using Teams/Zoom and email). In addition, there are other resources and training opportunities to support distance-learning students, e.g., sessions to develop generic skills.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 3 years for full-time.

You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.

The Centre for Doctoral Education at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society provides an extensive Research Training Programme. A mandatory core course is provided that aims to meet the needs of early-stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic non-credit bearing academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups which you can attend.

Full-time MPhil/PhD students are required to fulfil minimum 20 ‘points’ of training activity in their first year, and are encouraged to fulfil the same in their subsequent years of study. This training can be selected from the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent. Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.

You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status towards the end of your first year of study if full-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.

Processes aimed at assisting you during your course of study include the Research Student Log (an online project management tool), and periodic reviews of students’ progress.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 5 years for part-time.

IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. A mandatory core course is provided that aims to meet the needs of early-stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic non-credit bearing academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups which you can attend.

Part-time students are required to fulfil minimum 12 ‘points’ of training activity in each year of study. This training can be selected from the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent. Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.

You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status at around 18 months if part-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Students should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their thesis.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/funding-students-postgraduate-research-courses

UCL's Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available annually to prospective and existing UCL research students from any country: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/research-excellence-scholarship . The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership offers studentships annually. More information is found here: https://ubel-dtp.ac.uk/

UBEL, RES and other funding programmes are not available to online and non-resident students.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Applications for this programme are accepted throughout the year. It is highly recommended that students start their programme at the beginning of the academic year (usually the end of September-beginning of October). Two supervisors must be identified and agreed upon prior to submitting a formal application. To identify potential supervisors, check the areas of research interest of staff from the departmental staff lists https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/departments/ucl-social-research-institute/

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

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Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

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About LSE Sociology

We are committed to empirically rich, conceptually sophisticated, and socially and politically relevant research and scholarship

Established in 1904, the Department of Sociology at LSE is committed to empirically rich, conceptually sophisticated, and socially and politically relevant research and scholarship. Building upon the traditions of the discipline, we play a key role in the development of the social sciences into the new intellectual areas, social problems, and ethical dilemmas that face our society today.

Core Sociology

Our work should be making a significant contribution to core debates about theory and method in sociology. We aim to publish in leading journals – both of the generalist kind, such as the British Journal of Sociology and American Journal of Sociology – and the best outlets within our relevant fields.

Empirical Sociology

All of the sociologists in the Department work on areas that are topic-driven in the first instance. Our identity as a department is therefore geared to the substantive areas we work on, in which issues of theory are assessed in the context of empirical research informed by our strengths in quantitative and qualitative methods.

Big Questions

There is a strong agreement throughout the Department that our work should be focused on topics of major global importance. The key focus here is on analysing the character and causes of contemporary social change at a global level. We thus address the ‘issues of the day’ – climate change, financialisation, increasing inequality, migration – as well as what we consider to be great historical turning points and macro-historical change, such as the rise of democracy, the remaking of class politics, key transformations in capitalism, racial and gender divides, and world war. What unites is here is the belief that we are engaged in debates over ‘big questions’.

Public Engagement

We are committed to public-facing work that engages with and informs the practices of major public bodies and community organisations, as well as wider non-academic audiences. We strongly believe in the importance of taking part in major public debates, as well as making a full contribution to public policy, and are proud to have one of the strongest sociology twitter accounts and blogs  in the world.

Interdisciplinarity

We all see ourselves as undertaking work that contributes to developing sociology as a key social science discipline. This means that we aim to cultivate strong links with other LSE departments, centres and institutes, to work across department lines on major research themes and initiatives at LSE, and to collaborate with colleagues from other departments in developing inter- and cross-disciplinary teaching.

Inclusive Education

We aim to develop a strong research-led teaching community within the Department, which involves students from undergraduate to doctoral level in our core activities. We want to teach a cross-section of students, so that we have a genuinely inclusive and ethnically diverse student body that also includes local, UK-based students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as students from overseas. We also aim to provide a sociological education to students from other LSE departments, as well as ensuring that sociology makes a key contribution to LSE-wide courses, such as LSE100.

Innovative Education

We strive to make full and imaginative use of a wide range of teaching and assessment practices, and to make the best possible use of technology in the way we teach and assess our students.

Relevant Education

We aim to involve our students in our research and public engagement, and to give them a hands-on education in the discipline that serves as an apprenticeship for acquiring core sociological skills that will ensure that all of our graduates – at Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral level – are extremely well-placed to pursue careers both within and beyond academia.

LSE Sociology has a dynamic research culture, organized into five research clusters that span the central concerns of the discipline. It also plays a core role in several research centres and institutes, including LSE Human Rights, LSE Cities and the International Inequalities Institute. The five research areas that constitute our strategic priorities and reflect overall a balance between ‘traditional’ sociology and ‘innovation’ are: Economic Sociology; Knowledge, Culture and Technology; Politics and Human Rights; Social Inequalities; and Urban Sociology.

Find out more about our research. 

The Department aims to deliver a world-class education in sociology, building on the Department’s research expertise in its four research clusters: Economic Sociology; Politics and Human Rights; Social Inequalities; and Urban Sociology. Across all four areas, we aim to provide students with a thorough grounding in methods and theory, which enable them to produce rigorous, analytical work in projects and essays.

As a Department, we seek to produce sociology that is public-facing, fully engaged with London as a global city, and with major contemporary debates in the intersection between economy, politics and society – with issues such as financialisation, inequality, migration, urban ecology, and climate change. Our educational strategy is therefore oriented towards developing a curriculum and teaching methods that make this type of engagement an integral component of the learning experience of our students at both Undergraduate and Masters level.

The Department welcomes and values the racial, ethnic, religious, national and cultural diversity of its students, staff and visitors. The Department believes in equal treatment based on merit and encourages a learning environment based on mutual respect and dialogue.

The Department offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study . As well as a BSc programme in Sociology, the Department offers MSc programmes in Sociology; Political Sociology; Culture and Society; Economy, Risk and Society; Inequalities and Social Science, as well as an MSc in Human Rights; Human Rights and Politics; City Design and Social Science; and International Migration and Public Policy. There is also a thriving doctoral programme in Sociology.

The Department has around 380 students: 130 undergraduate students; 200 taught postgraduates following our MSc programmes; and some 50 research postgraduates. In addition, many students following degrees in other departments take our courses.

Interdisciplinary initiatives and journals

LSE Sociology embraces a fundamentally international sociology critically interrogating theoretical claims about the relationships between economic, political, social, spatial and cultural change. We achieve this by supporting and promoting academic diversity within the School. LSE Cities and LSE Human Rights are formally affiliated to the Department of Sociology – though operate with considerable autonomy. We also have strong alliances with LSE International Inequalities Institute , leading critical and cutting edge research to understand why inequalities are escalating in numerous arenas across the world.

The Department is committed to its research having maximum impact outside academia. Our work has informed the policies and deliberations of numerous leading international bodies, including central and local government in numerous nations, businesses, NGOs, journalists, broadcasters and educators. We are home to the British Journal of Sociology , Britain’s highest ranking journal in the discipline, as well as Economy and Society , one of the most significant UK-based interdisciplinary journals. We take advantage of LSE’s extensive social media platforms and run a regular programme of high profile events attracting speakers from all over the world.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Read our statement

LSE Human Rights International academic research, teaching and critical scholarship on human rights

LSE Cities Studying how people and cities interact in a rapidly urbanising world

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Course closed:

Sociology is no longer accepting new applications.

The Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge is a world-class centre for teaching and research in Sociology, with a proud tradition of research grounded in engagement with contemporary real-world issues.  

Our department is ranked first for Sociology in the  Guardian's Best Universities league table  and first for Sociology in the  Complete University Guide League Table 2023 . 

The UK's  2021 Research Excellence Framework  ranks our department second overall in the UK, and joint first for the research environment.  

And the  QS World University rankings  list our department as 6th of 330 sociology departments across the world in 2022. 

Our PhD programme combines taught content in research methods and academic skills with independent study under the supervision of one or more experts in the student's chosen field.  

Many of those who graduate from our PhD programme go on to become professional researchers or academics; others go on to work in the national government, international organisations, NGOs, think tanks and consultancies. 

Our PhD programme aims to create an environment which supports our students:

• to think critically;
• to undertake state-of-the-art research in their chosen fields;
• to engage with the world at the interface between theory, policy and practice;
• to develop a full portfolio of research skills;
• to produce a scholarly, exciting and socially relevant PhD;
• to move on to interesting and fulfilling jobs.

Admission to the PhD programme is via a competitive process, in which current Cambridge students are considered on the same basis as external applicants. Cambridge MPhil students require a final mark of at least 70 per cent overall, and 70 per cent on the dissertation, to continue to PhD study.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of sociology, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Funding Deadlines

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

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• Sociology (172)

Hilhorst, Sacha (2024) Afterlives of legitimacy: a political ethnography of two post-industrial towns in England. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Al Sudairy, Jawaher (2023) Tracing Makkah’s urban redevelopment: how the convergence of spiritual aspirations and state capitalism shapes urban production in the King Abdulaziz Al Saud Road. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Born, Anthony Miro (2023) Placing meritocracy: urban marginality and the ideal of social mobility. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

White, Tim (2023) Capital’s commune: the rise of co-living in the financialised city. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lally, Amraj (2023) Producing 'South Asian MSM'. MPhil thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Taylor, Emma (2022) 'No fear': the micro-practices of elite formation at an independent boys' school in England. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mallett, Victoria (2022) Politics, process, and professionals: a comparative study of municipal election reform in the United States 2014-2017. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Littlejohn, Naomi Maya (2022) A-level engagement and achievement in inner London. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

McCurdy, Martha (2022) "There is a border in the system": exploring borders, death & classification in the UK. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Schwoerer, Lili (2022) Between marketisation, regulation and resistance: feminist and gender knowledge production in English universities. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Partyga, Dominika (2022) Society as an experiment? Reading Nietzsche on the margins of social theory. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Andrawos, Nader (2021) Righting dissent: intellectual critique and human rights in Egypt. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lieutaud, Marion (2021) Paths of inequality: migration, inter-relationships and the gender division of labour. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Amini, Babak (2021) “Council democratic” movements in the First World War era: a comparative-historical study of the German and Italian cases. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fercovic-Cerda, Malik (2021) Between success and dislocation: the experience of long-range upward mobility in contemporary Chile. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Vogkli, Maria-Christina (2021) Care in limbo: an urban ethnography of homelesnessness and care work in Athens. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Tsang, Ling Tung (2021) Identity and sport in contemporary China: collectivism vs. individualization. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Yan, Ka Ho (2021) Ask not where heroes come from: class, culture and public housing estates in neoliberal Hong Kong. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Monteath, Timothy (2021) The information infrastructure of land registration in England: a sociology of real estate at the intersection of elites, markets and statistics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ergün, Mutlu (2021) Dominance & resistance: narratives & re-imaginations of racialisation, empowerment & humanness in Germany. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hayes, Niamh (2021) "Fed up of seeing this": reading mobile phone videos of racialised police encounters. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Thornbury, Paul Charles (2020) Military culture and security: boundaries and identity in the UK private military security field. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Li, Gordon C. (2020) Distinction in China - the rise of taste in cultural consumption. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Baliga, Anitra (2020) The construction of Mumbai’s land market. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Wang, Yan (2020) Social policy, state legitimacy and strategic actors: governmentality and counter-conduct in authoritarian regime. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

De Santis, Davide (2020) On stochastic differential games with impulse controls and applications. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kramer, Maria (2019) Making “healthy” families: the biomedicalization of kin marriage in contemporary Turkey. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

A, Rong (2019) Managing the dream of a green China: Chinese ENGOs’ daily practices and controversies. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gokmenoglu, Birgan (2019) Temporality and social movements: a political ethnography of activism in contemporary Turkey (2016-2018). PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

De Coss Corzo, Julio Alejandro (2019) Waterworks: labour, infrastructure and the making of urban water in Mexico City. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Naamneh, Haneen (2019) A city yet to come a story of Arab Jerusalem 1948–1967. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

McArthur, Daniel (2019) Individual advantage, economic context, and stigmatising stereotypes about the poor and welfare recipients. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kolbe, Kristina (2019) Performing interculture: inequality, diversity and difference in contemporary music production in Berlin. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Osborne-Carey, Cassian (2018) Sharing the digital public sphere? Facebook and the politics of immigration. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Traill, Helen (2018) Community as idea and community practices: tensions and consequences for urban communal growing in Glasgow. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Javed, Umair (2018) Profit, piety, and patronage: bazaar traders and politics in urban Pakistan. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Upton-Hansen, Christopher (2018) The financialization of art: a sociological encounter. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

James, Daniel (2018) Sobre héroes y tumbas: the park and political logics of memory in Argentina. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mulcahy, Rian (2017) Facets of value: an investigation into the formation of worth in the diamond market. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pertwee, Ed (2017) Green Crescent, Crimson Cross: the transatlantic 'Counterjihad' and the new political theology. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Concha, Paz (2017) The curation of the street food scene in London. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hecht, Katharina Maria (2017) A sociological analysis of top incomes and wealth: a study of how individuals at the top of the income and wealth distributions perceive economic inequality. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Burrett, Robin (2017) Contesting the ideal learner: an ethnography of teachers work in a Community School. MPhil thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Sloane, Mona (2017) Producing space investigating spatial design practices in a market moment. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Munawar, Nabila Fatima (2017) Believing and belonging: the everyday lives of Muslim youth in Canada. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Javidan, Pantea (2017) American legal discourse on child trafficking: the re/production of inequalities and persistence of child criminalization. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Matczak, Anna (2017) Understandings of punishment and justice in the narratives of lay Polish people. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nogueira, Mara (2017) Who has the right to remain in place? Informality, citizenship and belonging in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Finlay-Smits, Susanna (2016) Life as engineerable material: an ethnographic study of synthetic biology. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lewin, Siân (2016) Regulated organizations: responding to and managing regulatory change. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Cullen, Michelle (2016) Cities on the path to 'smart': information technology provider interactions with urban governance through smart city projects in Dubuque, Iowa and Portland, Oregon. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Rode, Philipp (2016) The integrated ideal in urban governance: compact city strategies and the case of integrating urban planning, city design and transport policy in London and Berlin. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Message, Reuben (2016) 'To assist, and control, and improve, the operations of nature': fish culture, reproductive technology and social order in Victorian Britain. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Loeschner, Isabell (2016) Understanding peripheral work connectivity – power and contested spaces in digital workplaces. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Rota, Andrea (2016) Hacking the web 2.0: user agency and the role of hackers as computational mediators. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Seymour, Richard (2016) Cold War anticommunism and the defence of white supremacy in the southern United States. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Safira van der Graaf, Judy (2015) The role of non-state actors in transnational risk regulation: a case study of how the credit rating industry performs regulation. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mager, Alexander (2015) Advers(ary) effects? Investigating the purportedly disabling character of conspiracy theory via analysis of the communicative construction of resistance discourses in online anti-New World Order conspiracy theory discussion forums. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mena, Olivia (2015) Nomos: a comparative political sociology of contemporary national border barriers. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bezirgan, Bengi (2015) Reframing the Armenian question in Turkey: news discourse and narratives of the past and present. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Sveinsson, Kjartan Páll (2015) Swimming against the tide: trajectories and experiences of migration amongst Nigerian doctors in England. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Barboza Muniz, Bruno (2015) An affective and embodied push to Bourdieu’s dispositional model: Funk’s cultural practices in Rio de Janeiro. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Monson, Tamlyn (2015) Citizenship, 'xenophobia' and collective mobilization in a South African settlement: the politics of exclusion at the threshold of the state. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Church, David (2015) Strategic spatial planning – a case study from the Greater South East of England. MPhil thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Quinlan, Tara Lai (2015) Blurred boundaries: how neoliberalisation has shaped policy development of post-9/11 counterterrorism policing in London and New York City. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hamilton, R. Alexander (2015) Governing through risk: synthetic biology and the risk management process. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Roulstone, Claire (2015) Inside the social world of a witness care unit: role-conflict and organisational ideology in a service. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Muscat, Michaela (2015) Banking on the divine: everyday Islamic banking practices in Malaysia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fuentes, Kristina (2015) Mobilizing for social democracy in the 'Land of Opportunity': social movement framing and the limits of the 'American Dream' in postwar United States. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Tocchetti, Sara (2014) How did DNA become hackable and biology personal? Tracing the self-fashioning of the DIYbio network. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Schroeder, Torsten (2014) Translating the concept of sustainability into architectural design practices: London’s City Hall as an exemplar. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Massalha, Manal (2014) In suspension: the denial of the rights of the city for Palestinians in Israel and its effects on their socio-economic, cultural and political formation: the case of Umm Al-Fahem. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Robinson, Katherine (2014) An everyday public? Placing public libraries in London and Berlin. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Shirai, Hiromasa (2014) The evolving vision of the Olympic legacy: the development of the mixed-use Olympic parks of Sydney and London. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dean, Corinna (2014) Establishing the Tate Modern Cultural Quarter: social and cultural regeneration through art and architecture. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dunlap, Richard Stockton (2014) Reassessing Ronchamp: the historical context, architectural discourse and design development of Le Corbusier's Chapel Notre Dame-du-Haut. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Keddie, Jamie (2014) Negotiating urban change in gentrifying London: experiences of long-term residents and early gentrifiers in Bermondsey. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Arriagada, Arturo (2014) Cultural mediators and the everyday making of ‘digital capital’ in contemporary Chile. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Manning, Peter (2014) Justice, reconciliation and memorial politics in Cambodia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dawes, Antonia (2014) Naples in the time of the spider: talk and transcultural meaning-making in Neapolitan markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ozoliņa-Fitzgerald, Liene (2014) The ethics of the willing: an ethnography of Post-Soviet Neo-Liberalism. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lingayah, Sanjiv (2013) Between the lines: contours of nation, multiculture and race equality in policy discourse in the New Labour period. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lee, Kee (2013) Practicing globalization: mediation of the creative in South Korean advertising. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gassner, Gunter (2013) Unfinished and unfinishable: London’s skylines. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Beitler, Daiana (2013) An ethnography of the one laptop per child (OLPC) programme in Uruguay. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Novis, Roberta (2013) Hard times: exploring the complex structures and activities of Brazilian prison gangs. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kaasa, Adam (2013) Writing, drawing, building: the architecture of Mexico City, 1938-1964. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Rashid, Naaz (2013) Veiled threats: producing the Muslim woman in public and policy discourse in the UK. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Donnellan, Caroline (2013) Establishing Tate Modern: vision and patronage. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hawkins, Gwyneth Mae (2013) Language and the social: investigations towards a new sociology of language. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Torre, Andreea Raluca (2013) Migrant lives. A comparative study of work, family and belonging among low-wage Romanian migrant workers in Rome and London. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Timms, Jill (2012) Where responsibility lies: corporate social responsibility and campaigns for the rights of workers in a global economy. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dinardi, Maria Cecilia (2012) Unsettling the culture panacea: the politics of cultural planning, national heritage and urban regeneration in Buenos Aires. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Abdullah, Hannah (2012) New German painting: painting, nostalgia & cultural identity in post-unification Germany. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bratu, Roxana (2012) Actors, practices and networks of corruption: the case of Romania's accession to European Union funding. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Trevino-Rangel, Javier (2012) Policing the past: transitional justice and the special prosecutor’s office in Mexico, 2000-2006. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Burrell, Jennifer (2012) Producing the internet and development: an ethnography of internet café use in Accra, Ghana. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fitzgerald, Des (2012) Tracing autism: ambiguity and difference in a neuroscientific research practice. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

James, Malcolm (2012) Upcoming movements: young people, multiculture, marginality and politics in outer East London. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kohonen, Matti (2012) Actor-network theory as an approach to social enterprise and social value: a case study of Ghanaian social enterprises. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hanspal, Vrajesh (2012) Markets and mediators: politics and primary art markets in Montréal. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Javid, Hassan (2012) Class, power, and patronage: the landed elite and politics in Pakistani Punjab. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Uncu, Baran Alp (2012) Within borders, beyond borders: the Bergama movement at the junction of local, national and transnational practices. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gooch, Rebecca L. (2012) Television production, regulation and enforcement reasons for broadcasters’ non-compliance and a weakened state of regulatory affairs. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

El-Khairy, Omar A. (2012) American statecraft for a global digital age: warfare, diplomacy and culture in a segregated world. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Trikha, Sara (2012) Policing minority ethnic communities: a case study in London’s ‘Little India’. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ross, Sandy (2011) Everyday economics: ideas new and old from lay theories of economic life. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Vildan Ozerturk Sofu

May 7th, 2024, understanding privilege in turkish elite schools.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

How is educational privilege experienced and justified beyond the confines of global north countries like the US, the UK, France and Australia where most elite education research takes place? Vildan Ozerturk Sofu writes about how elite school graduates make sense of their educational privilege in the Turkish national context, and how the justifications of merit differ for elite state and private school graduates.

The nature of privilege has long been debated in elite studies, particularly in elite education research. While academic research increasingly focuses on persistent inequalities in the educational field, the rhetoric and justifications of privilege are changing towards a more meritocratic tone. Several studies on elite schools, like that of Khan (2011) and Gibson (2019) , reveal that achieved privilege resulting from hard work and personal endeavours is embraced proudly while unearned, ascribed privilege is looked down upon with contempt.

So how is privilege experienced and justified beyond the confines of global north countries like the US, the UK, France and Australia where most elite education research takes place? Conducting my doctoral research in Turkey, I was intrigued by how this focus on the justification of privilege played out in another context, which led me to ask how students in Turkish elite schools make sense of their educational privilege.

Turkey has a number of long established, highly prestigious schools, both state and private, dating back to the nineteenth century. In the Turkish educational system, all students graduating from middle school (at 8th grade) take the national high school entrance exam (‘ LGS’ ) and gain admission to schools based on their test scores. According to the 2023 exam results, the top three schools with the highest base points of admission are all state schools. Admission to elite private schools is also highly competitive. Students are required to score in the 0.1 percentile in the LGS. However, the additional economic cost of attending these schools can sometimes overshadow the academic achievements of students.

I have conducted in-depth interviews with both elite state and private school graduates from different cohorts concerning their school experiences. Towards the end of each interview, I ask my participants whether they consider themselves ‘privileged’ or not.

All 32 participants responded positively to this question (although some expressed reservations about the term ‘privilege’). When asked to explain why they considered themselves privileged, their justifications, often emphasised ‘achievement’ over ‘ascription’. Moreover, the participants seemed to make a conscious effort to distance themselves from the perception of privilege as something given to them. This defensive attitude becomes evident in the response of a 50-year-old female participant who exclaimed: “ Yes, we are privileged. But we weren’t given that privilege, we got it by paying dues!”

As I carried on conducting interviews, I noticed a distinction in the narratives of private and state school graduates: on the one hand, elite state school graduates talked more about their innate intellectual potential in having gained admission to an extremely competitive top school. For a 41-year-old graduate of an elite state school, his admission to a highly prestigious school felt ‘just natural’:

Honestly, it came just naturally. I mean, as I said, I was always top of my class…There were hardworking friends, of course, but it was already clear that my position was one step ahead. So, when I learned that I made it I had the feeling that everything was going as it should.

Elite private school graduates, on the other hand, stressed their ‘hard work’ and effort in their school experiences in a somewhat defensive tone as was the case with a 65-year-old female participant:

I mean, we weren’t all wealthy kids. We didn’t go to school in miniskirts with blow-dried hair, either. We were normal kids who had to deal with a very demanding curriculum.

This difference in rhetoric can be attributed to the social perceptions towards elite schools in Turkey. Expressing discomfort with the unfounded perception that their families’ wealth provides them with an easy education, a private school graduate felt the need to emphasise that they ‘ don’t study on golden pillows as others think ’.

In contrast, most participants from the two elite state schools talked about their cognitive abilities and ‘potential’ , which helped them to succeed in the entrance exam and to cope with challenging classes at school. Unlike the emphasis on hard work in the narratives of the private school graduates, some participants from state schools reported studying ‘only enough to pass their classes’. This tendency to de-essentialise academic study despite the ‘university-level curriculum ‘ of schools implies a belief in innate potential over the necessity of hard work. This self-confidence to succeed in anything ‘ if they want’ becomes apparent in a statement of a male participant who graduated in the 70s:

From the second half of the 9th grade onwards, I could be called a lazy student…But I was very confident. Why? When I went to the Sorbonne, I thought to myself that I could do this, I graduated from Galatasaray. Most of my classmates thought like that, too.

As the majority of students in Turkish elite state schools don’t come from an elite but rather from a middle-class background it is easier for the graduates to justify their ‘well-deserved’ privilege over a language of ‘high potential’. The elite private school graduates, in difference, mainly adopt a rhetoric of ‘hard work’ in an attempt to refute the perception of ascribed privilege.

Although the latter rhetoric is consistent with the findings of elite education research in other contexts, the tendency of graduates from elite state schools to de-emphasise academic study while maintaining their high self-confidence in achievement is novel. Further research on elite state schools beyond the Global North is needed to provide fresh perspectives on assessing the capabilities of elite schools.

All articles posted on this blog give the views of the author(s), and not the position of the Department of Sociology, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Image credit: Fatih Guldal on X

About the author

Vildan Ozerturk Sofu is a PhD researcher in sociology from Istanbul Medeniyet University, Turkiye, and is currently a visiting research student at the LSE sociology department. Her doctoral research titled “The role of elite schools in the production of ‘potential elites’ in Turkish society” focuses on elite education and elite high schools in Turkish society. Her research interests include elite education, elite theory, culture and social mobility.

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