The University of Sheffield
Department of Human Communication Sciences

MPhil and PhD Opportunities

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We invite enquiries from students wishing to carry out research in language and communication, including research with children or adults who have communication impairments.

There are a number of Scholarships available each academic year. These are advertised in the Autumn, and, if successful, applicants, are informed in the Spring, ready for entry in the next academic year. Please check these pages for information from September onwards. University and Faculty Scholarships pay a stipend of around £14,000 p.a. and home/EU fees, and Fee Scholarships pay fees only.

The results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) confirm the Department's status as a world class centre for the study of Human Communication Sciences with 60% of its research graded in the top 4* (world leading) and 3* (internationally excellent) categories.

Research is organised in four clusters:

We have strong research links with other University of Sheffield departments, including Psychology, Nursing, Chemical and Process Engineering, English Language and Linguistics and Computer Science.

We also have good links with other academic institutions in the UK and overseas.

What our students say

Important points to consider

Have you seen the Department Staff List, which shows the names and interests of supervisory staff? Can you identify a potential supervisor?

Do you have a well-defined area of interest? You should have clarified a specific area that you wish to address, and be able to describe your project plans.

Have you considered the funding and duration of your studies? The completion of your PhD will take between 3 and 5 years, depending on your mode of study (full-time or part-time) and previous research qualifications.

Applying

Applications are welcome from recent graduates in relevant disciplines (eg. linguistics, speech and language pathology, psychology, education), and from experienced practitioners, including speech and language therapists and teachers.

If you are considering applying, have you thought about the following:

Have you seen the Department Staff List , which shows the names and interests of supervisory staff? Can you identify a potential supervisor?

Do you have a well-defined area of interest? You should have clarified a specific area that you wish to address, and be able to describe your project plans.

Have you considered the funding and duration of your studies? The completion of your PhD will take between 3 and 5 years, depending on your mode of study (full-time or part-time) and previous research qualifications.

If you would like to apply or simply learn more about postgraduate research opportunities at the Department, please get in touch with potential supervisors (see staff list in Quick Links box), or contact the Postgraduate Tutor, Dr Ruth Herbert:

email : r.herbert@sheffield.ac.uk

Click on the links on the right of this page to find out more information about post-graduate research opportunities at Sheffield.