DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences

University of Oxford

About the course

The DPhil (doctoral) course in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences provides an opportunity for highly-qualified students to undertake innovative Internet-related research.

The Oxford Internet Institute's (OII) students work on multidisciplinary research across the social sciences. Many projects fit within the following broad themes:

digital knowledge and culture

digital politics and government

education, wellbeing and digital life

ethics and philosophy of information

information geography and inequality

digital policy and online security

economics of information and the internet

online platforms and social networks.

Over this three- to four-year course (six to eight years for the part-time course), students produce an important and original piece of scholarship that will make a significant contribution to the dynamic area of internet research. OII DPhil graduates have the qualities and transferable skills necessary to excel in teaching, research, policymaking or business.

Doctoral students at the OII address research questions from across a spectrum of disciplines. OII DPhil students anchor their research in disciplinary questions (in, for instance, politics or sociology), while also situating their research in broader social science theories and methods. OII faculty are international leaders in their research fields, and their teaching and supervision reflect their innovative research. The diverse cohorts of doctoral students complement the strength of the course by providing a multidisciplinary peer network for students to engage in ideas, discussion and debate.

The DPhil course at the OII is also available on a part-time basis. The part-time course is spread over six to eight years of study and research. The part-time degree offers the flexibility of part-time study with the same high standards and requirements as the full-time DPhil course. The part-time DPhil also provides an excellent opportunity for professionals in high tech industries to undertake rigorous long-term research that may be relevant to their working life. Please visit the department website for further details on part-time doctoral study or contact the Graduate Studies Assistant.

As a part-time student you will be required to attend seminars, supervision meetings and other obligations in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year. Attendance will be required during term-time a minimum of one day each week. There will be limited flexibility in the dates and pattern of attendance, which will normally be determined by the fixed teaching and seminar schedule during term. Attendance may be required outside of term-time on dates to be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor. You will have the opportunity to tailor your part-time study in liaison with your supervisor and agree your pattern of attendance.