Home Page About Us Study Research Events Blog
TwitterThe University of Manchester

Quick Facts

How to apply: Link to online application process

Period of study: 4 years

Degree awarded: Doctor of Philosophy

Entry points: September 2012 (and possibly Jan 2013)

Deadline for entry in September 2012: End July 2012 though applicants wishing to secure funding should refer to the specific deadlines featured in the studentship section below.

Course fees for entry in September 2012:

PhD (full-time)
UK/EU students (per annum): To be confirmed
International students (per annum): £12,300

PhD (part-time)
UK/EU students (per annum): To be confirmed

Academic lead/course enquiries:
Dr Jenny Peterson, HCRI Director of Postgraduate Research jenny.h.peterson@manchester.ac.uk

Admissions process/administrative enquiries:
hcri@manchester.ac.uk

Scope of Research

This structured PhD is inspired by the need to conduct rigorous, in-depth research and analysis on the impact and outcomes of contemporary and historical crises. It is driven by a desire to inform and support policy and decision makers (inc. World Health Organisation, Foreign Office), to optimise joint working between partner organisations, and to foster increased understanding and debate within the field of humanitarianism. We will offer a flexible approach to the provision of teaching to cater for the current needs of the aid industry and prepare the next generation of crisis response researchers and practitioners. The programme will seek to engage directly with people affected by situations of ongoing conflicts and crises.

This PhD therefore reflects the need for structured forms of professional development and dynamic knowledge practices that function effectively across multiple academic and non-academic contexts. Action research and reflective practice-inspired pedagogy can respond to and influence the complex, unpredictable and shifting social, political and cultural contexts within which professional practitioners operate. The PhD will introduce students to a range of dynamic and challenging concepts and methods with which to reflect critically and constructively on their current professional experience/context. This pedagogical approach enables students' professional context to become a primary research resource.

We welcome applications from students wishing to study in one of the following areas:

  • The history of humanitarian relief from the 19th century onwards

  • Turkey, political violence, conflict theory and state formation

  • Performance and artistic responses to war and disaster

  • The politics of modern peacebuilding

  • Post-conflict governance in the third world

  • The history of population displacement from the 19th century onwards

  • Emergency humanitarian assistance in conflict and catastrophe

  • Theory and empirical research concerning contemporary violent conflict

  • Theory and practice of conflict resolution

  • Militarism and the use of force in humanitarian interventions

  • Critical peace studies

Entry Requirements

A Master's degree in Humanitarian and Conflict Response, History, Politics, Anthropology, Medicine or related subject, or a Master in a related subject plus appropriate professional accreditation or experience or a Bachelor's degree (1 st or 2:1) plus additional appropriate professional accreditation or experience.

Candidates without a Masters degree must demonstrate evidence of a competent level of professional experience equivalent to at least 48 months continuous employment relevant to Humanitarian and Conflict Response (for example, aid work, humanitarian logistics, peace keeping, emergency medicine in war zones, health, community work, international development).

For further information do not hesitate to contact Dr Jenny Peterson jenny.h.peterson@manchester.ac.uk, or for queries regarding the studentship/application process contact hcri@manchester.ac.uk

English language:

Students whose first language is not English are required to take either the IELTS or TOEFL test. On the IELTS test applicants are normally expected to score a minimum of 7.0 overall; on the TOEFL test a minimum score of 600 (paper test) or 250 (computer test) is expected.

Studentships

ESRC North West Doctoral Training Centre (NWDTC) PhD Studentships
Start date: Sept 2012
Application deadline: 1 March 2012
Click here for further details

NWDTC-ESRC PhD Case Studentship
Determining the Impact of Landmine Clearance and Humanitarian Mine Action
HCRI at The University of Manchester in partnership with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG)
Start date: Sept 2012
Application deadline: 21 March 2012
Click here for further details

Study Details

Residentials involving workshops and discussions with peers; One to one academic supervision; Professional mentoring; Reflective practice conducted via enquiry based learning, including online reflective conversations; Independent research with supervision and mentoring; mini-conference.

Student development and skills training will be closely monitored in individual supervision, which will include annual skills audits and Personal Development Plans, in accordance with the University of Manchester's Postgraduate Research Code of Practice.

Students will be able to access SAHC's Skills Awareness for Graduate Education programme (SAGE) which offers generic training programme for postgraduate students. However, due to the fact that students are unlikely to live locally SAGE's online resources will be developed and adapted by the Programme Director to form three online training workshops offered during each first three years of the programme (e.g. literature searches, accessing online resources, bibliographic referencing, critical summarising and analysing skills and academic writing) further opportunities will be offered by the Manchester Doctoral College training programme as appropriate for individual students according to their PDP.  Students will have access to Faculty of Humanities training programmes as well as relevant training programmes from the Global health programme of the Medical School.

The taught course elements of the programme will include workshops which will involve students working with their peers, fostering the concept of a cohort who can share experiences and expertise.  It is the aim of HRCI to provide online support growing from basic online supervision and webcam meetings to a fuller online support provision inspired by that offered in the school of Nursing.

Progression and assessment

Taught Unit 1 - 6000 word literature review of a key concept or debate in humanitarian and conflicts response, allowing students to demonstrate research and retrieval skills, and critical summarising and analysing skills e.g. contextual understanding based on history or development theories.

Taught Unit 2 - 6-8000 word critical review of the key elements of the literature corresponding to the research case study or field experience: eg. Political analyses, historical understanding of conflicts, survey of practices, eg. applied theatre practice with child soldiers.

Taught Unit 3 - 8-10,000 word research proposal, including statement of methodology

50-65,000 word thesis containing: a presentation of the research as a contribution to the academic understanding of humanitarian and conflicts response; a critical evaluation of this research in relation to its specific context of professional practice; an exploration of ethical issues of research and practice; a statement of methodology

Career Opportunities

HCRI offers a doctoral programme inspired by the need to conduct rigorous, in-depth research and analysis on the impact and outcomes of contemporary and historical crises. It is driven by a desire to inform and support policy and decision makers (including WHO, FO) and to optimise joint working between partner organisations, and to foster increased accountability within a knowledge gathering framework. We will offer a flexible approach to the provision of teaching so as to cater for the current needs of the aid industry as well as prepare the next generation of crisis response researchers and practitioners, these programmes will seek to engage directly with people affected by situations of ongoing conflicts and crises. The PhD programme in Humanitarian and Conflict Response therefore reflects the need for structured forms of professional development and dynamic knowledge practices that function effectively across multiple academic and non-academic contexts. The action research and reflective practice inspired pedagogy can respond to and influence the complex, unpredictable and shifting social, political and cultural contexts within which professional practitioners operate. The programme will introduce students to a range of dynamic and challenging concepts and methods with which to reflect critically and constructively on their current professional experience and context.  We anticipate students to be engaged with the NGO world and to prepare them to further their role in the field of humanitarian and conflict response.

How to apply: Link to online application process