Sociology

Entry requirements

You should normally have (or expect to be awarded) a taught Masters in a relevant subject area, of at least high merit standard. We normally also expect an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard.

You might also be considered if you are not 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.

You do not need a degree or MA in Sociology to apply to do a PhD in Sociology, but you will need to be familiar with sociological ideas and debates. If you don’t have a background in sociology, you may be required to sit additional courses in order that you become familiar with the discipline.

Months of entry

September

Course content

We offer MPhil and PhD research programmes in Sociology for full or part-time study.

The Department of Sociology is home to some 40 scholars and researchers whose work is known and cited internationally.

We offer a stimulating research environment for undertaking postgraduate research in a wide range of sociological fields, including:

• race, ethnicity, religion and nationalism
• gender and social life
• sociology of culture
• inventive and sensory methods
• urban culture, world cities, economies and social exclusion
• migration
• medicine and the life-sciences, health, illness and disability
• science and technology
• children and young people
• human rights and political sociology
• socio-legal studies and global justice
• social and cultural theory
• political theory and political sociology
• philosophy of social sciences
• visual sociology

We particularly encourage cross- and interdisciplinary research in emerging fields of study and creative practice.

Our community of postgraduate researchers is an integral part of the Department's vibrant research culture. We actively foster the full participation of our research students in the work of our research Centres and Units. This includes contributing to departmental publications, running research blogs, hosting student-led seminars, conferences, and reading groups, constructing new platforms for mediated intellectual spaces, and much more.

Doing a PhD is an amazing discipline. It shapes you in terms of your career, but also personally in terms of how you think about the world and yourself. It also has the potential to make an impact on the world. To get a sense of how, come to the department to meet us and some of the students. Email us to book an appointment.

Find out more about research degrees at Goldsmiths, and visit our FAQ page.

Information for international students

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 7.0 with a 7.0 in writing 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.

Fees and funding

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.