Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation Doctoral study

Our DPhil in Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation attracts graduate students from across the world. As a doctoral research student, you will be a key member of our academic community, fully involved and immersed in the life of our department, one of the top-ranked in its field.

We welcome DPhil candidates who are interested in a wide range of areas of social intervention and policy evaluation research.

Topics related to the world-leading expertise of our supervisors may focus on:

• Social problems, such as poverty, violence, mental health, substance misuse, educational disadvantage, delinquency, health and economic inequality.
• Support for vulnerable groups, such as refugees, elderly people, troubled children, as well as those affected by HIV and AIDS.
• Specific programmes and policies, such as parenting and family interventions and violence prevention.
• Evaluation methodology, such as cross-cultural adaptation of interventions, research transparency and systematic reviewing.

Course structure

If you are starting the DPhil following a 1-year MSc, you will usually finish after 3-4 years. The graphic below gives an impression of the usual DPhil trajectory. For more detailed information please consult our GRS Handbook.

The DPhil programme is also available on a part-time basis. The part-time version of the degree has the same high standards and requirements as the full-time degree, but is spread over 6-8 years. If you are seeking the flexibility of part-time study, this degree is particularly well suited to you. Part-time study also provides an excellent opportunity if you are a professional looking to undertake rigorous long-term research that may be relevant to your working life. For more information, please contact admissions@spi.ox.ac.uk.

Supervision

Our approach to graduate study focuses on your ability to work independently to explore and develop your research under an academic supervisor (or two co-supervisors).

Each member of academic staff has expertise in particular areas of social policy and you will only be accepted for a DPhil if there is an appropriate supervisor available. Every effort is made to match your research interests with those of our supervisors.