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COURSE OVERVIEW

Our early years are critical in forming the behaviours that will influence our lifelong health and well-being. Rapid social and technological changes mean we now have to think differently about how we create a positive environment in which children and young people can develop.

Our particular research expertise falls into four broad categories:

Health and Welfare, investigating factors influencing the welfare of children and young people such as health care provision, child abuse and neglect, learning disabilities, play, and homelessness. Recent research projects carried out by students cover children’s free play choices in the school and home, teaching approaches with the Foundation Phase, and looked after children.

Child and Youth Identity, exploring the interactions between young people as individual agents, their social environments, and wider social structures that inform their choices and opportunities.

Child Development, addressing the range of factors influencing how children learn and develop from early years through to later adolescence, and the ways in which the effects of these factors can be monitored in the play of children.

Health Psychology, examining the psychological factors in promoting good health and developing interventions to encourage children, young people, and pregnant women to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviours.

As a student at the College of Human and Health Sciences, you will benefit from a dynamic and supportive research environment with many opportunities to make connections across disciplines and develop links with organisations and policymakers both in the UK and globally. As such, you can be confident that your research will inform and be informed by the wider health and social care environment.

Programme Summary

This PhD in Children and Young People at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The PhD is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva voce). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. There may also be opportunities to develop your teaching skills through undergraduate tutorials, demonstrations and seminars.

Programme Aims

This PhD programme will provide doctoral researchers with:

1. The opportunity to conduct high quality postgraduate research in a world leading research environment.
2. Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
3. Advanced critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and independent judgement.