Interdisciplinary Policy Studies PhD

Overview:

The School of Education, Communication and Society (ECS) at King’s College London is a leading home of interdisciplinary social science research, with particular strengths in public policy, STEM education and linguistics. It was ranked 2nd in the UK for research quality in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). We are looking for outstanding candidates to join a supportive and dynamic research community.

Students are supervised by staff in one or more of our three Research Centres:

Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Centre for Public Policy Research
Centre for Language Discourse and Communication

In addition to its world-leading academic contributions, the School has a proud history of contributing to public policy debates and the concerns of professional communities of practice across multiple sectors, both nationally and internationally. We provide programmes of study that lead doctoral students to the cutting edge of knowledge, and help education professionals critically analyse, research and effectively respond to changes in thinking and policy in their fields.

We recommend that prospective students read through the Research Centre webpages to find their preferred area of research and potential supervisor.

Description:

The School offers extensive research training and supervision on a wide range of policy related themes including user and practitioner experiences and perspectives in health and social care, culture and the arts, youth work and education; equality and social justice; identity and social change; professional values and ethics; and public sector reform.

There is a particular emphasis on rigorous interdisciplinary and critical perspectives with staff and students working in and across a range of disciplines.

We also run MPhil and PhD programmes in Education Research and Language, Discourse & Communication. We are home to a range of research projects, funded by research councils (ESRC and AHRC) and major charities (e.g. Wellcome, Leverhulme and Nuffield).

Course study environment:

The department offers a supportive, lively and outward-looking intellectual environment. You will be allocated two supervisors who will work with you through your studies, and there are regular seminars linked to each of our Research Centres, as well as a programme of departmental seminars. As part of a large multi-faculty institution, students also have the opportunity to build close ties across the College, as well as active cross-institutional links. There are plenty of opportunities for informal interaction and designated study rooms for doctoral students.