Traditional route PhD - independent study
Join a department that specialises in doctoral study and work alongside experts in higher education, social justice, and technology enhanced learning.
Undertaking a PhD with us is an opportunity to gain deeper insight into specialist areas within education and educational research, while learning how to become a confident researcher and contribute to research and practice.
Although the journey may be challenging, you’ll have extensive support from your supervisors, peers and other staff. You can join in regular discussions to broaden your knowledge and skills base, and we’ll assist you to overcome any challenges that you may encounter.
Our PhD researchers look at a range of a very wide range of topics including higher education policy and students’ experiences, online and technology-mediated learning, and decolonising education. Others have explored themes such as women’s leadership, human rights education, digital skills development, and intersectional pedagogy.
Who is this programme for?
Completing your PhD offers an opportunity to contribute to the field. Our doctoral community in the department is international and collegial, consisting of researchers who are established in their careers as well as those who have more recently completed their undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This diversity is a plus because it provides opportunities to exchange experience and views with a diverse group of colleagues, and to learn from and support each other.
Many of our graduates stay in academia. However, the understanding of education that you develop through your PhD may open up opportunities within educational management and administration or with organisations that address social justice or other educational issues. For example, some graduates work for charities such as the Sutton Trust which addresses educational disadvantage.
Whatever you decide to do, you’ll see the world from a new perspective and develop a network of professional connections.
What makes this course different?
We run regular research seminars, reading groups and postgraduate group meetings to help you feel part of our community. Although you’ll be studying independently, you won’t be on your own. Many colleagues will have expertise to share, and you’ll be part of exciting conversations about work in your area.
You’ll also have the opportunity to benefit from our relationships with scholars in other universities in the UK and overseas, as well as local schools and colleges.
As a PhD researcher, you’ll be welcomed into this community of highly regarded scholars. We’ll connect you to academics and other postgraduate researchers within our three departmental research hubs: the Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation, the Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education and the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning.
You’ll also benefit from our membership to the ESRC North West Doctoral Training Partnership which provides access to funding and additional training opportunities. These – in addition to the highly competitive ESRC scholarship – can supplement the already extensive Research Training Programme available through the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. These cover a range of practical, theoretical, methodological, and career, courses. We hold our own bespoke sessions within the department too.
Key information
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For some students, it can be unclear what studying for a PhD involves.
By "Independent Study Mode" we mean studying a PhD by supervision, with a single supervisor advising and overseeing your work.
There are no courses involved and no requirement to attend at specified times: you and your supervisor determine together when you will meet, and whether you will always meet face-to-face, or in addition use telephone, Skype or other technology to discuss your work. You may, however, need to undertake research training modules or English-language tuition, depending on your needs.
So, when you register and arrive at Lancaster, you will meet your supervisor and the Postgraduate Research Students’ Administrator, as well as meeting other PhD students and other staff in the Department.
It is possible, also, to study for a traditional route PhD part-time at a distance from Lancaster.
The Director of the Doctoral Programme for Traditional Route Research students will also meet you and explain some of the key information you need to know about studying for a PhD in the Department of Educational Research.
- The Department has a set of expectations of progress, and each year in June, you will be appraised on your progress by academic members of the department other than your supervisor.
- In the second year of your PhD you will prepare for the "confirmation" process, that is, submission of a document up to 5,000 words and a panel interview; your progress is checked to ensure that you are operating at PhD standard. This process leads to the ‘confirmation’ of working at PhD level.
- The Department ensures that postgraduate research students are fully involved with the Department and opportunities include: participating in research seminar programme on Wednesdays; having a "work in progress conference" for all PhD students in June where they talk about their research; and a research students’ group which meets regularly and is convened by the Director of the Doctoral Programme for Traditional Route Research students.
The key thing about undertaking a PhD by the traditional route in the UK is that you are an independent researcher, not a doctoral programme course member. You are assisted by your supervisor, whom you will meet at regular intervals, but the responsibility is yours.
Your task is to create an 80,000 word thesis based on your research which is an original contribution to knowledge. Two examiners will assess this, and you will undertake an oral examination (a viva voce) when you have completed your thesis after three years of full-time research (or part-time equivalent).
“A successful candidate for the degree of PhD shall show convincing evidence of the capacity to pursue scholarly research or scholarship in his or her field of study on a scale which should be completed during three years of full-time research. The results of this research shall then be embodied in a thesis which makes an original contribution to knowledge and the completed thesis must contain material of a standard appropriate for scholarly publication.” Extract from Lancaster University Regulations (MARP).
How to Apply
How to apply
The name of this programme in the application system is Educational Research (Independent Study) PhD. Please ensure that you apply for that programme in the application system.
Please visit the Applying for postgraduate study page for more information on how to apply for a place.
Please contact the admissions team if you have any questions about applying to study at Lancaster University.
Overseas applicants may be required to have a telephone interview, with either the Director of the Doctoral Programme for Traditional Route Research students or the potential supervisor, in order to discuss their submitted application.
Entry requirements
For admission to this version of the programme applicants should normally have:
- a good honours degree from a British university or CNAA, and a good taught Master's degree; or
- qualifications of a comparable standard from a university or recognised degree awarding body in another country.
- IELTS: Overall 6.5 with at least 6.0 for reading and writing and 5.5 for speaking and listening.
All applications for postgraduate research must be supported by a written proposal (see "What to include" section for details). This will give us a clear idea of your interests and help us assess whether you are in a position to successfully complete a PhD with us. It is advisable to look very carefully at individual staff profiles to see if they are researching in your topic area, and you can contact potentially suitable supervisors informally with your research proposal to see if they are interested in supervising you. Do note that alongside the proposal, in your application you should give a clear, academically sound description of the area that you want to work in and the type of research that you are interested in undertaking, indicating which supervisor(s) match your research interests.
What to include
Guidelines on writing a postgraduate research proposal
Your proposal should be between 1500 and 2000 words in length, excluding the bibliography. Please write under the following headings. Proposals in other formats will be returned for amendment.
Title
Give your proposal a meaningful, provisional title that summarises your area of interest and your planned programme of study.
Research question(s)
Identify the main research question(s) that you will be asking. These should be succinct, researchable and significant. Bullet points are usually best.
Background
Explain how your questions are different from those asked by others, drawing on a brief review of the relevant research literature. You should show that you are familiar with the main literature in the field you are interested in.
Theoretical Framework
Explain the core concepts that will underpin your research, drawing as necessary on prior theories, reviews of the literature, policy discussion or your own experiences. Set out what the concepts mean, how they relate to each other, and how they will influence your research: considering the design, data collection, analysis and reporting of your research as appropriate.
Research Design & Methods
Please describe the research design of your study, including the who, what, where and why of your research plan. Briefly describe the method(s) that you will use to answer your research questions (such as library based, conceptual or empirical methods). Show why this is an appropriate design to answer your research questions.
Significance of your Research
Describe the contribution that you consider this research will make. Identify the implications of your research for existing educational knowledge, theories, policy or practice. Try to say what difference your research could make to any of these.
Alignment with Department
Please indicate how your proposed work will align with one or more of the Department’s three research centres—where possible identifying how your work fits particular centre research themes. Each department research centre has a set of research themes: see the websites of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation, the Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education, and the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning for more information. Explain how your project will contribute to the priorities identified under the theme heading, and where possible how your work will benefit from work already going on in the centre. Your work can be aligned with only one research centre, or several, but please explain the points of alignment in words rather than providing a list of themes.
Timetable
Please include a detailed timetable that shows how the research design can be managed within a three year time period (or a 5 year period for part time students). You should explain what you will be doing during your period of registration to progress the research.
Bibliography
List some of the main written sources on which your research will be based.
When to apply
You can apply to begin your research degree in October or January, but it is preferable to start in October if you can, as it is easier for you to find accommodation and to attend the Research Training Programme support courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) in a sensible order.
Fees and funding
The University's postgraduate pages contain up-to-date information about current Research Fees. The relevant fee scale is listed as Educational Research (Independent study).
Please note that applicants to the Traditional Route PhD in Educational Research are not eligible for Faculty Postgraduate Scholarships.
To help finance your postgraduate study at Lancaster, you can apply for funding from charities and other funders: further details are available on the Fees & Funding webpage.
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Studentships
Applications for research study are invited by the Department of Educational Research for ESRC Doctoral Training Awards, funded through the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP).
These awards are an excellent opportunity for prospective PhD candidates to gain the funding to participate in leading education research institutions (full-time or part-time) as +3 PhD (Lancaster), 1+3 PhD (Manchester and Lancaster). Candidates must have submitted an admissions application to the Department in advance of their NWSSDTP application. The award covers the tuition fee, a maintenance grant, and a training support grant. Applications are invited in any of the main areas of Research in the Department.
Please view the NWSSDTP how to apply pages for further details.
Please send completed NWSSDTP applications, transcripts and references to FASS PG admissions. Studentships start each October with an entry deadline in early February.
PhD Supervisors
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Contact us
Director of the Doctoral Programme for Traditional Route Research students: Dr Richard Budd
Email: r.budd@lancaster.ac.uk
Traditional Route PhD Co-ordinator: Alison Sedgwick
Email: a.sedgwick@lancaster.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1524 592685
