Programme description
The PhD in Development Studies programme has two main streams.
- A Development Studies stream
- A Development Economics stream
The PhD in Development Studies enables you to carry out a piece of in-depth research in the area that most interests you. You will pursue research as part of a multidisciplinary research community in the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Doctoral College , which is housed at the Global Development Institute.
The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Doctoral College is a world-class community of doctoral researchers contributing to social and economic development in a global context through the research of its members and their progression into leadership roles in public, private and civic institutions, etc.
The PhD Programme also offers fist-class opportunities for our students to access rigorous and high level tailored training courses as well the opportunity to access the school’s research training courses.
All PhDs are fully integrated into at least one of our seven research groups.
Special features
The Global Development Institute hosts a flourishing programme of events, seminars and research groups, complementing our programmes and one-to-one doctoral supervision.
- We are Europe's largest dedicated development research and teaching institute and have been at the forefront of development studies for over 60 years.
- We are home to the internationally recognised African Cities Research Consortium , Effective States and Inclusive Development and FutureDAMS research centres .
- You will be part of a vibrant research community, including our public lecture series which brings world experts, former heads of state, and leading development thinkers, to discuss current issues and research in development.
- You will be joining at least one research group, providing you with a supportive intellectual network and opportunities to draw on the wide range of expertise.
Additional programme information
Humanities Doctoral Academy
Our Humanities Doctoral Academy combines the strengths of our four schools to bring expertise, knowledge, support and high-quality services for postgraduate researchers.
We are a community of academic leaders and postgraduate researchers across all levels in the Faculty of Humanities. The Doctoral Academy Hub houses our specialist professional service teams who support postgraduate researchers throughout the programme journey. This includes admissions, registration, student experience, progression, examination, and graduation. We collaborate closely with other University directorates including Manchester Doctoral College, Researcher Development team, and the corresponding Doctoral Academies in the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.
Together we provide the best experience and support for your studies and research.
EDI
Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities.We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.
We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.
All appointments are made on merit.
The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Teaching and learning
When you become a postgraduate researcher, you'll join a diverse and vibrant community of doctoral students from nearly 100 different countries, all studying within the Faculty of Humanities.
You'll be assigned to a specific research grouping that complements your research interests and have access to a variety of interdisciplinary research institutes.
Our working environments are often spacious and open plan, giving you plenty of opportunities to communicate with colleagues and staff within the School, and you will have your own desk space as well as access to our fantastic range of libraries on campus.
All our academic supervisors are research active and will support you to work on challenging research problems and develop rigorous, creative and original research.
You can expect to meet with your supervisor at least once a month to discuss progress on your project.
As a postgraduate researcher, you'll have access to a large and diverse community of internationally recognised academic experts offering an environment that will stimulate intellectual debate and development. We provide additional financial support for several activities related to your PhD, including:
- presenting at international conferences;
- attending workshops that provide relevant professional opportunities;
- conducting fieldwork in the UK and overseas.
In addition to the research training offered by the School of Environment, Education and Development, PhDs on the Development Economics Pathway will take an Advanced Quantitative Research Training in the second semester. This zero credit module will be delivered by various staff in GDI drawing from their expertise. The course will run over 13-16 weeks and will offered theoretical foundations as practical lab sessions on modern econometric methods used in Development Economics.
Related research
REF 2021
The Global Development Institute is delighted that both the quality and impact of its research has been confirmed in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021). In an impressive assessment across the board, GDI was the only Development Studies department to score 100% for its research environment. This measure considers how research and impact is organised and supported, as well as its contribution to the vitality and the sustainability of Development Studies as a whole.
Overall, GDI research was ranked second in the UK for Development Studies. Over 85% of our research outputs were judged as either world leading or internationally excellent by an expert panel - the highest proportion within Development Studies. The impact of GDI’s research was also very highly rated, with our work overwhelmingly receiving the top ‘world leading’ grade.
Read more about our success in the REF2021 and find out more about our research in the Global Development Institute at Manchester.
What our students say
Discover what it's really like to conduct postgraduate research at The University of Manchester on our student spotlights page .
Find out more about what it's like to undertake a postgraduate research degree at Manchester on our Humanities PGR blog .
Facilities
The University of Manchester Library
Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.
Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.