Doctor of Philosophy

The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate programmes across 20 subject areas. The University’s areas of academic strength include:

Technology (including Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Computer Science); Health Sciences and Wellbeing (including Nursing, Pharmacy and Paramedic Practice); Education and Society; Business, Law and Tourism; and Arts and Creative Industries. Our new School of Medicine will open in Sunderland in September 2019.

Details of our courses can be found here:

https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/subject-areas/

Most of our undergraduate students studying at Sunderland and London are from the UK. However, our undergraduate student community is diverse with a large international student community on campus, and also students studying for undergraduate degrees with partner institutions around the world. 

Our campus in Hong Kong offers a range of vocationally orientated degree programmes relevant to the local market.

Across all of our locations we equip graduates with the skills, knowledge and behaviors relevant to employers and the work place. 

Our students are exposed to professional engagement throughout their learning. Professional mentors provide welcome advice and guidance and an employer’s perspective. Placements and work experience are integral elements of many of our undergraduate programmes, and masterclasses delivered by employers offer insight into the skills they seek when employing graduates. This all adds to the richness of our curriculum.  

We received a Silver Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) rating in 2017. The assessors identified our “institutional culture that facilitates excellent teaching”. We were also recognised for our students’ exposure to professional practice, which enhances their personal development and overall experience

Our teaching is informed by research and engagement with employers, ensuring our graduates are equipped with the skills required to succeed in their chosen career or path to further study. Several of our academics have been recognised as National Teaching Fellows in acknowledgement of their outstanding impact on student learning and teaching. We have established a Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching to support our academics in their continuous professional development.

We are engaged with new developments in the area of inter-disciplinary learning as we work to deliver programmes of relevance for our graduates of the future.

93.4% of our graduates are in work or further study within six months following graduation according to data collected for the Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education survey (2018).

Undergraduate student satisfaction is high with 84% overall satisfaction - (National Student Survey 2018).

Our postgraduate offer comprises a range of subject disciplines and levels of study. This includes Masters level, MA, MSc, MBA, MPhil and PhDs, Professional and Higher Doctorates.Student satisfaction for postgraduate taught students is assessed through an annual student survey - The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey.  In 2018 the results for Sunderland were positive with the University reporting higher levels of satisfaction in comparison to the sector average in the following categories: teaching; engagement; assessment and feedback; dissertation; organization and management; resources and services; skills development and information provision. We have a growing postgraduate degree community including a significant number of postgraduate research students and a highly acclaimed work based Professional Doctorate programme.Research inspires and drives our academic community; it delivers outstanding outcomes for the student experience and plays an influential supporting role in developing economies and societies regionally, nationally and globally. We have 10 research areas with world leading recognition. 
The full range of postgraduate programmes can be found at: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/subject-areas/