The Department of Political and Cultural Studies (PCS) boasts a dynamic research environment with a committed staff all of whom are research-active. Academic members of staff have a very considerable range of research interests on which we offer supervision for research degrees. This course gives you the chance to pursue a major research project based around your own passions and interests, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia. You will be supervised closely by two experienced academics in your field. Typically, you will meet your supervisors fortnightly in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time. All MPhil students are required to attend skills and training courses at College and University level. You will also be expected to give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and present at the postgraduate conference of the College of Arts and Humanities. You must submit a thesis of not more than 60,000 words for an MPhil. Your thesis must contribute significantly to the subject area. This is followed by an oral examination of the thesis (viva) by two examiners who are not your supervisors, one of whom is external to the University.