PhD/MPhil Language and Communication Sciences

Overview

Your degree will involve primary research. Enabling you to make a unique and original contribution to the body of evidence that underpins language and communication science.

Working closely with your supervisor you will benefit from academic expertise, spanning all aspects of speech, language and communication disorders. We also have knowledge and expertise in typical speech and language, social and clinical linguistics, deafness, dysphagia, and developmental disorders.

You will study in the Centre for Language and Communication Science Research. We have an on-site speech and language therapy clinic, and collaborations with academic and clinical partners in the UK and internationally.

Structure

Doctoral level study involves independent academic research, supported by supervisors, that makes an original contribution to knowledge within the discipline. The work carried out is therefore of sufficient quality to satisfy academic peer review and merit publication.

MPhil/PhD by major thesis

The standard route involves you pursuing a research project under the guidance of your supervisors over a period of 3 years (full-time) or 4-6 years (part-time).

You will present a thesis of around 70,000 words (no longer than 100,000 words). Articles prepared or submitted for publication, or published peer-reviewed articles, will typically be appended to the thesis. Producing such work is a key expectation of engagement and indicator of achievement in doctoral study.

You will register initially for an MPhil (which is a substantial and valid qualification in its own right). Following an upgrade examination, at the end of the first year of study, full-time students may transfer to the PhD programme.