Doctoral Research
DPhil in Area Studies
Do you want to learn how to ask and help to answer key questions about some of the most important and exciting regions of the world?
Looking beyond the big picture of globalisation and development, researchers at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) examine the interplay between the local, the national, the regional, and the global to offer a better understanding of the contemporary world. Exploring a broad range of area-specific issues such as urbanisation in China, gender in Japan, sovereignty in East Asia, ethnicity in South Asia, reconciliation in Africa, democracy in Latin America, security in the Middle East, and presidentialism in Russia and Eastern Europe, the School’s students and scholars closely engage with particular problems such as these to bridge gaps in the universalising theories of the social sciences.
If this sparks your interest then our DPhil in Area Studies might be right for you. The School’s DPhil (the name given to the PhD degree at the University of Oxford) is a full-time three year programme of doctoral study, offering the opportunity to undertake a project dedicated to researching a specific country, a particular region, or to examining more than one country or region in a comparative context, using social science approaches whilst also generating theories and propositions that are of value across regions.
How to Apply
Application Deadlines
Fees and Funding
The DPhil in Area Studies aims to empower you to achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Develop research skills in ways that are relevant to the study of areas and regions
- Build an interdisciplinary and/or comparative understanding of different regions
- Undertake original research which makes a significant contribution to the literature
- Communicate research to non-academic audiences in ways that ensure real-world impact
- Present a lucid and scholarly thesis for examination
Throughout your studies, you will be able to draw on the resources offered by the School’s vibrant research community as well as from across the Social Sciences Division and the Language Centre. You will have access to the University’s outstanding library resources and a connection to an unrivalled network of likeminded students, scholars, and practitioners that engage with the work of the School on a day-to-day basis. Complementing a dedicated Research Seminar series designed specifically to support the School’s DPhil cohort in their studies is a huge range of further lectures, workshops and conferences organised by Area Studies academics that overlap with the department’s areas of expertise.
