项目介绍

2021年8月4日

About the course

The DPhil in Public Policy provides academically outstanding students who are committed to public service an unrivalled opportunity to study for a rigorous research degree that prepares them to have substantial impact on future policymaking processes.

The course can be taken full time in three years or part time over six to eight years. Part-time students are required to spend a minimum of 30 days on study-related business in Oxford each year and to commit approximately 20 hours per week to their studies. Part-time students are also expected to attend induction activities which are held over a couple of days at the beginning of Michaelmas term (October).  

The DPhil specialises in discipline-based, policy-driven research, applying rigorous social science to analysing policy issues with the explicit goal of prescribing solutions for policymakers. You will concentrate on research that answers policy questions with rigorous conceptual design, theoretical insight, and empirical methods. As well as honing your research skills and developing your interdisciplinary understanding of policy challenges, you will also enhance your ability to communicate your research findings to the policy community in a way that ensures real-world impact. You will join a school which conducts groundbreaking academic research where international leaders will engage with you and your scholarly community on the most pressing issues of our time.

The DPhil in Public Policy is one of Oxford’s most selective degree courses and recruits those who are highly academically and professionally capable. Your peer group will include economists, political scientists, behavioural scientists, and philosophers with professional backgrounds at international organisations such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum and senior levels of government.

You will be expected to focus your research on practical challenges facing a range of different governments and publicly-oriented agencies. As well as developing your academic expertise, you will learn how to communicate your findings and analysis effectively so as to have real impact on government and public policy development throughout the world.

You will benefit from the DPhil Research Development seminar series and will be given ample opportunities to present your work in the department, and develop your research ideas and proposals with the advice and support of your peers.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Blavatnik School of Government and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a secondary supervisor may be found outside the Blavatnik School of Government.

Your supervisors are carefully selected and will include a member of core member of faculty, together with other academics from the school or the University. You will usually have two supervisors during your DPhil research.

Your primary supervisor will establish a timetable of regular meetings for detailed discussion of your work and progress, normally a minimum of nine one-hour meetings (or equivalent) each year, although the frequency of meetings will vary depending on your stage of research.

Assessment

In your first year, you will be admitted to Probationer Research Student (PRS) status in the first instance. As a PRS, you will focus on the development and early work of your thesis.

In your third term (sixth term if you are part-time student), you will normally apply for transfer from PRS status to full DPhil status by submitting a research outline and a substantial piece of written work. These are assessed by two academics (at least one of whom will usually be a Blavatnik School faculty member), who will also interview you about your work. A similar exercise then takes place in your ninth term (fourteenth term if you are part-time) when you will apply for confirmation of DPhil status.

After three or at most four years (no later than six years if you are part-time) you are expected to submit your final thesis. Your thesis will be read by two examiners who conduct an in-depth oral examination with the student, known as a viva voce. On the basis of their report, you will either be awarded the DPhil (which may be subject to major or minor corrections) or referred back to make revisions to the thesis.

Graduate destinations

Graduates of the DPhil in Public Policy will be professional social scientists working in the area of public policy. You will be prepared to lead on devising, implementing, and evaluating innovative policy solutions; and you will be expertly qualified to conduct research, whether as an academic, in a governmental role, or in other influential policy organisations, institutes, and think tanks.

The school’s alumni form a close-knit community providing social connections, professional guidance and a trusted source of advice. These connections also serve as powerful reminders for all of us of our shared commitment to public service and our desire to make a positive difference in the world. For more information, visit our Alumni pages.

At the Blavatnik School of Government you will develop the skills required to succeed in your career as well as benefit from a programme of career-focused events. Collaborating with your fellow students and faculty will help you discover career paths and opportunities in public service and academia. The Blavatnik School of Government also offers an outstanding programme of speaker events at which many visitors discuss their careers, and outside of the school there are many events organised by departments, centres, societies and colleges – all of these provide opportunities to meet with global specialists and develop your network of contacts.

In addition, students can receive expert one-to-one careers advice at the University’s Careers Service, which is very close to the Blavatnik School, and attend careers fairs, talks, workshops and employer presentations.

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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