Doctor of Philosophy - Sociology

The University of Kent offers high-quality supervision across a wide range of areas and they work carefully to match students with a supervisor who suits the students' interests and ambitions. In addition to regular meetings with individual supervisors, all research students take part in a research training programme.

Kent's School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR)l has a long and distinguished history and is one of the largest and most successful social science research communities in Europe. In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 100% of Kent's Social Work and Social Policy research was classified as ‘world-leading’ or 'internationally excellent' for impact and environment.

The School supports a large and thriving postgraduate community, and in 2010 distributed to new students in excess of £100,000 in Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) quota awards, University and SSPSSR bursaries and scholarships.

The faculty staff are world authorities in their fields. Members attract large research grants from bodies such as the ESRC, the British Academy, Arts and Humanities Research Council, European Commission, Anglo-German Foundation, NATO, Equal Opportunities Commission, National Probation Service and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Students can take part in international symposia and research projects, and act as consultants and advisers to a wide variety of government departments, professional organisations, research funding bodies and learned journals.