PhD Proposal in Political Theory 

Overview

This module is designed for students thinking of going on to a PhD (at York or elsewhere).  It is supported by compulsory attendance at the Political Theory Workshop, the seminar series of the Political Theory research cluster. Its purpose is to help students to select the topic for their proposed Ph.D thesis and to equip them with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to produce a Ph.D proposal which could form the basis of an application to York (or another institution) and which puts the student in the strongest possible position to compete for research funding.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module students will have;

• Acquired the training and skills needed to successfully produce a Ph.D proposal. 
• Demonstrated an informed grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of a particular literature and the ability to identify a relevant research question arising out of it. 
• Explained the method or methods by which an answer to that question will be pursued, the approach adopted, and the explanatory, normative, or cognitive gains promised.
• Learnt how to write effectively and concisely.

Assessment

Module Assessment should take the form of an outline of the projected thesis, accompanied by an annotated bibliography or literature review, of no more than 4,000 words in total.