Psychosocial Studies

An MPhil/PhD is an advanced postgraduate research degree that requires original research and the submission of a substantial dissertation of 60,000 to 100,000 words. At Birkbeck, you are initially registered on an MPhil and you upgrade to a PhD after satisfactory progress in the first year or two. You need to find a suitable academic supervisor at Birkbeck, who can offer the requisite expertise to guide and support you through your research. Find out more about undertaking a research degree at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's psychosocial studies team brings together scholars who have backgrounds in a variety of areas of academic enquiry, including anthropology; sociology; gender and sexuality; cultural and postcolonial studies; education studies; critical psychology; psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. We have a strongly interdisciplinary focus and can offer supervision in areas including violence, state violence and war; intimacy, parenting, care, friendship and love; ‘race’, racism and diaspora; human rights, citizenship and social movements; education and learning; embodiment; communities and collective life; gender and sexuality.

Our programme aims to provide an excellent forum for students to carry out theoretical or applied research in the broad area of psychosocial studies, focusing particularly on innovative interdisciplinary work.

• Birkbeck has an active and vibrant research culture in psychosocial studies. This includes regular workshops, many visiting speakers, and numerous collaborative projects both within London, and at national and international levels.
• The MPhil/PhD programme provides an excellent forum for you to develop and enhance your specialist, as well as more general, transferable, research skills. The programme allows you to gain insight into different research methods and acquire valuable experience both in carrying out large-scale research projects and teaching.
• Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework with 83% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.