The department of International Relations at Sussex offers wide opportunities to pursue advanced research leading toward MPhil/DPhil degrees. We have supervisory strengths in the following areas:
International theory, including: liberal internationalism and cosmopolitanism; critical approaches associated with Marxism, world-systems theory and Frankfurt School traditions; post-structuralist social thought and 20th century continental philosophy; normative theories and international ethics; non-Western and post-colonial political thought.
Global political economy, including: international finance and international institutions; the study of transnational classes and economic relations; the political economy of resource conflicts; economic globalisation and hegemony; the politics of labour and the transformation of everyday life.
War, violence and international security, including: war and society; genocide, political violence and nationalist/ethnic conflict, as well as the politics of humanitarian intervention; identity and urban destruction; disease and security; peace processes in the international system; American Grand strategy and the 'war on terror'.
International politics of: North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, the United States and Europe. Identity, including gender, religion, and ethnicity; global health issues, the environment, and development; human rights and social movements; non-governmental organizations and global civil society.
International history, including: the development and transformation of the international system, including emergence of the state system and globalisation; analysis and critiques of imperialism; the study of revolutions and post-communist transitions; the emergence and transformation of political ideologies.
International Relations faculty also supervise doctoral research in the following subject areas: social and political thought, contemporary European studies, development studies, gender studies, science and technology policy and management, and media and cultural studies.
Over recent years, new and exciting research has been conducted by Sussex DPhil students in a stimulating and challenging setting. The current student cohort, along with faculty, provides a welcoming and supportive environment to new research students. Students are based in the School of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, which incorporates the Sussex European Institute and the Centre for Culture, Development and the Environment. Postgraduate study within the School offers the opportunity for joint supervision across disciplines, as well as an extensive range of interdisciplinary research seminars and research initiatives.
Admission requirements and coursework
There is no formal prerequisite, but relevant previous degrees include those in political science, economics, philosophy, law, history and sociology.
There are two modes of entry for research students:
The first is direct entry to MPhil/DPhil, involving primarily supervised doctoral research. All new research students will be required to participate in research training courses and to take other courses that may be recommended by their research supervisors (exemption from research training courses can be granted to those who have already taken such courses at postgraduate level). Students can also qualify for interim awards, such as the Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate in Social Research Methods, for any research training courses taken concurrently with their research.
The second mode of entry is the MSc/DPhil New Route (1+3 route required by the ESRC for their studentship support), which offers an integrated four-year programme of taught coursework in research methods and professional skills and supervised doctoral research.
Applications to either the MPhil/DPhil and MPhil/DPhil New Route should be accompanied by a 2,000-word research outline indicating the nature, ambition and primary questions of the research project.