Sociology
MPhil/PhD
Application options include:
Course Overview
An MPhil/PhD is an advanced postgraduate research degree that requires original research and the submission of a substantial dissertation of 60,000 to 100,000 words. At Birkbeck, you are initially registered on an MPhil and you upgrade to a PhD after satisfactory progress in the first year or two. You need to find a suitable academic supervisor at Birkbeck, who can offer the requisite expertise to guide and support you through your research. Find out more about undertaking a research degree at Birkbeck.
Birkbeck supports sociologically oriented research across a number of departments, which takes a wide variety of forms depending on topic. It is frequently interdisciplinary in focus, but the common thread is a distinctively sociological perspective. Research students benefit not only from the advisory insight of leading academics, but also from a wider culture of support and advice from staff and other students undertaking social research.
The Birkbeck Institute for Social Research is a considerable resource, and provides a focus for social research across Birkbeck as a whole. It is a hub for the dissemination and discussion of critical and socially engaged social science in London and beyond. The Birkbeck Graduate Seminar, run by BISR, brings together PhD students working on empirical social research theses and aims to support and enhance the supervision students receive.
Key information
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Sociology MPhil/PhD: 7 years part-time, on campus, starting 2024-25
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Sociology MPhil/PhD: 4 years full-time, on campus, starting 2024-25
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Sociology MPhil/PhD: 7 years part-time, on campus, starting 2025-26
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Sociology MPhil/PhD: 4 years full-time, on campus, starting 2025-26
Find another course:
Highlights
- Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework with 83% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
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Entry Requirements
A good degree in sociology or a relevant subject.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses, foundation programmes and language support services to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.
Visa and funding requirements
If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.
The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:
- Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
- Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa
International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).
For full information, read our visa information for international students page.
Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.
Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.
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Fees
Sociology MPhil/PhD: 7 years part-time or 4 years full-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26
Academic year 2024–25, starting October 2024
Part-time home students: £2,539 per year
Full-time home students: £4,786 per year
Part-time international students: £7,525 per year
Full-time international students: £14,885 per yearAcademic year 2025–26, starting October 2025
To be confirmed
Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy.
If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.
Fees and finance
PhD students resident in England can apply for government loans of over £26,000 to cover the cost of tuition fees, maintenance and other study-related costs.
Flexible finance: pay your fees in monthly instalments at no extra cost. Enrol early to spread your costs and reduce your monthly payments.
We offer a range of studentships and funding options to support your research.
Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.
International scholarships
We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship.
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Our research culture
We seek to teach and research issues of fundamental importance to humanity and offer an invigorating educational experience, built upon our international reputation for research excellence.
Our research spans a number of fields, spanning arts and humanities, social sciences and sciences, and is notable for its collaborative, interdisciplinary and innovative nature. In all our departments there is a particular focus on issues of social justice, on pressing questions of ethics and politics, and on making academic research important to the wider community.
Read more about our vibrant research culture.
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How to apply
Follow these steps to apply to an MPhil/PhD research degree at Birkbeck:
1. Check that you meet the entry requirements, including English language requirements, as described on this page.
2. Find a potential supervisor for your MPhil/PhD research. You can look at the Find a Supervisor area on this page for an overview or search our Experts’ Database. Sociological research at Birkbeck is focused in the School of Social Sciences.
3. Contact the academic member of staff - or the school they teach in - for an informal discussion about your research interests and to establish if they are willing and able to supervise your research. (Please note: finding a potential supervisor does not guarantee admission to the research degree, as this decision is made using your whole application.) Find out more about the supervisory relationship and how your supervisor will support your research.
4. Draft a research proposal. This needs to demonstrate your knowledge of the field, the specific research questions you wish to pursue, and how your ideas will lead to the creation of new knowledge and understanding. Find out more about writing a research proposal.
5. Apply directly to Birkbeck, using the online application link on this page. All research students are initially registered on an MPhil and then upgrade to a PhD after making sufficient progress.
Find out more about the application process, writing a research proposal and the timeframe.
Application deadlines and interviews
You can apply at any time during the year. Entry for the programme is October of each year.
If you wish to apply for funding, you will need to apply by certain deadlines. Consult the websites of relevant bodies for details.
Apply for your course
Apply for your course using the apply now button in the key information section.
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Finding a supervisor
A critical factor when applying for postgraduate study in sociology is the correlation between the applicant’s intellectual and research interests and those of one or more potential supervisors.
Psychosocial studies
- Lisa Baraitser
- Claire Callender
- Stephen Frosh
- Amber Jacobs
- Yasmeen Narayan
- Margarita Palacios
- Silvia Posocco
- Bruna Seu
- Ben Gidley
- Brendan McGeever
- Kerry Harman
- Ian Sanjay Patel
- Margarita Aragon
Geography
- William Ackah
- Rosie Cox
- Jasmine Gideon
- Shino Shiode
- Penny Vera-Sanso
- Karen Wells
- Kalpana Wilson
- Mara Nogueira
- Olivia Sheringham
Film, media and cultural ctudies