Compare 26 PhD Programs in Sociology

All of the Academic Divisions in the School of Social Sciences invite PhD applications.

The research areas are only broadly indicative, and our staff place great store by creative and innovative approaches to issues whether they are novel or familiar – and to intellectual analysis, both established and path-breaking.

Subjects we supervise include the following areas:

Undertaking a PhD is an exciting opportunity but can also be quite daunting as there are lots of stages to think about including application, arrival, admission, expectations, and progression to name but a few. At the School of Social Sciences, we believe it is important that, although our research students are working on individual projects, they are not working in isolation. We offer a range of opportunities for training, developing skills, regular supervision sessions and ongoing peer support.... [-]

Normal Duration: 3 or 4 years (Full-time)

Place: Hong Kong

The Department of Sociology and Social Policy has more than ten professorial members from six different countries. Since 2014, it has had 19 research postgraduate students from Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, including an outstanding record of six Hong Kong PhD Fellows. The department also offers taught MA courses, which are available to our research students. Members of staff currently have a world-leading or internationally recognised expertise in areas including:

The Doctor of Social Sciences (DSocSci) program responds to the growing demand nationally and internationally for scholar-practitioners who can provide intellectual leadership in the workplace, and help build sustainable organizations, communities, and societies in an age of global interdependence.

An alternative to traditional doctoral programs, the Doctor of Social Sciences focuses on the interdisciplinary applications of the social sciences to complex, real-world problems of direct concern to organizations, communities, and society in general.

The program of study is designed to build your knowledge and understanding of a range of applied social research methodologies and their relevance to specific practical social purposes. The DSocSci program is based on the academic and professional expertise of the faculty at Royal Roads University. Doctoral programs of study should align with one of the university’s four strategic research themes and be linked to the subject expertise of the university’s academic programming.... [-]

PhD in Anthropology and Social Change

Anthropology and Social Change is a small, innovative graduate department with a particular focus on activist scholarship, militant research, and social change. Our unique approach to ethnographic research methodology dissolves traditional barriers between research and political activism, between insiders and outsiders, and between researchers and protagonists. Ethnography is a tool for "creating the conditions we describe." We engage in the process of co-research to explore existing alternatives and possibilities for social change.

Students learn how to apply the practice of direct action to the research process with the support of talented faculty. We set out to create the conditions we describe when our research begins to embody the values of the world we want to create.... [-]

The Ph.D. program in Sociology aims to prepare students to carry out high-quality research in economic sociology and related social areas. In order to achieve this goal, we offer courses in sociological theory, methodology, stratification, economic sociology, and subject area topics. Ph.D. students are supposed to take part in research seminars from the beginning, where their topic is discussed and developed.

The program includes the following specialization areas:

Economic sociology - Migration studies - Financial culture of everyday life –

Corruption and social norms –Subjective well-being – Information technology and society – Local society – Unemployment - Labour market – Social policy –... [-]

The PhD programme in Sociology provides advanced education and academic training for professions in research and development. The study is designed as multi-paradigmatic, strong emphasis is placed on linking theory, methodology and the empirical. It seeks to reflect topical issues of contemporary society in global context.

The core PhD courses include Dissertation Colloquia; Dissertation Seminars; Methodological and Specialisation Courses; Readings in Sociological Theory; Sociological Research Practice; Theory of Quantitative and Qualitative Methodologies.

The graduates will acquire knowledge of contemporary sociological theories in the context of the canon of social thought, of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and of a chosen area of specialization. These will be complemented with selected soft skills (e.g. communication and IT skills), pedagogical and technical research skills (e.g. scholarly editing and bibliographic research). PhD students are expected to conduct their own original research leading to a doctoral dissertation and to contribute to the advancement of sociological knowledge by participating in workshops, conferences, publications and other activities of the international scholarly communities.... [-]

PhD in Design, Technology & Society

Developments in current technology offer a wide range of opportunities for creative industries. There are eight fundamental fields in the global market where creative industry can grow: design, film production, music, animation, interactive media, computer games, digital advertisement, gastronomy and cultural heritage. Creative industries need scholars and professionals who can use interdisciplinary thinking skills to develop new approaches to the utilization of display technologies and digital products. All over the world, there is an expanding need for experts who can creatively manage the convergence of different communication platforms, who can analyze, anticipate and address the changing needs and expectations of individuals (as consumers or as citizens).... [-]

The Doctorate in Social and Human Sciences of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana , seeks to contribute to:

Our Applied Social Research Doctorate is designed to transform the way you think as a professional and ensure you can make a powerful impact in your field.

If you’re an experienced professional who wants to advance your expertise and broaden your career opportunities, this course is an ideal match. From the outset, you’ll gain high-quality research skills that can be immediately applied in the workplace and refined through access to seminars and advanced training opportunities. You’ll also benefit from the guidance of our expert staff and your interaction with fellow professionals and executives from a range of social science backgrounds.

The course is highly flexible and attendance is kept to a minimum to ensure you can fit your studies around your career. You’ll also have the opportunity to fine-tune your Doctorate based on your profession – choosing one of six pathways:... [-]

Ph.D. in Economic and Organizational Sociology

The Ph.D. Economic and Organizational Sociology was established by the Technical University of Lisbon in 1991 and adapted to the European Higher Education Area in 2009. This 3rd cycle course aims to provide high-quality academic training in economic and organizational sociology and produce original research in this field. The course is taught in scientific partnership with the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon (ICS/UL) and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the New University of Lisbon (FCSH/UNL).

Host centers

The research undertaken in ISEG’s research centers provides important support for students in Ph.D. programs.... [-]

DLitt et Phil Industrial Sociology is an advanced level of study in which a candidate has to conduct independent research and produce a thesis that demonstrates a contribution to knowledge in the field. The degree is assessed on the basis of the thesis only and the candidate has to satisfy the Department of Sociology and the Faculty of Humanities that the thesis is his or her own unaided work. Upon submission of the final thesis, he or she has to give an undertaking that it has not been submitted to any other institution for examination and the granting of a qualification.

Access will be considered for a candidate who is in possession of a university-based Master’s qualification in Industrial Sociology/Sociology on NQF Level 8. If a student does not comply with the requirements mentioned above, admission may be granted by the Dean of the Faculty, at the recommendation of the Chairperson of the Department.... [-]

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-timeAll SOAS PhD programmes are expected to take a maximum of 48 months fulltime (three years of full fees that includes one year of fieldwork, and one final year of continuation). The PhD programme may also be taken part-time. If taken part-time, it is normally expected that both the year-long fieldwork component and continuation year are taken full-time.

In the first year, every MPhil student is appointed a three-person research committee comprising a principal supervisor, a second supervisor and the Research Tutor. MPhil students attend the weekly Research Training Seminar and the Research Methods course, and they take relevant language training. MPhil students may also be required to take additional regional, thematic or theory courses related to their chosen specialisation. Upon successful completion of a 20,000-word research report and fieldwork proposal, MPhil students are upgraded to PhD status and commence fieldwork. The fieldwork experience forms the basis of a 100,000-word dissertation which should demonstrate original thinking and make a significant contribution to the discipline. During the post-fieldwork period, PhD students attend the weekly post-fieldwork seminar and have the opportunity to present their work in progress. MPhil and PhD students are encouraged to attend the variety of seminars and workshops that take place across the School.... [-]

Graduates have a broad overview of key issues in current sociological theory and methodology, a thorough grounding in a wide range of analytical methods of quantitative and qualitative research, and the ability to use and combine these procedures. They are able to formulate and solve demanding research questions, specify relevant hypotheses, find appropriate methods of solution, and formulate relevant expert opinions. Graduates may seek employment as researchers and university teachers as well as in specialist and management positions in both the state and commercial sectors.

Length of study: 4 years

The language of instruction is English. Sociology is a fee-paying program.

Name of the program: Doctorate in Social Sciences Key DGP: 241601 Normal period to graduate: 6 semesters Credits: 225 Degree that confers: Doctor of Social Sciences Campus where it is offered: Hermosillo

To train researchers who are capable of designing and directing projects and research groups that address regional and national social problems.

Demography is the scientific study of human population dynamics. It encompasses the study of the size, structure, and distribution of populations, and how populations change over time due to births, deaths, and migration including related events of marriages, divorces, and abortions. The relationships between economic, social, cultural, and biological environments and population development in terms of causes and effects (including forecasting) are the object of population studies in a broader sense. Demography compiles and analyzes data that are useful for various disciplines dealing with human populations such as economics, sociology, social medicine, anthropology, historiography, social geography, ecology, etc. Outcomes of demographic studies are important for public administration, policymaking, health service organization, educational system, insurance companies, etc.... [-]