Degree Courses

Our two research degrees are considered to provide the best research training in the UK for a career in international development – whether as the first step in an academic career, or as the basis for a senior post in policy research. Both the MPhil (2 years) and the DPhil (3 or 4 years) involve rigorous disciplinary groundwork, advanced research methods training, and thesis fieldwork. The DPhil caps two 'pathways' (development and migration) within the ESRC-funded Oxford Doctoral Training Centre in the Social Sciences.
Our four one-year taught courses combine demanding coursework, specialist options and an original research paper (the 'extended essay' or dissertation). These can lead on to doctoral work, but most employers regard an Oxford MSc as sufficient advanced professional training for a subsequent career in the field.