项目介绍

2021年8月4日

About the course

The combined MSc Social Science of the Internet and DPhil Information, Communication and the Social Sciences programmes provide an opportunity for highly qualified students to develop the theoretical and methodological toolkit needed to undertake multidisciplinary Internet-related research.

The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) trains social scientists to undertake rigorous theoretical and empirical research in the study of the Internet and technology.

During your MSc you will be equipped with essential theoretical tools and methodological skills to undertake cutting-edge research in this domain. You are introduced to the empirical evidence necessary for an in-depth understanding of the role of the Internet in society, including the changing nature of governance and the theoretical, practical and ethical questions surrounding Internet use. 

During the three- to four-year DPhil component, students are expected to produce an important and original piece of scholarship that will make a significant contribution to the dynamic area of Internet research. On completion, you will have the qualities and transferable skills necessary to excel in teaching, research, policymaking or business. The multidisciplinary research OII students undertake ranges across the social sciences, with most projects falling into the following broad themes:

• digital knowledge and culture
• digital politics and government
• education, wellbeing and digital life
• ethics and philosophy of information
• information geography and inequality
• information governance and security
• Internet economics
• social data science.

OII faculty work on cutting-edge research in their fields. This innovative research is fully reflected in their teaching and supervision. As a doctoral student at the OII, you will address research questions from across the spectrum of disciplines. You will draw both on the multidisciplinary faculty and on the complementary strengths of your cohort of peers, who are building on literature from different disciplines to answer their research questions. This system allows doctoral students to dig deeply into disciplinary questions in, for instance, politics or sociology, while also being able to place these questions into a broader picture of how the Internet can be theorised and researched.

Please note that the MSc component is also offered separately as the MSc in Social Science of the Internet. 

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Oxford Internet Institute and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. A supervisor may be found outside of the Oxford Internet Institute.

Assessment

During your MSc year, you will take a combination of core and option papers and produce a dissertation of up to 15,000 words on a topic of your choosing (supported by a dissertation supervisor). The dissertation provides the opportunity to apply the methods and approaches you have covered in the other parts of the course and carry out a substantive piece of academic research.

Students admitted to the combined MSc + DPhil programme will need to meet the normal admissions requirements and any conditions set to progress to the DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences.

During the DPhil element of the course, all students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of six terms as a full-time PRS student, you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. This application is normally made by the fourth term.

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require satisfactory completion of such lectures, seminars and classes (with a mark of 50 or higher) as the Graduate Studies Committee of the OII shall determine. Following successful transfer, students will need to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that the work continues to be on track. This will need to be completed within nine terms of admission.

Both milestones involve an interview with two assessors (other than your supervisor).

You will be expected to submit an original thesis of not more than 100,000 words three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate destinations

Employers recognise the value of a degree from the University of Oxford, and graduates from our programmes have secured excellent positions in academia, industry, government and NGOs. For example, non-academic destinations of recent graduates have included large Internet companies such as Google or Facebook, smaller start-ups like Academia.edu, as well as regulatory positions and consultancy. OII DPhil alumni who have pursued academic careers have taken up research and teaching positions at the University of Oxford, Cornell University, University of Hong Kong, Imperial College London, Durham University, University of New South Wales, Coventry University, University of Leicester, University of Ottawa, and Michigan State University. 

The OII Alumni Wall features interviews from both MSc and DPhil alumni about their time at the department and career paths after Oxford.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

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