As a first-year full-time student, or in your first two years as a part-time student, you will follow courses of instruction in criminological research methods to develop your research skills, unless you have acquired sufficient methods training on a master’s degree.
The Criminology DPhil programme is offered by the Centre for Criminology to develop academic and transferable skills. You must complete both modules during your DPhil and you can choose which term/academic year it would be most useful for you to take each.
PhD Program Requirements
A master’s degree with an average mark of 67% or above; and
A first-class or a strong upper second class (usually a minimum weighted average of 67%) undergraduate degree with honours.
The qualifications above should be achieved in one of the following subject areas or disciplines:
- law
- sociology
- politics
- economics
- social policy
- psychology
- history; or
- another social science or humanities subject relevant to criminology.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.
A broad, deep, advanced, and integrated understanding of a subject relevant to criminology such as law, sociology, economics, politics, psychology, social policy or history;
Outstanding analytical abilities, the ability to separate speedily the relevant from the irrelevant, and the ability to develop and sustain complex arguments under pressure; capacities for accurate observation and insightful criticism, including willingness and ability to engage with other social science disciplines; originality and creativity of thought, open-mindedness, and capacity for lateral thinking; excellent powers of synthesis and economy of thought;
Willingness and ability to express highly complex ideas clearly and effectively in English, with a particular eye to finesse and economy and an aspiration to professional standards of style and organisation in scholarly writing.
PhD Funding Coverage
The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25.
You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline.
Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
Application Requirement
1. Online Application
2. Official transcript(s): Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
3. Research proposal: Your proposal should give details of the topic you propose to investigate, why it is legally or sociologically significant, and how you would carry out the research. It should also reflect the research interests and expertise of academics in the centre (see the list of areas in which members of the centre are able to offer supervision in About the Course).
4. Written work: Academic essays or other writing samples from your most recent qualification, written in English, are required. Applicants for part-time study may include a report, or sections of a report, or other relevant document, they have written in their professional roles.
5. GRE General Test scores: No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
6. English language proficiency: This course requires proficiency in English at the University’s higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement.
Application Deadline
19 January 2025
Application Fee
An application fee of £75 is payable per course application.
