Our research activities are primarily supported through the Sociology Research Group, which provides an intellectual and research community for students undertaking the PhD/Mphil in Sociology. The group brings together staff and visiting researchers working across a wide range of sociological interests and approaches, creating a stimulating environment in which students can develop their ideas, engage with current debates and connect with researchers beyond their immediate supervisory team.

Students may also benefit from engagement with the Department’s Social, Cultural & Historical Geography Group, the Geopolitics, Development, Security and Justice Research Group, the Centre for GeoHumanities and other research exchange opportunities in our Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Where relevant to their research interests, these wider networks offer valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary dialogue, collaboration and engagement with researchers working across different fields.

Throughout the academic year, our research groups host seminars, workshops and other events, with research students encouraged to participate, present their work and contribute to scholarly discussion. Students can also take the initiative by organising their own conferences, workshops and seminar series, developing valuable experience in academic event organisation, collaboration and knowledge exchange.

We place a strong emphasis on supporting doctoral researchers to become confident, independent scholars while developing skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Students are encouraged and supported to present their research at conferences in the UK and internationally, and benefit from activities including mock vivas, annual reviews and professional development events. Throughout their doctoral studies, students receive guidance on developing their research skills, managing the demands of doctoral study, meeting key milestones and planning for careers both within and beyond academia.

First Year

Before the start of the academic year in September, all new research students take part in an Induction Programme. This introduces you to Royal Holloway, the Department of Geography and Sociology, and the facilities, resources and procedures available to research students. You will also take part in sessions designed to help you understand what to expect from doctoral study and how to make the most of your research degree.

In the first year, work on your own research project is coupled with general training in sociological research methods run both our Department and by the Doctoral School. Training modules take place during the first term of the first year (for full-time students) or can be spread over two years (for part-time students). 

Depending on your project and individual training needs, you may also undertake additional modules or audit relevant MA-level courses within Sociology, Geography or another subject area. You are encouraged to make use of the wider academic environment at Royal Holloway and across the University of London by attending seminars, conferences and other research events. There may also be opportunities to participate in training and courses offered through networks such as SeNSS (South East Network of Social Sciences) and CHASE (Consortium for the Humanities and Arts South East England).

From the beginning of your programme you will receive regular supervision, and you will be expected to produce work to be discussed in supervision. There is an ‘annual review’ every 12 months where your progress is formally reviewed by an internal panel. This is the same for both full-time and part-time students.

 

Fieldwork and upgrade from MPhil to PhD

Unless you are writing a theoretical dissertation, your fieldwork or other process of data collection will typically start sometime between your first and your second year (after you have obtained ethical clearance for the research).

Between 18 and 24 months from your initial date of registration you are required to present a detailed thesis outline and two draft chapters for consideration by an internally appointed panel of examiners. This formal assessment (also referred to as 'upgrade') includes a formal presentation to this panel. Following upgrade, students are officially registered as PhD candidates and are expected to submit the thesis by the end of their third year of full time study, or at the latest by the end of their fourth year (part-time by the end of the 8th year).

Candidates for a place on the MPhil/PhD programme will have undergraduate and taught Masters degrees in a relevant subject. The Masters degree would typically have included training in advanced research methods, and be awarded with a Distinction or high Merit.

The Department welcomes applications from suitably qualified and highly motivated candidates. The application process for our postgraduate research programmes is interactive.

Please follow these steps for enquiring about and applying for a PhD in Sociology:

1. Make an informal enquiry before you apply

In the first instance, you should check the research interests of members of academic staff  to see who is active in the area that you are interested in. Follow the drop-down menu for Criminology and Sociology to identify staff with relevant expertise. When you have identified a potential supervisor (with relevant expertise to your proposed research), send to them an outline research proposal and a CV, setting out your qualifications and experience. You should expect to have a series of discussions with this member of staff (by email, by telephone/MSTeams, or in person) about the project, options for funding, and your career aspirations. These discussions will help the member of staff decide whether or not they would be an appropriate supervisor for your proposed project, if they have availability for supervision.

2. Submit an application

When a member of staff has agreed in principle to supervise your project, you should then submit an application form using the online application system. Ensure that you indicate the name of the proposed supervisor/s.

One of the most important aspects of your application is the research proposal. The purpose of the research proposal is two-fold: first, to help determine whether your topic corresponds with the interests and expertise of the proposed supervisor(s) and, second, to make clear how the research will make an original contribution to theoretical and applied knowledge in the field.

The proposal is important as it will allow the Department to assess your aptitude for doctoral-level research, to allocate supervision appropriately, and to ensure we are fully able to support the study you propose. Although you are required formally to submit the proposal with your application for doctoral study, it is a document you should develop in discussion with a member of staff in the Department of Law and Criminology before you submit this formally.

The proposal should be approximately 2,000 words in length (excluding the reference list) and include the following sections:

a. Title

At this stage, a working title that summarises the proposed focus is more than adequate.

b. Introduction, Research Question and Rationale

The introduction should, in a succinct way, provide an overview of, and rationale for, the proposed project. You should explain the project focus, main research question and broad aims, and how it will make an original contribution to theory and practice. The introductory section needs to outline the basic argument the thesis intends to advance, as well as what it will aim to demonstrate. In simple terms, explain what the project is about, why it is innovative, why the project matters, why you are the right person to undertake it, and why the Department of Law and Criminology is the most appropriate place to be based.

c. Literature Review

Any proposed project should make clear how it relates to existing research on the topic (or related topics). In this section, you should summarise the current state of scholarship on your topic and explain the ways in which your project will draw from, and build on, that work. In this part of the proposal, you are demonstrating your knowledge of the field and the ways in which your project will make meaningful contributions.

d. Data and Methodology

Detail the sources of data (qualitative and/or quantitative) that you will require in order to answer your research questions and the specific methods you intend to apply in order to collect or generate those data. You should offer a clear explanation for your selection of research methods: Why one method rather than another?

This section should also offer an account of your analytical strategy. How will you make sense of your data? Will you require any specialist software to complete that analysis? Will your project involve fieldwork? If so, to where? How will that fieldwork be financed and supported?

Include a section on the ethical implications of your proposed topic. Which ethical issues are raised by your project? How do you intend to address them?

e. Proposed thesis structure and timeline

In this section you should outline the structure of your thesis and demonstrate that you have thought about how you are going to structure and organise the argument put forward in your thesis. Additionally, you should propose a timeline for your project, and demonstrate how you think you will organise your time in the three years you will work on your thesis.

f. Reference list

List here, using the citation system common to your discipline, the sources referred to in the proposal.

3. After applying

All applications are subject to review by a panel of academic members of staff in the Department of Law and Criminology. Applicants will be informed of the outcome as soon as the panel has met.

Candidates for a place on the MPhil/PhD programme will have undergraduate and taught Masters degrees in a relevant subject. The Masters degree would typically have included training in advanced research methods, and be awarded with a Distinction or high Merit.

The Department welcomes applications from suitably qualified and highly motivated candidates. The application process for our postgraduate research programmes is interactive.

Please visit this link to enquire about applying for a PhD/Mphil in Sociology.

 

Our PhD graduates have gone on to build successful careers in a wide range of professional settings, including universities in the UK and internationally, as well as in public, third-sector and professional organisations.

We are committed to helping you translate your doctoral research into a strong foundation for your future career. The Department supports opportunities for PhD students to undertake placements with external organisations, enabling you to develop professional experience, build networks, strengthen employability skills and explore how your research can generate impact beyond academia. Through research, knowledge exchange and engagement with external partners, you will have opportunities to develop the confidence and skills to take your expertise into a wide range of academic and professional environments.

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £5,238

EU and International students tuition fee per year**: £

Other essential costs***: There are no individual costs greater than £50 per item.

…How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries. 

* and ** These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2026/27.

* This figure is the fee for the academic year 2026/27 and is shown as a guide. Please note that for research courses, we adopt the minimum fee level recommended by the UK Research Councils for the Home tuition fee. Each year, the fee level is adjusted in line with inflation (currently, the measure used is the Treasury GDP deflator). Fees displayed here are therefore subject to change and are usually confirmed in the spring of the year of entry. For more information on the Research Council Indicative Fee please see the UKRI website.

** This figure is the fee for EU and international students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2027/28.  

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase fees for all students annually. For further information see fees and funding.

*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2027/28 academic year and are included as a guide. Refers to specific individual items of £50 or more, and excludes accommodation, commuting, food, books/other learning materials and printing costs.