Registration and study
Initially, you register for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programme to train you in the research methods you will need to complete a PhD.
You can apply to upgrade to PhD registration when you have satisfactorily completed an agreed part of the research and training programme; this usually happens after 18 months if you are studying full-time, or 24 months if part-time.
You should aim to complete and submit your PhD thesis within an agreed period, usually three to four years for full-time students, and four to six years for part-time.
If you decide not to upgrade to PhD registration, you can submit your thesis for an MPhil after two years if you are studying full-time, or after three years if part-time.
With the agreement of your supervisor, you can change your registration from full to part-time or vice versa; the necessary form is available from the Student Records Office.
North American applicants especially should note that the British system does not include preparatory taught classes or examinations as part of the MPhil/PhD programme, except for an initial module in research methods.
Research supervision
Research students are normally co-supervised by one staff member from the centre and a staff member from the academic department whose expertise is best suited to your needs.
Often one supervisor will see you for a term or two and then the other co-supervisor will take over for an extended period, depending on the sort of work you are undertaking at the particular point in time.
Some students are single-supervised by a member of the Centre's staff. In cases of co-supervision, you will normally meet with one co-supervisor at a time.
You'll be able to draw on wide-ranging and interdisciplinary supervisory teams and if your thesis is partly by other media, specialist supervision will be provided. For example:
- A student of consumer culture might be supervised by a media studies analyst of material culture and a specialist in digital design
- A student investigating postcolonial cultural forms could be supervised by an art/architectural historian and an anthropologist versed in hybrid cultures in Brazil or India
- A student inquiring into performativity may have one supervisor who is an expert in theatre studies and another who is an expert in the sociology of the body
- An inquiry into the sources of European identity could be supervised by specialists in the history of English and European literatures
- A thesis presented through multimedia installation could be co-supervised by a practitioner from the Department of Art
Research topics are wide ranging; from the historical and comparative study of literature, art and architecture to the future of digital media and the informational city; from border cultures in Malaysia, Mexico or South London to the future of the self-organizing city; from philosophical considerations of Heidegger's idea of Technik, to empirical studies of new forms of work in the information society.
Research training
A College-wide programme of research training is provided, which involves an induction module (which all students should attend), introduction to information technologies and the use of library and bibliographic resources, basic training in qualitative and quantitative research methods, and sessions on research planning, presentation skills and ethics.
Find out more about research degrees at Goldsmiths.
Assessment
Written thesis and viva voce. It is possible to submit work in other media, by arrangement.
For 2021-22 and 2020–21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the programme changes page.
