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  • Postgraduate Research

Postgraduate Research

The School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work comprises colleagues from a range of disciplinary groups including Criminology, Education, Social Policy, Social Work and Sociology.

In addition to promoting the strength of our core disciplines and social science more generally, staff in the School are committed to cross-disciplinary work on global challenges and to creativity and innovation in research agendas and methodologies.

We welcome students who want to develop their research potential in a vibrant research community that prioritises the cross-fertilisation of ideas and innovation in the advancement of knowledge.

School research is informing thinking and the development of policies in many areas including the wellbeing of children, social cohesion and mental health. View our key interdisciplinary research themes, which include:

  • Education: Advancing Understanding, Improving Outcomes
  • Children, Young People and Families: Policy and Practice
  • Crime and Criminal Justice
  • Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion
  • Peace in Societies

Applying for a PhD/Integrated PhD

To initially discuss postgraduate research options in our school, please contact Dr Dirk Schubotz (Director of Graduate Research Studies). If you're considering a research degree with us, you will need to identify and make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss your research idea before you apply. Read our How to Apply page for more information including guidance on writing a research proposal.

Why study for a PhD/Integrated PhD at Queen’s?

Our doctoral students play a full and active role in relation to the wide range of research activities in the School. They organise and lead their own regular programme of postgraduate student activities including seminars and conferences.

You are expected to become involved in the research culture of the School and our Research Centres frequently hold seminars and events that will be of relevance to you as you progress through the programme. The School's newsfeed is regularly updated with information about events and you are encouraged to consult this regularly.

We offer office space and a computer as well as supporting the travel costs of students presenting at conferences. Many of our research students contribute to our undergraduate degree teaching as University Tutors. Our doctoral students play a full and active role in relation to the wide range of research activities in the School.

If you're considering a research degree with us, you will need to make contact with a potential supervisor before you apply.

Read our How to Apply page for more information including guidance on writing a research proposal.

Marie Coleman and students 800x533
Find a PhD Supervisor

If you already have a research proposal idea, start the process of joining our research community by talking to an academic supervisor.

Find a PhD supervisor

STUDY OPTIONS

  • Postgraduate Research
    Postgraduate Research Courses
    Course Qualification Duration
    Social Work PhD 3 Academic Years
    Duration 3 Academic Years
    Description

    You’ll be a social scientist committed to ways of working, through multidisciplinary research, that build knowledge and capacities in the communities around us and have a positive impact on human wellbeing. You’ll care about young people and families, conflict and social change, social inequality, disability, ageing and health, criminal justice, drugs and alcohol, trauma, violence and abuse....

    Sociology PhD 3 Academic Years
    Duration 3 Academic Years
    Description

    You’ll be a social scientist committed to ways of working, through multidisciplinary research, that build knowledge and capacities in the communities around us and have a positive impact on human wellbeing. You’ll care about young people and families, conflict and social change, social inequality, disability, ageing and health, criminal justice, drugs and alcohol, trauma, violence and abuse....

    Education PhD 3 Academic Years
    Duration 3 Academic Years
    Description

    You’ll be part of a dynamic doctoral research environment and will study alongside students from over 25 different countries; we supervise students undertaking research in key educational areas including: education in divided societies; effective education; children’s rights in education; educational assessment and inclusion.

    As part of a lively community of over 200 full-time....

    Education (Integrated) PhD 4 Academic Years
    Duration 4 Academic Years
    Description

    The Integrated PhD in Education is designed to prepare you for doctoral-level study by providing a year of taught research-focused modules before you move on to your PhD research.

    The programme is suitable for all those wishing to engage in research but should appeal to those who have the basis of a research project but require additional support to develop this into a feasible PhD study.....

    Sociology (Integrated) PhD 4 Academic Years
    Duration 4 Academic Years
    Description

    The Integrated PhD in Education is designed to prepare you for doctoral-level study by providing a year of taught research-focused modules before you move on to your PhD research.

    The programme is suitable for all those wishing to engage in research but should appeal to those who have the basis of a research project but require additional support to develop this into a feasible PhD study.

    The....

    Social Policy (Integrated) PhD 4 Academic Years
    Duration 4 Academic Years
    Description

    The Integrated PhD in Education is designed to prepare you for doctoral-level study by providing a year of taught research-focused modules before you move on to your PhD research.

    The programme is suitable for all those wishing to engage in research but should appeal to those who have the basis of a research project but require additional support to develop this into a feasible PhD study.

    The....

    Criminology (Integrated) PhD 4 Academic Years
    Duration 4 Academic Years
    Description

    The Integrated PhD in Education is designed to prepare you for doctoral-level study by providing a year of taught research-focused modules before you move on to your PhD research.

    The programme is suitable for all those wishing to engage in research but should appeal to those who have the basis of a research project but require additional support to develop this into a feasible PhD study.

    The....

    Social Work (Integrated) PhD 4 Academic Years
    Duration 4 Academic Years
    Description

    The Integrated PhD in Education is designed to prepare you for doctoral-level study by providing a year of taught research-focused modules before you move on to your PhD research.

    The programme is suitable for all those wishing to engage in research but should appeal to those who have the basis of a research project but require additional support to develop this into a feasible PhD study.

    The....

Use the expanders below to compare our PhD and Integrated PhD programmes.

  • PhD
    • Duration: 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time
    • Thesis length: 80,000 words, including references, bibliography and appendices (other than documentary appendices).

    You will produce a traditional thesis, or, in the case of creative practice projects, your original creative works and an integrated critical analysis. If you are on an Integrated PhD pathway you normally commence your programme with taught modules and research topic options before completing the supervised research project.

    The PhD programme is open to both full and part time candidates and is often a useful preparation for a career within academia or consultancy.

    Full time students are often attracted to research degree programmes because they offer an opportunity to pursue in some depth an area of academic interest.
    The part time research degree is an exciting option for professionals already working in the education field who are seeking to extend their knowledge on an issue of professional interest. Often part time candidates choose to research an area that is related to their professional responsibilities.

    There is no specific course content as such.  You are expected to take research training modules that are supported by the School which focus on quantitative and qualitative research methods.  You are also expected to carry out your research under the guidance of your supervisor.

    Over the course of study you will attend postgraduate skills training organised by the Graduate School, carry out a piece of independent research and complete a thesis of 80,000 words. The thesis is awarded after a successful oral examination with an internal and external examiner.

    How do I Apply?

  • Integrated PhD
    • Duration: 4 years full-time; 7 years part-time
    • Thesis length: 80,000 words (including references, bibliography and appendices).

    The Integrated PhD is a hybrid interdisciplinary programme, made up of taught and research elements. It is ideal if you want to study for a PhD but don't have a Master's degree in a relevant subject or if you are an international student who needs additional support adjusting to the UK education system. You can benefit from studying and learning together with fellow students with research projects in Criminology, Education, Social Policy, Social Work and Sociology.

    Integrated PhDs are Research Degree Programmes, where the main focus is on research outputs, however the Master's level taught component allows you to develop important specialist and transferable skills.

    You are required to undertake one-year of Master's level taught modules (full-time) followed by research that represents a distinct contribution to knowledge in one of five areas: Education, Criminology, Social Policy, Sociology or Social Work (full-time or part-time).

    Year 1 involves taught modules equivalent to an MRes, followed by either 3 years (full-time) or 6 years (part-time) of PhD study in one of 5 subject areas: Criminology, Education. Social Policy, Sociology and Social Work. The first year aims to provide you with training to prepare for your PhD research, which isn't available to students taking the traditional PhD programme.

    You can exit the programme with an MRes degree should you choose not to continue to the PhD element.

    How do I Apply?

RESEARCH SUPPORT
SUPPORT AND FACILITIES

Research in the our School is supported by the outstanding resources of our Library with its Subject Librarian and subject-specific journals and databases.

Our close links and partnerships with local and international health and social care agenices, government departments, post-primary schools and many vocational organisations and NGOs make Queen's University the ideal place for postgraduate study in Education, Social Sciences and Social Work.


PHD PROFILES

PHOTO: Clare Kilgannon
Clare Kilgallon

An exploration of the links between SEN student’s acceptance of support and attainment in inclusive classrooms and their awareness of interventionist and pathognomonic practice.

The purpose of this study is to explore Special Educational Needs (SEN) student’s cognizance of interventionist and pathognomonic beliefs and practice, and how these affect their willingness to engage with additional SEN support, and their success and participation in inclusive schools. 

I will examine SEN students’ own beliefs about whether their conception of inclusion and the interventionist-pathognomonic belief system conceived by academics and teachers matches their own conceptions and awareness. This conception will then be compared to existing academic models, and students’ beliefs will be examined for correlation with their acceptance of aid and personal sense of achievement at school. This research aims to refine our understanding of pathognomonic and interventionist beliefs and the associated teaching practices as a means of offering mainstream teachers an effective set of tools to aid the learning and inclusion of SEN pupils based upon said pupils own lived experiences and expertise.

I first graduated with a degree in Law and Politics from QUB, followed by a Masters in Irish History and Politics from Ulster University and finally a Masters of Inclusion and Special Education from QUB. My interest in my current research comes from having been a SEN student myself, followed by 8 years working as a learning support assistant with SEN pupils in mainstream schools and my completion of the Inclusion and Special Educational needs Master's program at Queens. I have chosen to use participatory action research and Young Person's Advisory Groups to ensure my research fully takes advantage of the expertise and knowledge of SEN pupils and to ameliorate some of the more traditional power imbalance between researcher and researched.

PRIMARY SUPERVISOR: Dr Alison MacKenzie

SECONDARY SUPERVISOR: Dr Jennifer Roberts

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PHOTO: Mohammed Owaineh
Mohammed Owianeh

Epistemic Injustices and Capability Opportunities: Understanding Palestinian Girls Well-being in Education 

My research aims at assessing Palestinian young girls’ opportunities to inclusive and equitable quality education in lights of the political conflict, and the socio-economic difficulties they face. I will draw heavily on Miranda Fricker's (2007) account of Epistemic Injustice and Nussbaum’s (2011) version of the capabilities approach as the frame for my argument.

I am particularly interested in contemporary social epistemic studies, especially the ones that tackles epistemic relations from a decolonial perspective. I am interested in children, women, and people with disabilities rights in contexts of conflict, particularly Palestine. I am also interested in applying the philosophies of social epistemology on works of fiction, particularly anime and manga.

PRIMARY SUPERVISOR: Prof Joanne Hughes

SECONDARY SUPERVISOR: Dr Alison Mackenzie

Link to Mohammed's Research Profile

 

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Jennifer Rose

Pedagogy of Voice: The Decoloniality of Social Judgement Criteria in Epistemic Relations

Jennifer's research explores the role of knowledge in voice practices in higher education and how knowledge contributes to the perpetuation of social inequality and injustice.

Jennifer's research interests are in the philosophy of knowledge, decoloniality, ethics, and epistemic relations in and between our social and material world. Her focus is on exploring the role of knowledge in our epistemic relations and practices and its effects in the broader society. Areas of concern that she explores are how knowledge is produced, what constitutes knowledge, how can theories of knowledge can be further developed, and what are the origins, nature, and limits of knowledge.Jennifer is from Canada where she completed a B.A. in Psychology, M.Ed. in Educational Psychology, and a M.Sc. in Education, focused on Lifelong Learning and Social Justice. 

PRIMARY SUPERVISOR: Dr Alison MacKenzie 

SECONDARY SUPERVISOR: Professor Allen Thurston 

Link to Jennifer's Research Profile

 

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PHOTO: Emilia Symington
Emilia Symington

An Investigation into the Experiences of Parents and Young People with Regards to Freedom of Expression and Religious Beliefs

Emilia Symington is a PhD candidate in the field of Children's Rights. Her thesis will look at the relationship between parents and children in an Anglican context with regards to freedom of expression and religious beliefs. Data will be collected through dyadic biographical interviews, and interpreted through a theoretical lens based on theories of resolving conflicts in human rights.

Emilia completed her BA in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Nottingham, and her MSc Children's Rights at Queens University Belfast. Her Master's thesis documented the experiences of young women in East Belfast with regards to their sex education, through holding a number of focus groups. In addition to her own project, Emilia leads a couple of undergraduate tutorials in the departments of Sociology and Social Policy.

PRIMARY SUPERVISOR: Professor Laura Lundy 

SECONDARY SUPERVISOR: Dr Mary-Louise Corr

Link to Emilia's Research Profile

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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Student innovation
Research programmes and training
group shot the graduate school 800x533
POSTGRADUATE SPACE

The Graduate School provides an exclusive postgraduate hub that values the needs of our postgraduate students. Based in the beautifully restored and remodelled Victorian Lynn library, this fully-accessible space has modern, hi-tech meeting and group study rooms, a silent study area and social spaces creating a vibrant hub for intellectual exchange and collaboration.

Visit The Graduate School


Subject pages

Criminology

Education

Social Policy

Social Work

Sociology

In This Section
Postgraduate Research
  • Study
  • Research Support and Facilities
  • Find A PhD Studentship
  • Find a PhD Supervisor
  • Fees and Funding
  • How to Apply

Subject pages

Criminology

Education

Social Policy

Social Work

Sociology

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