You are viewing: 2024/25 version

Research Degrees in Sociology

(These regulations replace the regulations for Research Degrees in Social Policy and Intervention, Sociology, and International Development from MT2019 for all students registered for Research Degrees in Sociology.)

1. Governance

The DPhil in Sociology shall be under the supervision of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department of Sociology.

2. Attendance requirements

The DPhil in Sociology shall be offered on a full-time and part-time basis. Full-time students are required to meet the residence requirements set out in §6 of the General Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Part-time research students are required to attend for a minimum of thirty days of university-based work each year, to be arranged with the agreement of their supervisor, for the period that their names remain on the Register of Graduate Students unless individually dispensed by the Graduate Studies Committee.

3. Transfer to MLitt or DPhil status

Students will normally be admitted as Probationer Research Students. Students will normally be expected to achieve Transfer of Status in their third or fourth term after admission (or in their sixth to eighth term after admission for part-time students).

Applications should be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee and will comprise the following:

(a) a completed transfer of status form;

(b) a provisional thesis title and thesis outline;

(d) a piece of written work relevant to the thesis of between 5,000 to 7,000 words;

(e) a timetable for completion;

(f) evidence of participation in PRS and Departmental seminars;

(g) research ethics forms (if applicable);

(h) risk assessment forms (if applicable).

If submitting an articles-based/integrated thesis, students should also submit statement(s) on the contribution of each co-author, signed by all co-authors.

Full details of requirements can be found in the course handbook.

The Graduate Studies Committee will appoint two assessors who will read the work, interview the student and submit a recommendation to the committee in a written report. The Graduate Studies Committee will then decide whether Transfer of Status will be approved.

A student whose first application for Transfer of Status is not approved (including where the outcome is a recommendation to transfer to the MLitt) is permitted to make one further application and will be granted an extension of one term (or up to two terms for part-time students) to Probationer Research Student status if necessary. If after a second attempt, the Graduate Studies Committee can neither approve transfer to the DPhil or to the MLitt, the student will be removed from the Register of Graduate Students.

4. Confirmation of Status

Students must achieve Confirmation of Status not later than their ninth term or normally earlier than their sixth term (or not later than the eighteenth term or normally earlier than the twelfth term for part-time students).

Applications should be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee and will comprise the following:

(a) a completed confirmation of status form;

(b) a thesis title and abstract;

(d) two draft chapters intended to form part of the final thesis;

(e) a timetable for completion;

(f) research ethics forms (if applicable);

(g) risk assessment forms (if applicable).

If submitting an articles-based/integrated thesis, students should also submit statement(s) on the contribution of each co-author, signed by all co-authors.

Full details of requirements can be found in the course handbook.

A student whose first application for Confirmation of Status is not approved is permitted to make one further application, normally within one term (two terms for part-time students) of the original application, and will granted an extension of one term (up to two terms for part-time students) if necessary. If after the second attempt the DPhil Committee can neither approve the application nor approve transfer to the MLitt, the student will be removed from the Register of Graduate Students.

5. Theses

Theses for the Degree of DPhil which exceed 100,000 words, and theses for the Degree of M.Litt. which exceed 50,000 words, excluding the bibliography, are liable to be rejected unless students have, with the support of their supervisors, been granted permission to exceed the word limit by the Graduate Studies Committee. These figures are maxima and students are advised that many successful theses have been significantly shorter.

Articles-based or Integrated theses

An articles-based thesis may be accepted for examination if it consists of a minimum of three papers of publishable quality. An integrated thesis may be accepted for examination if it consists of one or more papers combined with one or more conventional chapters. In either case, the thesis should represent a coherent and focused body of work, and should be framed by an introduction, a general survey of the literature, and a conclusion. The thesis may include co-authored papers where the greater part of the work should be directly attributable to the student, and their supervisor and co-author(s) so certify. Statements outlining the student’s contribution should be submitted with applications for Transfer and/or Confirmation of Status. The assessors will review the co-authorship statements and confirm whether the greater part of the work is that of the student. Students must also submit a statement with their Application for Appointment of Examiners demonstrating that their work represents the majority contribution to any co-authored papers.

To submit an articles-based or integrated thesis, the student must make a case, supported by their supervisor, when applying for Transfer of Status, and further confirm their intention when applying for Confirmation of Status. The assessors will need to agree the proposed format and recommend approval to the Graduate Studies Committee.

The normal overall word limit for a DPhil thesis will apply. Further guidance can be found in the course handbook.