World class research

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is consistently ranked as one of the most outstanding academies for research in the humanities and social sciences, ranked 15th in the world in the 2017 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Candidates for the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) research and write a thesis of 40,000 -60,000 words on an approved topic under the supervision of a member of the academic staff. Research can be undertaken in any one of the Faculty's schools  including the School of Economics; Literature, Art and Media; Languages and Culture; Philosophical and Historical Inquiry; and Social and Political Sciences.

Research in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences extends across a diverse range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, embracing traditional, emerging and cross-disciplinary subjects. Staff in the Faculty enjoy international reputations in their chosen fields, reflected in the high level of publications-books, articles, chapters and conference papers-generated by Faculty academics each year.

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) may be complete in one to two years full-time or two to four years part-time.

To be eligible for admission to the Master of Philosophy (Arts and Social Sciences) you must have completed the equivalent of one of the following in a subject area related to your proposed research area:

• a bachelor's degree with first class or second class honours master's degree by research; or
• a master's degree by coursework with an independent research component such as a thesis, dissertation or research project with a minimum overall pass average of 75% or above.

These constitute the minimum requirements for eligibility and do not guarantee admission. This remains at the discretion of the relevant supervisors and departments. The University must certify that there are sufficient supervisory and other resources and facilities available to enable your candidature to be completed successfully.