Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work

Description

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A research degree offers you the opportunity to develop your research skills and prove yourself as a researcher. Queen's is committed to the enhancement of research training and teaching and offers postgraduate research opportunities across all fields of study.

Research Strategies
The School has a reputation for research that focuses on Ireland in an international context, including comparisons with Europe, the USA, the Global South and North-South Irish comparisons, including specific issues around borders.

We continue to advance scholarship in a number of areas: childhood and childcare; gender and welfare; the development of new theoretical ideas and measurement techniques in the fields of poverty and equality; historical and contemporary social and religious movements; health, illness and disability; drug use and misuse; criminality and social identities. This scholarship is pursued through a range of theoretical and empirical approaches that take account of the person-in-society.

Various methodological approaches - including qualitative, quantitative, cross-cultural, longitudinal, biographical and comparative history - are reflected in our research. We approach the fields of social work, sociology, gender studies and criminology from a broad perspective and encourage multidisciplinary approaches to the study and analysis of social phenomena. We see ourselves as social scientists committed to ways of working that interact with and build knowledge and capacities in the communities around us and have a positive impact on human well-being. Our research is organised into four themes:

* Social Issues and Policy
* Family Policy and Child Welfare
* Identities, Lifestyles and Culture
* Social Divisions and Conflict

Research Strengths
Some of the School's research strengths are:

* Adoption and fostering
* Attitude surveys
* Behavioural analysis
* Border studies
* Children in state care/leaving care
* Comparative analysis of conflict societies
* Criminality
* Drugs and alcohol use
* Gender and identity theory
* Health, illness and disability
* Historical and contemporary social movements
* Mental health, social work and social policy
* Social work and social conflict in Northern Ireland
* The sociology of religion
* Theory and measurement of poverty, inequality and social exclusion

Special Features
* The School incorporates the Institute of Child Care Research, which is unique in Queen's as it is the only unit devoted to conducting research into various aspects of the lives of children and young people.
* The School attracts significant funding each year. Our funders and partners include the research councils, government departments, the EU, Council of Europe and the large foundations.
* School research is informing thinking and the development of policies in many areas, such as the well-being of children, social cohesion, equality, physical and mental health, approaches to crime prevention and illicit drug use.
* The School's research training is recognised by the ESRC and we attract postgraduate research students from many parts of the world including several European countries, Ghana, India, Jordan, Russia, Uganda and the USA.

The School also offers a taught professional Doctorate in Childhood Studies (DChild), which aims to enable professionals working with children and/or young people to extend their professional experience and develop skills in research, evaluation and evidence-informed practice. For more information, please see 'Childhood Studies' in our Taught Programmes section.

Contents

You may study for the degree of PhD on a full-time or part-time basis, under the direction of a supervisor appointed by the University. You will be expected to submit your thesis at the end of three years of full-time registration and you will not normally be allowed more than four years in which to submit your thesis. If you are a part-time student you must satisfy the University that you will be able to meet your supervisor regularly, typically at least once a semester. You will be expected to submit your thesis at the end of six years of part-time registration and you will not normally be allowed more than eight years in which to submit your thesis.
For both full-time and part-time students, time spent in the achievement of a Masters degree will not be counted as part of the specified period of enrolment as a PhD student.

Requirements

Admission to a research degree (PhD/MPhil) normally requires at least a good second class Honours degree or an equivalent qualification. If you are not a graduate, you may still be admitted provided you hold a diploma or other qualification which the University deems to be the equivalent of a degree. After your initial registration, you will proceed to PhD study, pending successful completion of your School's differentiation process.

English Language requirements

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) requires universities to verify that non-EEA applicants have achieved a specified minimum level in English before we are permitted to issue the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) which you need to apply for a Tier 4 visa. As part of this process, the University must see evidence (normally the result of a UKBA-approved Secure English Language Test) of an applicant's English Language competence in the four components of language learning ie listening, reading, speaking and writing. Alternative qualifications may be acceptable to meet the UKBA's English language requirements, for example a degree or equivalent qualification from an institution in a country which is deemed by the UKBA to be majority English-speaking.
EEA nationals, and non-EEA applicants who are nationals of a country deemed by the UKBA to be majority English-speaking, will not be required to submit further evidence of English Language for visa purposes, but may be asked for evidence of English competency to satisfy University course entry requirements.

English Language Requirements

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa.

The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Funding

Applicants from the UK and other EU countries
Please note: Where it states 'UK residents' qualifying residency and citizenship/nationality criteria apply.

* Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) Postgraduate Research Studentships

Funded by the Department of Employment and Learning, these are offered in most subject areas.

UK residents: fees plus maintenance
Other EU residents: fees only

* DEL (CAST) Co-operative Awards in Science and Technology

These awards are for specific research projects in collaboration with an industrial sponsor in the following Schools/areas: Biomedical Sciences in School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences; School of Biological Sciences; School of Pharmacy; School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering; School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and the School of Mathematics and Physics.

UK residents: fees plus maintenance
Other EU residents: fees only

A CAST studentship may also include a contribution from the industrial collaborating body.

Visit the School websites listed above for details concerning potential DEL CAST

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Awards are available for both Masters and Doctoral degrees in humanities subject areas.

Applicants should apply via Queen's for funding and should not apply directly to AHRC.

UK residents: fees plus maintenance
Other EU residents: fees only

Queen's School Funding Opportunities

Some Schools have funding available for postgraduate PhD or taught Masters courses.

North-South Postgraduate Scholarships

Scholarships are available for students undertaking a recognised Masters or the first year of a PhD programme (taught or research) in the other Irish jurisdiction.

Applicants from outside the EU
If you are applying to Queen's from outside the EU, you are advised to explore fully the funding opportunities for studying in the UK available from sources in your own country. Some closing dates are as early as a year before commencing studies, so please make sure to apply in good time.

Some of the main awards are listed:

Department for International Development (DFID) Shared Scholarship Scheme

This award is for specific one-year taught postgraduate courses. The award cover tuition fees, a maintenance grant and travel costs. Only students from developing Commonwealth countries are eligible to apply.

British Chevening Awards

* The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds a number of British Chevening scholaships for postgraduate study, mainly for one-year taught Masters degrees.
* Candidates must apply directly to the University for admission before applying for a Chevening Scholarship. Contact the British Embassy, British High Commission or British Council Office in your own country.

Applicants from USA
If you are a US citizen, you are eligible to apply for the following awards tenable at Queen's

George J Mitchell Scholarships

Fulbright Scholarships

Mary McNeill Scholarship (for US and Canadian citizens undertaking MA Irish Studies