PhD project opportunities

Staff in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences have wide-ranging expertise and have come together to identify a range of projects for which they welcome applications from prospective MPhil and PhD students.

Most projects are broad and encourage a variety of nuanced approaches and multidisciplinary work from potential applicants. Some are specific but all invite applications from prospective students.

If you have an idea for a project that does not seem to match the already defined projects, please contact us at [email protected]

A young woman putting on a virtual reality headset
AR/VR/XR and Digital Technologies

Our expertise covers AR/VR/XR and Digital Technologies both in their own right and in collaboration with other disciplines.

Illustration students working in an art studio
Art and Design

Our expertise includes a number of areas ranging from Fine Art through to Illustration, Animation and Design. There are also interdisciplinary projects and a range of approaches are welcomed.

A student working in an art studio
Children's Book Illustration

We have significant expertise in Children’s Book Illustration with a number of PhD students in the area.

A student working at a computer
Computer Games

Our expertise in Computer Games encompasses both artistic and programming aspects of the discipline.

Student holding a folder in a university library
Creative Writing

Our Creative Writing team have expertise in a number of areas of the discipline and encourage multidisciplinary projects.

A woman outside a room cordoned off with police tape
Criminology

We offer wide-ranging expertise in Criminology and opportunities to work with the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute.

Drama student Manny, lit by purple spotlights
Drama and Theatre

Our team in Drama and Theatre have research projects in both performance and textual and critical approaches to the disciplines.

Student holding books in a university library
English

Our expertise encompasses a broad range of interests in English Language, Linguistics and Literature and we encourage multidisciplinary projects.

Film students using a camera in a red-tinted room
Film and Media

Our expertise in film and media is wide-ranging and includes both creative practice opportunities and projects taking theoretical perspectives.

A student working at a computer
History

Our expertise in History focuses on cultural history and political history in particular and we encourage multidisciplinary projects.

ARU student Abigail in a lecture theatre
Linguistics and Intercultural Communication

Our expertise in linguistics encompasses formal approaches to language, sociolinguistics and intercultural communication, and much more.

Digital Media Production student Liam with a DSLR camera
Multimedia Narrative: StoryLab

Our StoryLab research group has opportunities in a number of different areas of multimedia modes of telling narratives.

A student sitting in front of a mixing desk
Music and Audio Music Technology

Our expertise includes composition and musical performance. We also have opportunities in Audio Music Technology.

A student playing the piano
Music Therapy: Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy

Our expertise in Music Therapy is wide-ranging with particular interests in both technology and in areas related to health.

A female police officer against a black background
Policing

Our International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute has a number of policing and criminology related projects.

Student Sarah reading a book in the ARU library
Sociology

We have opportunities in our Sociology team who have research projects in a number of areas. There are also opportunities to collaborate with other discipline teams such as Criminology.

A student holding a camera to their eye, with a colourful background behind them
Visual Communication

We have a wide range of expertise in visual communication including areas of design, print and fashion.

A male student working at a computer

Research at ARU

Find out more about our Doctoral School and latest REF submission, and contact the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences research team.

Contact the Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences research team Support and guidance from our Doctoral School Research Excellence Framework (REF)
ARU student April

Our research programmes

Find out more about the research degrees offered by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Browse research degrees in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Professional Doctorate in Policing Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology