PhD Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology

The University of Southampton welcomes applications from students who are interested in pursuing postgraduate research in either sociology, social policy or criminology. We welcome applications from students pursuing quantitative as well as qualitative research agendas in the areas that are directly associated with staff research interests: digital technologies/digital economies, migration, national & ethnic identities, religion, integration policies and experiences, work, employment, pensions, social movements, work & organisations in a variety of settings, families and communities, environmental problems and behaviours, criminology, prisons, cyber -crime, relationship between criminology & psychology, and methodological innovations.

All research students are registered for a PhD, and progress is conditional on successful completion of the programme of advanced courses and satisfactory progress in your research, assessed by annual review.

Research training
Your research training programme plays a vital part in ensuring you develop your research training skills in the appropriate areas to enable you to successfully complete your PhD.

If you have not studied an ESRC-recognised research training masters programme, you will be able to take the necessary modules from our MSc programmes. If you have studied an ESRC-recognised research training masters programme, you will be able to continue your training by attending activities organised by us.

Our Postgraduate Research Forum is devoted entirely to discussing substantive and methodological topics and problems which research students face. Regular seminars also provide an opportunity for you to discuss your own plans and to develop your ideas with other research students in a supportive environment. As a research student, you will find it extremely beneficial to attend the regular staff–postgraduate student seminars, where speakers present papers based on their current research, and also our annual postgraduate research days and research awaydays.