Overview

This is a potential research degree area, subject to the approval of the University. If you are interested in undertaking a research degree in this area.

Sociology’s postgraduate culture centres on students completing an MA by Research; MPhil or PhD. As an Abertay researcher, you will collaborate across disciplines with colleagues from other divisions. We have been a key partner in a number of large European grants specifically examining the interaction between technology, society and social innovation, as well as exploring social network dynamics for collective awareness.

Division staff have supervised a wide range of projects some of which have entailed partnership with non-academic user groups in the domains of:

Policy sociology – health, education, youth, environment, influencing public policy, communities and professional practice.

Criminal justice – influencing policing and criminal justice stakeholders.

Media, arts and cultural industries – centring on digital design processes, media educationalists, artists and curators.

Collaborations exist with criminal justice and policing researchers through the inter-university Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR), the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA), and with media educationalists through the Association for Media Education in Scotland (AMES).

Our research programmes will prepare you for a rewarding career as an academic and researcher, as well as opening up opportunities for a diverse range of careers outside of academia, for example, in formulating policy.

Our research degrees

You have the option of studying an MSc by Research, an MPhil or a PhD.

When deciding which degree is right for you, you should consider the level of commitment required, the duration, cost and your career aspirations.

That being said, our research degrees are flexible. You can begin an MSc or an MPhil and then seek to transfer to a PhD without having to start your project all over again. You can also switch from full-time to part-time study, and vice versa.

PhD

The award of the Doctor of Philosophy demonstrates that the main focus of your work is your personal contribution to knowledge in your discipline or field, through original research or the original application of existing knowledge.

How long is a PhD?

If you are studying full-time, you are expected to complete the award in 36 months. The minimum period to receive this is award is 24 months and the maximum is 48 months.

If you are studying part-time, you are expected to complete the award in 48 months. The minimum period to receive this award on a part-time basis is 72 months and the maximum is 96 months.