178 PhD programmes offered by the university

Within the History discipline at The Open University UK a specific research group is devoted to the study of criminal justice history: the Centre for the History of Crime, Policing and Criminal Justice.

Language and Policy is a key topic within the Language and Literacies Research Cluster at The Open University UK.

Astrochemistry at The Open University UK is the study of molecules in space, how they form, where they form, and what role they play in shaping the formation and evolution of astrophysical systems, particularly in star and planet formation.

The Social and Sustainable Enterprise (SSE) research cluster at The Open University UK addresses the connections between entrepreneurial activity, innovation and the transition towards environmentally and socially sustainable ways of doing business.

Our Molecular Clusters research at The Open University UK explores photon, ion, and electron-driven processes in molecules and clusters.

Housed in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at The Open University UK, the Mathematics Education Group’s research covers: Participation in mathematics including gender issues and mathematical resilience, Mathematics teacher learning, and Technology in Teaching and Learning.

At The Open University UK we investigate Cardiovascular Research from the level of single cell all the way to the patient.

The Literacy and Social Justice research area at The Open University UK is located in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport.

Sound Studies at The Open University UK is an expanding field of research that examines concepts, practices and technologies relevant to auditory culture.

The Gender and Otherness in the Humanities (GOTH) research group at The Open University UK engages with various fields, including English Literature, Creative Writing, Music, History, Theatre Studies, Art History and Classical Studies, to explore topics related to themes of gender and otherness.  

The Open University UK Nursing team includes academics and practitioners who undertake research into nursing and related healthcare topics.

The Department of Art History at The Open University UK welcomes proposals situated in 18th-century art, architecture and design in this Eighteenth-Century Art and Visual Culture programme.

The study of exoplanets is a rapidly moving field at the forefront of Astrophysics. This Exoplanets and Planetary Physics programme is offered at The Open University UK.

Research interests in this Early Modern Britain and Europe area at The Open University UK include social, political and cultural history in Britain, Ireland and Continental Europe between 1550 and 1750.

Research in this Migration, Gender and Generation area at The Open University UK is part of the SSGS Research Centre for Global Challenges and Social Justice, which provides spaces for research students to take part in academic seminars and the annual research festival, and offers informal discussion and training spaces for postgraduate students.

In response to the current crisis of species extinctions across the globe, research within Biodiversity and Conservation at The Open University UK focuses on the evolution and maintenance of biodiversity with particular emphasis on conservation biology.

Death, Dying and Bereavement has been a major research and teaching theme in the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at The Open University UK for over 20 years.

As a process by which firms and industries evolve to deliver economic and social change, innovation is credited to raise productivity, improve living standards, increase competitiveness, and potentially mitigate climate change. This Economics and Policy of Innovation and Industry programme is offered at The Open University UK.

Multicultural Life, Citizenship, Difference, Political Conflict and Social Divisions research is part of the Sociology research group at The Open University UK.

Music Computing research The Open University UK is focused on empowering musicians, illuminating musical activities, and modelling music perception and cognition.