26 PhD programmes offered by the university

Sociology at the University of Sussex is an exciting place to pursue critical research in sociology, criminology and interdisciplinary fields.

Join our lively community of doctoral researchers at the University of Sussex and address some of the most important current issues in International Development (Global Studies).

From crowd behaviour to perception and studies of the brain – you’ll work with experts who will guide and support you through your research project. This Psychology programme is offered at the University of Sussex.

The PhD in Childhood and Youth Studies at the University of Sussex gives you the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge in an area of interdisciplinary interest and to hone advanced research skills.

The University of Sussex is the place to be if you want to do a Gender Studies (Social Sciences) PhD that addresses social, economic, political, professional and policy debates around gender.

In this Geography programme at the University of Sussex you’ll work with expert faculty who are major contributors to policy debates within the UK Government, the EU and other international organisations.

You’ll work with expert faculty at the cutting-edge of politics, covering Britain, Europe and international issues. This Politics programme is offered at the University of Sussex.

The PhD in Wellbeing at the University of Sussex gives you the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge in an area of interest and to hone advanced research skills.

Address the world’s growing diversity, driven by migration and mobility, with this Migration Studies PhD programme offered at the University of Sussex.

American Literature at the University of Sussex is a huge field intersecting with other global literatures, cultures and nations, reaching from the colonial period to its current, enormously powerful position. 

Join one of the leading Anthropology departments in the UK where a diverse community of expert faculty and doctoral students carry out cutting-edge research, all in this Social Anthropology prorgamme at the University of Sussex.

Politics is inextricable from human society and our teaching in this Social and Political Thought programme at the University of Sussex reflects this.

Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex engages critically with the study of everyday life – with the ‘deep ordinariness’ of the world.

This Intellectual History programme combines a long tradition in a field of scholarship pioneered at the University of Sussex with a commitment to fostering new and emerging fields of inquiry.

American History at the University of Sussex welcomes research applications focusing on the social and political history of the United States.

Are you interested in the nature of cognition, be it natural or artificial? This Cognitive Science research programme is offered at the University of Sussex.

As one of the largest concentrations of International Relations scholars in the world, our Department at the University of Sussex offers a vibrant and productive environment for you to pursue your PhD.

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) transforms the knowledge, action and leadership needed for more equitable and sustainable development globally, through our world-class research, learning and teaching at the University of Sussex.

Science and Technology Policy Studies at the University of Sussex deals with subjects from science and technology capability building in developing countries to policy and regulation in energy and high technology industries to rethinking sustainable development.

The PhD in Human Rights offered at the University of Sussex is radically interdisciplinary, spanning the social sciences and humanities.