Program Overview

Black Studies PhD

Overview

PhD Black Studies is a place for the study of the history, literature and culture of Black people, specifically African and Caribbean descended peoples from across the continent and diaspora, including people of mixed Black heritages.

Research Overview

The PhD programme is closely aligned with the Centre for Black Studies. The university also hosts the Institute for the Institute for the Study of Slavery (ISOS) and the Rights Lab , enabling students to expand their research networks across the university and beyond.

Course Content

You will complete a written thesis of up to 100,000 words. The topic will be agreed with your supervisors (usually two co-supervisors). You also take a verbal examination (viva voce) at the end of your thesis, where you explain your project in depth to an examination panel.

Research Areas

By its very nature, the Black Studies PhD can cover a wide range of topics and disciplines connected to the study of the lives and cultures of Black people. These might include questions of racial systems, class formation, identity, creative expression, political futures, gender, sexuality and sexual expression, resistance, and popular culture.

Recent Black Studies PhD Topics

• Afrofuturism
• Black communities and environmental justice
• Digital blackness
• Community organising and archives
• Black musicians in the 'Early Modern'
• Blackness and mental health work

Entry Requirements

• Home / UK students: 2:1 (or international equivalent) in an arts, humanities or social science subject
• EU / International students: 2:1 (or international equivalent) in an arts, humanities or social science subject
• Alternative qualifications: We treat all applicants with alternative qualifications on an individual basis.

Fees

• Home / UK: £5,006
• International: £23,000

Funding

There are funding opportunities which are only open to students within the Faculty of Arts.

Support

• Advanced research training
• Frequent reviews and feedback on progress
• Support for research trips and conference attendance
• Inter-library loan

Careers

100% of postgraduates from the School of American and Canadian Studies secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £31,000.

Research Excellence Framework

The University of Nottingham is ranked 7th in the UK for research power, according to analysis by Times Higher Education. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national assessment of the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.