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DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences

Seminar

DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences

Start date: October 2026
Duration: 3-4 years (full-time) or 6-8 years (part-time)
Location: Oxford
Deadline: 12 noon on 9 January 2026

ScSci

Programme overview

Undertake original research into the social dimensions of the internet and related technologies with the DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences.

Delivered by the OII’s multidisciplinary faculty, this programme offers personalised supervision, advanced methodological training, and access to Oxford’s exceptional academic resources. You will design and conduct a doctoral project grounded in your discipline, while drawing on theories and techniques from across the social sciences to answer your research questions.

Over the course of the programme, you will produce an original piece of scholarship that makes a significant contribution to the field of internet research. Alumni go on to academic roles at leading universities and influential roles in government, industry, and the civil sector, applying deep expertise, critical thinking, and diverse methods to the challenges and opportunities of a connected world.

Who is this programme for?

  • Academically excellent candidates committed to research that will make a significant contribution to the field and make a difference.
  • Students aiming to produce original, in-depth scholarship on the social dimensions of the internet and internet-related technologies.
  • Individuals wanting a research-intensive, multidisciplinary doctoral experience with personalised supervision.
  • Graduates planning careers in academia, policy, industry, or the civil sector.

Examples of doctoral research at the OII

Our DPhil students explore a wide range of topics, often connected to our research groups and labs and situated within our research themes. This approach lets you dig deeply into disciplinary questions, for example in politics, economics, or sociology, while setting your work in the wider context of how the internet can be theorised and studied. Here are some examples of recent theses:

2025

  • XR Marks the Spot: Augmenting Spatial Histories of Coloniality Through Immersive Technologies
  • Content Moderation, Platform Governance, and Legitimacy: TikTok in South and Southeast Asia

2024

  • Designing an Algorithmically Enhanced NHS: Towards a Conceptual Model for the Successful Implementation of Algorithmic Clinical Decision Support Software in the National Health Service
  • AI, News, and the Transformation of the Public Arena
  • Inspiring Healthy Choices: Using Social Comparisons and Self-Comparisons to Nudge Socially Responsible Decision Making Online
  • Private People in a Free Society: Examining the Legal Commoditisation of the Private Life and its Alternatives
  • The Empire Types Back: Colonialism, Resistance and Storytelling Online
  • Framing Gender Bias in the Design of AI Recruitment Technology
  • Remixing, Seeing, Curating: Algorithms’ Influence on Human Visual Creativity

Read more about our current students’ research.

Who will you be studying with?

  • Cohort size
    49
  • % International
    69%
  • No. nationalities
    20
  • % female
    69%
  • Average age
    32

Programme structure

Every doctoral project will follow a distinct path, but all students pass the same key milestones. You will progress through three stages:

  • Probationer Research Student
  • DPhil Status
  • Confirmed DPhil Status

DPhil milestones

Stage 1: Formulating a Research Question.

  • Entry as Probationer Research Student
  • Core courses as required
  • Other training as agreed between student and supervisors
  • Thesis: formulating research questions

Stage 2: Analysis

  • Thesis: data gathering and analysis

Stage 3: Writing Up and Submission

  • Thesis: Writing up and submission

Supervisors

As a doctoral student, you’ll be assigned an academic supervisor who will guide your research and help you make the most of your time at Oxford. You’ll meet regularly, usually three to four times a term, to discuss your progress, refine your ideas, and plan next steps.

In the early stages, your supervisor will help you settle into academic life, identify training needs, and connect you with key people in your field. As your research develops, they’ll advise on research design, guide your data collection, and provide detailed feedback on your writing ahead of milestone assessments. In the final stages, they’ll comment on your thesis drafts, help you prepare for your viva, and offer career advice as you plan your next steps.

The following OII faculty members are currently accepting DPhil students:

Study environment

The Oxford Internet Institute is located in the newly opened Schwarzman Centre. Students benefit from:

South Facade
  • Dedicated hot-desk areas, graduate study spaces, and meeting rooms for interdisciplinary and collaborative work
  • Access to departmental servers and Oxford’s high-performance computing cluster
  • The Schwarzman Library, home to the OII’s specialist lending collection in social sciences, technology, and computing
  • Welcoming social spaces, including a café, bar, and roof terrace
  • The University’s world-class resources, from museums and galleries to the Bodleian Libraries and extensive digital collections
  • A rich programme of seminars, workshops, and career events
  • Support from a dedicated programme coordinator.

Training, support, and community

Alongside your thesis, you’ll receive regular training to build the skills that support your research and future career, from advanced research methods to academic writing, presentation skills, and peer review.

Our research facilitators offer guidance on everything from ethics and data management to fieldwork, grant applications, and data sharing. A lively calendar of seminars, lectures, workshops, and career talks brings leading voices in research, innovation, and policy to the OII, helping you engage with cutting-edge scholarship and grow your professional and academic networks. You’ll also benefit from tailored careers events and advice through the University’s Careers Service.

You’ll join a close-knit, multidisciplinary community with diverse interests and backgrounds. Weekly doctoral seminars give you the chance to present your work, exchange feedback, and spark new ideas. Our dedicated programme coordinator supports every stage of student life and can connect you with University services for disability, counselling, childcare, and financial support.

Student experience

Our students come from a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds, and perspectives. We believe that meaningful insight into digital society depends on a diversity of thought and lived experiences.

I’m surrounded by so many brilliant people who share my niche interest in looking at the internet from so many different angles.

Philipp Riederle
DPhil student

I was supported and encouraged to build a strong research profile even before graduating.

Mona Elswah
former DPhil student

Beyond the books

Hear from our students in their own voices what it’s like to study at the OII:

Theologians and Philosophers at the OII

Theologians and Philosophers at the OII

Mimi, Felix and Joy

Mimi, Felix and Joy

Fun facts about OII research

Fun facts about OII research

Favourite things about the OII

Favourite things about the OII

Interdisciplinary study at the OII

Interdisciplinary study at the OII

Beyond the Books: Emily and Jenna

Beyond the Books: Emily and Jenna

Career destinations

Graduates of the DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences go on to careers in:

  • Academia and research institutions
  • Technology firms and startups
  • Government and regulatory bodies
  • NGOs and international organisations

The programme’s strong emphasis on innovative research for the social good, methodological rigour, and policy relevance prepares students for senior roles in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Read more about our alumni career paths:

How to apply

Application deadline:

  • Friday 9 January 2026 (12 noon)

All applications are submitted through the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions site. We recommend starting your application early to allow plenty of time to complete it and contacting your referees well in advance so their references can be submitted on time.

Both the full-time and part-time DPhil programmes share a single application deadline in January. Only complete applications, including references, received by this deadline can be considered.

Fees & funding

Details on tuition fees, living costs, and funding opportunities are available on the University’s Fees and Funding page.

Scholarships include:

Clarendon Scholarships

One of Oxford’s most prestigious funding schemes, Clarendon offers over 200 fully funded scholarships annually to exceptional graduate applicants. Covering tuition and living expenses, the scholarship also provides access to a vibrant academic and professional network. The Oxford Internet Institute nominates candidates during the admissions process. Further details of this scholarship can be found on the University’s Clarendon Scholarships page.

ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership

The ESRC funds research on social and economic issues through the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership, hosted by Oxford, Brunel, and the Open University. The OII offers an ESRC-recognised Digital Social Science pathway via MSc-to-DPhil (1+3) or DPhil-only (+3), available full- or part-time. Applicants must select the ESRC Grand Union DTP option in their Oxford graduate application and submit the Grand Union DTP Application Form to be considered. Studentships are open to both home (UK) and international candidates.

Arts and Humanities Research Council Funding

The AHRC offers scholarships for research in arts and humanities through the Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership. Oxford awards a number of these each year across eligible Humanities and Social Sciences subjects. Applicants must meet the programme deadline, select the studentship option in their application, and submit the OOC DTP Application Form.

Academic Futures Scholarships

Oxford offers several targeted scholarships to support underrepresented groups:

  • Black Academic Futures – For UK Black and Mixed-Black students
  • Refugee Academic Futures – For students with lived experience of displacement
  • Care-Experienced Academic Futures – For students who have been in care in the UK

Explore Academic Futures

OII Shirley Scholarships

The OII offers a limited number of DPhil Scholarships each year through the Shirley Scholars Fund, established in honour of our founding donor Dame Stephanie Shirley. Open to full- and part-time students from any country, all applicants offered a place are automatically considered, with awards made based on merit.

Programme FAQs

When should I apply?

The DPhil programme has one application deadline in January. Start your online application early to allow plenty of time to complete it and secure references. Only complete applications received by the deadline (including references) will be considered. Read a guide to getting started with your application.

How do I choose a supervisor?

OII students are supervised by our faculty. We only admit students where appropriate supervision is available – see the list of eligible faculty. We strongly advise you to contact a potential supervisor before applying to check suitability. Once identified, email them a brief overview of your proposed research; they will then confirm if they can supervise your topic.

When are English language test results due?

If you already have English language test scores at the required level achieved within two years of the start of the course to which you are applying, please include them in your application. However, you are not required to provide test scores when you submit your application. If you receive an offer of a place, you will be required to submit language test scores by a specific deadline as a condition of your offer. See the application guide for details.

How does the DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences differ from the DPhil in Social Data Science?

The DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences suits students researching the internet and related technologies, and their societal impacts. Theses in this programme might draw on quantitative, qualitative, computational or mixed methods to address a broad range of questions about digital phenomena or questions about technology policy or practice.

The DPhil in Social Data Science is for students with strong quantitative skills who wish to develop their ability to analyse structured and unstructured data using advanced computational techniques, such as machine learning. Theses in Social Data Science might develop new computational approaches for analysing human behavioural data and/or apply such approaches to answer a social science question.

What does a good DPhil application look like?

See OII DPhil alumnus Dr Bertram Vidgen’s advice on writing a strong proposal, and Prof Vili Lehdonvirta’s tips on choosing a research topic.

What fees will I pay?

Course fees include University and College fees but not living costs. See the University’s fee status guidance and living costs advice to plan your budget.

Do I have to live in Oxford during my studies?

Full-time students must be in residence for at least nine weeks each term, plus other key events such as induction and examinations. Part-time students are not required to live in Oxford but are expected to be present in Oxford for around 30 days a year. See the DPhil handbook for details.

Do you offer any intensive, online or distance-learning courses?

Both full- and part-time students must attend in person during term time, due to the collaborative and multi-disciplinary nature of our programmes, and the principles that underpin Oxford education as a collegiate university.  We do offer this DPhil programme on a part-time basis. The part-time DPhil has the same structure as full-time but is spread over 5–6 years.

What is the schedule for part-time students?

Expect to spend at least 30 days in Oxford per year and to commit to around 20 hours of study per week. Classes for core courses in Years 1 and 2 are held one day a week in Michaelmas Term. Induction week (early October) and exams must be attended in person. You may attend seminars and supervisions online (at your supervisor’s discretion), particularly from Year 3 onwards.

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