Research at university

Universities don’t just teach students, they also carry out cutting edge research – from developing new vaccines, to writing new economic theories, to creating immersive thought-provoking theatre.

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This is the work on which reputations are built and it enables universities to offer selected specialisms. It also enables students to be taught by pioneering researchers.

Research fuels the evolution of our understanding of every subject area and you could be part of that if you continue your studies. Many undergraduate degrees include research skills and small-scale research projects. Once you’ve completed your degree you may want to take a postgraduate qualification and progress to a PhD.

If you want to become a researcher, the timescale (based on full-time study) would be:

  • 3 years: undergraduate degree (BA, BSc, BMus, LLB)
  • 1 year: postgraduate master’s course (MA, MSc, MREs)
  • 3 years: research degree (PhD) 

Research at Goldsmiths is structured to bring colleagues from across campus together in a number of interdisciplinary research centres and units. Here is a sample of some of our research areas:

  • Caribbean Studies: the only Caribbean-led Research and Resource Centre within a university. The research centre document, promote and foster the history of Caribbean culture locally and globally. 
  • Feminist Studies:  a dynamic feminist community providing a forum for discussion of equality and diversity at Goldsmiths.
  • Forensic Psychology:  an international hub for research, teaching, and consultancy on the relationship between psychological science and the criminal justice system.
  • Identities and Social Justice: examining the link between education and social inequality.
  • Invention and Social Process: researching and understanding the interplay between science, technology, society & the environment