Programme Specification: MPhil/PhD Government
1. Awarding Body / LSE2. Details of accreditation by a professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC; BPS etc / AHRC and the Institute is recognised by the ESRC for 1+3 research training.
3. Name of final award / MPhil/PhD
4. Programme Title / Government
5. Duration of the course / 3-4 years (minimum 2)
6. Based in the Department/Institute: / Government
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark statements / N/A
8. Application Code / M1ZG
9. First written/last amended / Last amended November 2010
10. The programme aims to:
- provide an academically challenging education in all areas of political science to internationally competitive students within a research-active and intellectually varied departmental environment.
- equip students with relevant analytical and theoretical skills, and breadth and depth of intellectual understanding of the field of Political Science;
- enable students to go directly into both academic careers as teachers and researchers, and non-academic careers (e. g. government, the voluntary sector, international organisations, business and media), and to become articulate, clear thinking individuals, able critically and with imagination to analyse complex bodies of material;
- equip research students to design, research and write a doctorate within a maximum of six years, aimed at making a distinct contribution to the discipline in a dissertation of not more than 100,000 words.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
Students completing a PhD degree should possess:
1. a critical understanding of the main methodological and theoretical problems in the field of Political Science;
2 in-depth knowledge of their particular area of research with the discipline as a whole, as set out in the ESRC’s Training Guidelines for Postgraduate Research;
3. transferable understanding and skills: an ability, in particular, to frame questions about complex problems and conduct relevant independent research at a high level; an ability to gather evidence of different kinds from different sources and to make use of a range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods of analysis; an ability effectively to represent their research findings in both oral and written presentations; an ability for effective engagement in and contribution to relevant research or general work community.
Graduates will also normally gain teaching experience under the guidance of an experienced faculty member.
Information relating to careers can be accessed here
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
All research students have regular meetings with their supervisors as set out in the School’s Code of Practice for Research Students and their Supervisors.
In their first year, Research students present their research project to the Doctoral Programme Seminar. In subsequent years they present chapters of their thesis in relevant sub-discipline workshops attended by staff and research students in their field; the workshops’ objective is to ensure continuous scrutiny, discussion by peers and established researchers, thereby inducting students into the process of individual and joint academic research.
The Research Panel recommends upgrading from MPhil to PhD status, normally at the end of the first year of registration depending on submission of a 3000 word prospectus, a list of chapter headings, and a substantial piece of work (usually a chapter). considered of appropriate quality by the supervisor and approved by the Panel.
Full time students are reviewed annually, by two members of the department who take a critical overview of the progress of the research, and give strategic advice. This is in addition to the school’s own review requirements.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See MPhil/PhD Government programme regulations.
The Doctoral Programme Seminar, which is organised and chaired by the Doctoral Programme Director is compulsory for all first year students. The seminar is intended to deepen as well as broaden students' engagement with political science by a.) exposing students to the wide range of methodological approaches potentially relevant and available to them given their particular area of research; b.) encouraging students to engage with one another’s work and research projects, thereby fostering mutual respect for and cross-methodological exchanges between those engaged in quantitative, qualitative or normative analysis. .
A large number of seminars and courses are offered by the School's Methodology Institute and elsewhere in the school. All students are strongly advised to attend them where necessary.
From their second year onwards all research students are required to enrol in at least one weekly or bi-weekly workshop in the area of their research, to attend on a regular basis and to present their research for discussion, usually in the presence of their supervisor in addition to the regular workshop members.
Departmental requirements about progression
Each research student in the Department is under the care and supervision of a supervisor in accordance with School practice as laid out in the Code of Practice.Each student is additionally assigned an advisor. Whose role is a flexible one, but in general includes:
- acting as a substitute in the absence of the supervisor,
- providing a supplementary source of advice and encouragement, and
- constituting a second person on whom students can draw (for example, for references and general academic contacts).
Departmental expectations about completion
It is the expectation of the School and the Department that full-time students should be able to complete their thesis within four years of initial registration; and part-time students within six years of initial registration.Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme- A merit or distinction MSc degree or equivalent in a relevant field plus at least a merit in the dissertation or long essay
- A competent research proposal
- The availability of a suitable supervisor
15. Indicators of quality
- The School participates in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) which provides indicators of student satisfaction with various aspects of their research degree programme. Results from this survey have been positive for the School.
- Examiners’ reports from viva examinations are considered centrally within the School and provide indicators on the quality of the research student experience and supervision quality.
- The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE research graduates.
- Strong demand by well qualified applicants for the programme and high qualifications required for admission.
- Student questionnaires and feedback via student liaison committees.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and learning
- The Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) runs the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) and distributes results to departments. Survey results are considered by School Committees (Research Degrees Sub-Committee & Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee) as well as within academic departments. Any issues arising from the PRES would be addressed by the appropriate body/department.
- Taught courses on MPhil/PhD programmes are included in the School’s internal student satisfaction survey, where such courses are provided at the Masters’ level, as conducted by the Teaching Quality Assurance and Review Office.
- Departments review their programmes according to their own system of periodic review.
- The Methodology Institute offers methodological training across all MPhil/PhD programme and transferrable study skills training courses are offered by the TLC for all MPhil/PhD students: this central resource enhances the standard of teaching and learning for all research students across the School.
- TLAC review of the Department once every five years.
- The Department has student evaluation forms, regular contact with students to discuss student’s progress, regular meetings of the research student liaison committee.