Politics Research at Sheffield

Our Department is one of the top Politics departments in the country, and has an exceptional reputation for research. At the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in 2008, we ranked first equal of all departments of politics and international studies in the UK, with 75% of our research classed as world leading or internationally excellent. The University of Sheffield was named UK University of the Year in the 2011 Times Higher Education Awards, and was placed in the top ten UK research-intensive universities in the 2008 RAE.

We are a research-intensive Department, and research lies at the heart of everything we do. The courses and modules we offer to students are closely aligned with staff members’ research expertise, and our academics network extensively with other researchers, forming strong relationships.

We are proud to offer an inclusive research culture, in which everyone is encouraged to work together, hold lively debates and benefit from others’ best practice. Our community of researchers is diverse, with a wide range of methodologies and approaches to study. It includes our academic staff as well as research students. Our undergraduate and MA students also engage in research, typically a dissertation, as part of their education.

Current and recent research projects
Recent publications

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Collaboration

We are committed to producing outstanding research, and for this reason we promote opportunities for collaboration at all levels, both within and outside of the Department. Our staff and postgraduates work closely together to share ideas, and we are regularly involved in multidisciplinary work with colleagues from across the University. Our academics also network extensively, and are members of a number of prestigious international research groups, political studies and international studies associations.

Our staff
Our postgraduate researchers

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Research Groups

Staff and postgraduate students with similar research interests meet regularly within the Department to discuss their ideas and findings. These research groups focus on Governance and Participation, Political Economy and Political Theory and Global Justice. Each group holds its own series of seminars and events.

Research Groups

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Research Centres

There are three research centres with strong links to the Department. Through these Centres we are able to host larger events, and talk about politics and our research on a bigger scale.

The Department is home to two research centres: the Centre for Political Theory and Global Justice (CPGJ) and Centre for International Policy Research (CIPOL). We also have a close association with the University-led Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI), which is directed by two professors from our Department, Colin Hay and Tony Payne.

Research Centres

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MPhil and PhD Research

Our postgraduates work alongside some of the world’s leading academics, and research an extremely diverse range of topics. We pride ourselves on a friendly and inclusive culture where you’ll be part of the team from day one.

Postgraduate research

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