Criminology PhD

Criminology research at the University of Brighton addresses challenges of social, health, psychological, spatial, and environmental injustice, seeking to transform policy and practice on global and more local scales.

We supervise critical approaches to the traditional concerns of criminology and criminal justice with research interests in social control, surveillance and security, as well as forms of deviance, protest and resistance.

The University of Brighton’s strengths in co-productive research methods, applied and impactful research and its cross-disciplinary frameworks, allow for Criminology PhD students to make academic contacts and take supervision from researches across a wide range of methodologies.

Career opportunities for Criminology PhD graduates include central and local government, non-governmental organisations, social research, teaching, journalism and the media. include academic posts as lecturers and postdoctoral research assistants at the University of Brighton and elsewhere, as well as roles.

As a Criminology PhD student, you will benefit from: a range of social and research events and activities, including the Social Science Forum, a fortnightly opportunity for researchers to share their work and contribute to the development of each other’s research, an annual ‘Festival of Social Science’ for social scientists and their collaborators across the university, and an annual Social Science Public Lecture which is included in the Brighton Festival Fringe programme; desk space and access to a computer in a space specifically designed for research students. There are a range of facilities on the Falmer site include various catering options; access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s online library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections in the Falmer Library and other campus libraries in Moulsecoomb and in central Brighton; state-of-the-art research facilities in Watson Building and you will have access to the Creative Methods Lab on the first floor, including access to specialist technical support.

The entry requirements for the PhD are: a recognised Master’s degree with a significant research component, for example MPhil from another university, or similar qualification which is regarded by the University of Brighton as being equivalent and relevant or substantial appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level which resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment. An application made by someone with this experience will be considered on its merits and will normally require independent academic references or, unless a School exercises their right to specify more stringent entry requirements, we may consider a first or upper second honours degree or other qualification which is regarded by the University of Brighton as being equivalent and relevant.