The School promotes a culture that is both welcoming and intellectually challenging for research students.
The many reasons for studying here include:
Research Topics
We can provide supervision across a diverse range of research areas. Research in the School is organised around our Research Centres and Institutes which bring together the research interests and activities of both staff and research students.
Staff
All members of academic staff are active researchers, whose work is recognised both nationally and internationally as indicated by the number of awards and prizes bestowed.
Staff consistently produce high quality publications and contribute to leading journals in the field.
Intellectual Environment
We host a range of seminars and conferences which reflect the diverse research interest of staff and students within the School. This includes conferences organised by research students themselves, such as the regional conference of the UK Political Studies Association conference. The weekly colloquium is organised by the research students and facilitated by the Director of Postgraduate Research, and acts as a supportive forum for presenting work in progress and advancing research.
Research students are encouraged to attend national and international conferences and can apply for funding for this purpose.
Support
Each research student's project is supported by two members of academic staff, overseen by the Director of Postgraduate Research. This can include supervisors from outside the School where this is appropriate.
All full time students are provided with a workspace equipped with a networked computer, with a generous printing and photocopy allowance.
Students are also given the opportunity to apply for funding to attend workshops and conferences.
Students are encouraged to undertake the teaching courses offered by the University's Graduate School; which also provide training in a range of transferable skills and research methods. Students who have taken the teacher training course are eligible, from their second year onwards, to teach undergraduate students. We do our best to offer teaching experience to all qualified research students who want to teach.
Activities
The School's research student community organises social events during the academic year, which complement those offered by the Graduate School and the University's various social networks, which research students can take full advantage of.