29 PhD programmes offered by the university

The DPhil Criminology at University of Oxford is offered as either a full-time three to four year degree, or a part-time six to eight year degree.

As a Migration Studies DPhil student from University of Oxford you will undertake your own original research project under the guidance of your supervisor. 

At University of Oxford, the DPhil in Anthropology is the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography’s advanced research degree, and is awarded to candidates who have completed a substantial original piece of research in the field. 

The DPhil in Public Policy at University of Oxford provides academically outstanding students who are committed to public service an unrivalled opportunity to study for a rigorous research degree that prepares them to have substantial impact on future policymaking processes.

The DPhil (doctoral) programme in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences at University of Oxford provides an opportunity for highly-qualified students to undertake innovative Internet-related research.

The Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford entails the carrying out of a research project and writing a thesis of between 75,000 and 100,000 words. 

The DPhil in Sociology at the University of Oxford provides academically outstanding students an unrivalled opportunity for those who would like to undertake original and independent research in preparation for an academic career and other research-intensive occupations.

This Social Data Science degree at the University of Oxford will train individuals to develop and adapt techniques such as machine learning to analyse large, structured and unstructured, complex datasets in order to improve decision making and answer social science research questions.

The Department of Social Policy and Intervention at University of Oxford offers a DPhil in Social Policy and welcomes students from across the world. Research students are an important part of the department’s community, and you will be fully involved and immersed in the life of the department.

The DPhil in Politics at the University of Oxford is a three- to four-year course of full-time doctoral study, or six to eight years of part-time study, which is intended for students who would like to undertake detailed research in preparation for an academic career in political science or political theory. 

The Area Studies (South Asia) programme offered by University of Oxford is a research-based course exploring South Asia through interdisciplinary approaches, covering politics, gender, history, anthropology, economics, and international relations.

The DPhil in International Development at University of Oxford provides an opportunity for outstanding students to pursue in-depth multi- and interdisciplinary research, guided by leading scholars in the field, into processes of social, political and economic development and change in the global South.

The Area Studies (Latin America) programme offered by University of Oxford is a research-based course exploring Latin America through interdisciplinary approaches, covering politics, economics, sociology, religion, and international relations.

The DPhil in Area Studies (China) is a research-based course focused on contemporary China through topics like politics, sociology, economics, history, and culture; using interdisciplinary social science approaches. The Area Studies (China) programme is offered at University of Oxford.

The DPhil in English Local History at the University of Oxford draws on the Department for Continuing Education’s knowledge and skills, which have been acquired over many years of providing specialist classes in local history, and profiting from close links with local, social and economic historians elsewhere in the University.

The DPhil in Classical Archaeology at the University of Oxford provides you with the opportunity to pursue substantial independent research from within a wide range of periods and subjects, ranging from the prehistoric Aegean through the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods to Byzantium.

At University of Oxford, the DPhil International Relations programme is a full-time programme of doctoral research in the academic study of International Relations with an expected length of three to four years of full-time study or six to eight years of part-time study. 

At University of Oxford, the DPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies' main research degree. 

The Department of Social Policy and Intervention at University of Oxford offers an interdisciplinary DPhil in Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation and welcomes students from across the world.

The DPhil in Area Studies (Japan) is a research-based course exploring Japan through interdisciplinary approaches, covering topics such as history, politics, sociology, language, and the labour market. The Area Studies (Japan) programme is offered at University of Oxford.