Overview

A PhD is “probably the most internationally transferable qualification” according to the Higher Education Policy Institute.

You will critically investigate your chosen topic in great depth, with support, guidance and encouragement from our supervisory team. Crucially, your investigation should result in the creation and interpretation of knowledge which extends the forefront of your discipline. It should make an original contribution to knowledge.

Increasingly, a doctorate is an essential requirement for recruitment and promotion in university teaching roles. More broadly, a PhD is a life-changing programme that trains you to think at a deep level while you become an expert on a particular topic. It is quite possible that you will end up knowing more about that topic than almost anyone else in the country.

Why us?

• A PhD is highly advisable if you are considering a career as an academic
• We're ranked 2nd in the UK for students’ overall satisfaction with their research degree programme according to the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2018
• You have the option to study this programme at our Sunderland campus or possibly via distance learning