Public Policy Research MPhil / PhD at Kings College London

Overview

We are the only dedicated Department of Political Economy in the UK. Situated within the broader Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy, we see the understanding that Politics and Economics are inextricably linked as being central to fully comprehending public policy issues. Undertaking a PhD in Public Policy with us places you within a unique institution in which you will be part of a vibrant and growing set of world-leading scholars, who are committed to understanding the intertwining of politics and economics and applying those insights to solving local, national and global policy problems.

We have an open an inclusive research culture that encourages debate between the contesting theories, approaches and ideologies. Our vision of what political economy is lends itself to an interdisciplinary approach, and there is a wide range of methodological and theoretical approaches used across the department. This provides a stimulating environment for PhD research that fosters open-minded and critical scholarship.

Examples of current staff research projects

• Gender & Politics in Eastern Europe: The substantive representation of women in Poland. Dr Anna Gwiazda is seeking to address the central question: To what extent do women representatives influence policy outputs promoting women’s interests?  
• Trusted and Transparent Voting Systems - Prof Amrita Dhillon. This project aims to explore applications of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) in domains involving voting and collective decision making. It investigates how the necessary security and transparency in designing such systems is impacted by the underlying design of any particular choice of DLT.
• The Centre for the Study of Governance and Society, founded by a John Templeton Foundation award, examines how both formal and informal rules of governance operate and evolve, and how these rules facilitate or imperil peaceful, prosperous, and ecologically secure societies. It is run by Prof Mark Pennington but involves a number of other scholars both within DPE and beyond.

Examples of current PhD projects

• The Mechanism, Extent and Effects of Fiscal Illusion Among UK Taxpayers
• The Politics of Change in Thailand's Health System
• Understanding bureaucratic cooperation and effectiveness under contexts of political instability

Description

All students on the doctoral programme are initially registered for an MPhil. At the beginning of the programme you will work with your supervisors to assess your individual training needs. You will use this to develop a personalised training schedule that draws on foundational and advanced courses made available to you through the King’s Centre for Doctoral Studies, the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS-DTP) and the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network. These courses will hone your academic skills and prepare you for the demands of your specific research project.

After around 12 months (or the part time equivalent), you will demonstrate that you are ready for formal upgrade to the PhD programme. This involves the examination of a substantial document that shows (i) you have identified an original and interesting research problem and (ii) you have the skills and expertise to tackle it within the time available.

You will be supported throughout your PhD by two academic supervisors, who will provide expert advice and guidance on your progress and your project. Your project will culminate in the submission of a thesis of up to 100,000 words in length. Full-time students must submit their thesis within four years of the start of their registration. Part-time students must submit within seven years.