Politics PhD / MPhil

Overview

Doctoral Research at the Department of Politics, University of Liverpool

A PhD is an international qualification that proves your ability to make an original contribution to knowledge in a specific area of research. It opens the door to a fulfilling and varied career in Academia, teaching and researching at any university in the UK or internationally. A PhD degree from the University of Liverpool is recognised across the globe and comes with the pedigree of a Russell Group institution, a small group of UK universities that subscribe to extraordinary standards and quality of research.

Staff in the Department of Politics are world-leading experts in their respective research fields and are happy to share and impart their knowledge in the training and mentoring of PhD researchers. Our staff publish in high-impact academic journals, publish and edit books and collections, engage with national and international decision- and policy-makers in national governments and international organisations, and disseminate their views and analysis of current events through national and international media outlets.

Our PhD researchers are mentored to join this international and vibrant world of research, analysis, networking, and knowledge-exchange. Through regular events, workshops, trainings and attendance at conferences, PhD researchers are part of this community and learn to navigate and contribute to its production of knowledge.

Research support

The Department of Politics is a thriving community of 28 academic staff that boasts a wide range of specialisms, which are mapped onto our key research clusters. Each member of staff and each PhD researcher is associated with at least one cluster.

• Government, Parties and Elections
• Peace and Conflict
• Human Rights and Social Justice
• Governance, Policy and Civil Society.

The Department of Politics also hosts a research centres and two research networks, which further support and focus our research. As with the clusters, staff and PhD researchers are encouraged to join and participate.

• Europe and the World Centre
• The Network for the Interface of Classics and Politics
• The Antislavery Knowledge Network.

Facilities and support

All PhD candidates are assigned two supervisors, a primary and a secondary supervisor, who mentor, train, and guide the PhD researcher through regular meetings, reading of draft chapters, and support for endeavours like attending conferences or preparing publications. In their first year, all PhD candidates attend training sessions in methods and research design to ensure they develop the tools needed to successfully undertake their independent research. In addition, Liverpool University offers a wide range of specialised courses and workshops through Engage@Liverpool. An annual progress process ensures that PhD researchers receive the support they need and that their progress is in line with the requirements of passing the Viva Voce final examination, which bestows the degree.

PhD researchers are fully integrated into the research and community life at the Department of Politics. This includes participation in the research clusters, centres, and networks, presenting work at the departmental research seminars and conferences.

PhD researchers have individual office spaces in the School’s PhD Room which also features a kitchen and social space for networking and community activities. This enables Politics PhD researchers to meet and mingle with their peers from History, Archaeology/Classics/Egyptology, Irish Studies and Languages, Cultures, and Film. Each full-time PGR researchers is entitled to an annual bursary to finance research-related expenses and trips.