PhD Dissertation
From the very beginning of the PhD the student's effort focuses on the writing of the doctoral dissertation. A successful PhD dissertation must:
- represent a significant contribution to learning, for example through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of a new theory, or the revision of older views;
- take account of previously published work on the subject;
- be clearly and concisely written, usually between 60-80,000 words.
The student's original contribution to knowledge is assessed in the light of what it is reasonable to expect a student to complete within three years (this applies to the scale of the project but not to its quality). The PhD is primarily designed to train graduate students as independent researchers, so that on completion they can claim professional standing as University academic staff or in any other profession requiring skills in advanced research. Many students publish parts of their research after the award of their PhD or en route to it.
It is possible to see a list of current PhD thesis topics here.