Research Degrees in Commonwealth Studies
Doctoral research supervision is available in the Institute of Commonwealth Studies in the following broad areas:
- Human rights
- Indigenous peoples
- Ecocide
- Genocide studies
- The foreign and defence policies of Commonwealth countries
- The politics, governance and development of South Asia
- African politics, governance and development
- Ethnicity: conflict and accommodation in plural societies
- The Mediterranean and the colonial powers
- Protection of refugees
- Minority and Indigenous rights protection
- Dynamics of armed conflict and forced displacement
- Twentieth-century British and Commonwealth History
- Globalisation, security and conflict
- The Commonwealth as an international organisation
- British Imperial history, including decolonization
- European colonialism in comparative perspective
- Post-colonial legacies in the Commonwealth and beyond
- Non-governmental public actors, civil society and development
- Local government and decentralisation
- British and Commonwealth intelligence communities
To make an application for a research degree, speak first to the manager of the Institute. Your particular research interest may be able to be supported, even though it is not listed.
Research degrees can be completed on a full-time basis (up to four years) or on a part-time basis (up to seven years).
Before agreeing to accept you, the Institute will require you to submit a research proposal, so it is worthwhile having this drafted ahead of a formal application. Guidelines on drafting your research proposal.
Once in contact with the Institute, they will put you in touch with a potential supervisor. It is important that you discuss your outline research proposal with them, and that you feel that you can work together. Your supervisor will discuss any further development or re-focusing of your proposal before the formal application is taken to the Institute Research Degrees Committee for approval.
