University of London, School of Advanced Study
PhD at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies

London, United Kingdom

DEGREE TYPE

PhD

DURATION

3 up to

6 years

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time, Part time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

EARLIEST START DATE

STUDY FORMAT

Distance Learning, On-Campus

Key Summary

About : The PhD at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies offers a deep dive into commonwealth studies through rigorous research and academic inquiry. The program encourages students to explore interdisciplinary approaches to understanding history, politics, and culture within the Commonwealth framework.

Career Outcomes : Graduates can pursue diverse career paths, including academic roles, research positions, and consultancy in governmental and non-governmental organizations related to commonwealth affairs. Opportunities may also exist in heritage and cultural management, policy analysis, and international relations.

Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.

With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words. Broadly speaking the focus of research degrees has increasingly been on the humanities and cognate social sciences, particularly on the subjects of human rights, globalization and development, politics, and Commonwealth history.

This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.

The Institute of Commonwealth Studies

The Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) is the only postgraduate academic institution in the UK devoted to the study of the Commonwealth. The Institute has been supervising interdisciplinary doctoral degrees for over half a century.

The focus of research degrees has increasingly been on the humanities and cognate social sciences, particularly on the subjects of human rights, globalization and development, politics, and Commonwealth history.

You'll pursue academic interests in the friendly and supportive environment of the Institute, where your research will be enhanced by the outstanding libraries of the University of London, including the Institute’s prestigious collection. The Institute offers a unique scholarly environment and you'll be able to draw on the wide-ranging expertise of our staff.

The School of Advanced Study

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national center for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.

Course structure

The degree can be taken full-time over three years (or a maximum of four) or part-time over five years (or a maximum of six), with entry in either October or January.

You'll initially be registered for our MPhil and then, providing your progress has been satisfactory, be upgraded to our Ph.D. program.

The primary activity of the Ph.D. program is the writing of a thesis of up to 100,000 words. There is no formal coursework, but you will be expected to participate in a weekly seminar on Work in Progress and to present a paper every year from your second year onwards. In your first year, you are required to attend a weekly class on Techniques of Scholarship. You're also encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at the Institute during the academic year.

After submission of the thesis, you will attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner, from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another British university. Graduates are awarded a University of London degree.

Distance Learning

The School of Advanced Study offers students with an appropriate topic and level of local resources the opportunity to undertake a Ph.D. by distance learning. These students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their location. This option is available to UK, EU, and international students on the same basis as our on-campus Ph.D. programs (three years full-time, six years part-time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus Ph.D. programs. Please note that not all institutes and supervisors offer this option and that some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way.

Subject areas

The Institute of Commonwealth Studies(Opens in a new window) offers doctoral research supervision in the following broad areas:

Human rights
Ecocide, environmental destruction, and human rights
Genocide studies
African politics, governance, and development
Ethnicity: conflict and accommodation in plural societies
Protection of refugees
Minority and Indigenous rights protection
Dynamics of armed conflict and forced displacement
Twentieth-century British and Commonwealth History
Globalization, security, and conflict
The Commonwealth as an international organisation
British Imperial history, including decolonization
European colonialism from a comparative perspective
Post-colonial legacies in the Commonwealth and beyond
Non-governmental public actors, civil society, and development
British and Commonwealth intelligence communities

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of the Institute's academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal.