(Structured PhD) Child and Youth Research

Course Overview

The Ph.D. in Child and Youth Research is a four year full-time or six-year part-time structured Ph.D. program delivered as part of a collaboration between the School of Psychology and the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (CFRC) at the School of Political Science and Sociology.

This interdisciplinary program responds to an identified need for researchers with the requisite, high-level and wide-ranging experience and skills to undertake the kind of work that is needed in an evidence-informed policy environment.

The programme combines thesis and taught modules.  All students must complete a major dissertation (c.80,000 words).  The taught modules which are delivered in years one and two provide course participants with the opportunity to widen their knowledge and skill base as well as feeding into the development of their thesis work. 

A wide range of topics are covered including:

Children’s rights
Child protection
Working with Commissioners
Randomised controlled trials in applied social settings
Social context of child development (role of family, peers, culture)
Pro-social behaviour and risk-taking in young people
Masculinity and emerging adulthood
Theories of child development
Early years provision
Spaces and places of childhood
Political Theory, Children, and Young People
Participatory Research Methods with young people
Sociological perspectives on childhood
Programme aims

To prepare programme participants to conduct high quality policy and practice-relevant research and programme evaluation with children and young people
To develop programme participants’ knowledge and skills in key theoretical, methodological, policy and practice areas relating to children
To provide graduates with the set of generic work-skills to facilitate their successful entry into the full range of employment settings