Sustainable Urban Development DPhil

The Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Sustainable Urban Development is a part-time doctoral programme that provides outstanding students an opportunity to pursue in-depth and rigorous research about the pressing challenges of urban sustainability and the processes of environmental, economic, and social development in urban environments around the world.

Structure, content and assessment

Students admitted to the programme are usually motivated to undertake detailed research in preparation for an academic career and other research-intensive occupations; to have a substantial impact on future policy-making processes; or to pursue and/or advance their professional career at organizations and institutions operating in the field of sustainable urban development. The course provides support and an intellectual environment by leading scholars in the field to pursue your own independent research.

Pattern of teaching, learning and supervision

This is a part-time DPhil programme, taken over a minimum of four years and a maximum of eight years. Students admitted to this degree will conduct their own research under the guidance of a University supervisor, who will advise on all aspects of training, development and academic progress.

As a student on the DPhil, you will be required to attend a minimum of 30 days of university-based work each year for the duration of your studies, to be arranged with the agreement of the supervisor.

In being admitted to the degree you must be prepared to work independently a good deal, and you will need considerable personal motivation. You are required to have a good general knowledge of the field within which research falls and of the methods appropriate to the study of this field. Throughout the period of study, you will be part of a thriving international graduate community of students engaged with sustainable urban development, including students on the part-time MSc in Sustainable Urban Development.

You will be admitted initially as a Probationary Research Student (PRS), in line with University regulations on doctorates. During the probationary period, you will develop and begin work on the thesis topic. You will develop research skills through a range of training and skills development primarily offered via the Department for Continuing Education Graduate School, as well as across the University.

Students must apply for a Transfer of Status from PRS to DPhil status between the 6th and the 8th academic term after admission, each academic year at Oxford having three terms. This involves the submission of a piece of written work that is examined by two assessors, neither of whom will be supervisors. This process is to ensure that your work is of potential DPhil quality and that the methodology of the research is appropriate and feasible. Upon successful completion of the Transfer of Status, you would usually undertake a period of primary fieldwork/data collection over one to two years.

You will also be required to apply for a Confirmation of Status as DPhil sometime between the 12th and 18th term after admission. This will also involve the submission of a piece of written work that is assessed by two assessors, neither of whom are supervisors. The Confirmation of Status assessment is different to the Transfer of Status assessment as the assessors will be focusing on how the research is progressing, the quality of the draft chapters/papers, and on the plan for completion. The assessors will be looking to ensure that the student is making the appropriate amount of progress in the development of your thesis, so that thesis submission will be achieved within the time limit.