Social Work and Social Policy,PhD

Goldsmiths is home to a wealth of experience and research in social work, spanning areas from social justice to social injustices to sexual and gender diversity.

Throughout this programme, you will effectively manage a project, from identifying research questions, planning interim milestones and timescale, and prioritising activities, through to timely completion.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the PhD:

• You'll be competent as an independent researcher in your discipline(s) and capable of continuing to undertake research at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new ideas, techniques or approaches. As part of this, you should have gained:
  • An ability to evaluate critically the existing literature relevant to your thesis topic
  • An ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of significant new knowledge and/or understanding
  • An ability to relate theory and concepts to evidence in a systematic way and to draw appropriate conclusions based on evidence
• You'll have an understanding of the place of your research in the context of your field of study.
• You'll gain an awareness of research integrity and any relevant ethical and professional considerations.
• You should also be able to demonstrate that you can:
  • Write clearly and in a style appropriate to the purpose and audience
  • Construct coherent arguments and articulate and defend ideas clearly to a range of audiences, through a variety of techniques
  • Manage your training needs, both in relation to your programme and your future career development

Assessment is by thesis and viva voce.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Panagiotis Pentaris.

You should normally have (or expect to be awarded) a taught Masters in a relevant subject area.

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.