The University of Sheffield
Department of Biblical Studies

Research degrees

The University of Sheffield postgraduate scholarship competition for 2013/14 is open! The first of the deadlines is 1st February 2013 and you'll need to get your application in well before then. For more information visit our University Scholarships page. Good luck!

Students with Professor Hugh Pyper

Our department is home to a thriving graduate research community, with students investigating a diverse array of topics in the field of religion, theology and the Bible.

Areas of supervision:

All our staff are actively involved in research projects and activities, and we can offer research supervision across a wide range of subjects including:

  • The origins of Judaism and Christianity  
  • Jesus and the Gospels 
  • The social world of Paul 
  • Reception histories of biblical texts
  • Postcolonial readings and contexts  
  • Cultural studies (representations of biblical narratives in the visual arts, film, television and advertising) 
  • Religion, conflict and the media
  • Sociological, literary and political approaches to biblical texts

In addition, through our partnership with the College of the Resurrection and the Yorkshire Ministry Course, we also offer the opportunity to undertake doctoral research in Liturgy, Theology and Biblical Studies.

To help you decide whether there is a supervisory match for you at The University of Sheffield, why not take a look at our staff profiles and our research pages

Entry requirements

You should have a Masters qualification in a relevant subject area.

If your first language is not English you will need to provide evidence of your English language ability.

MPhil or PhD?

MPhil

Typical duration:

  • Full-time: two years
  • Part-time: four years

You’ll complete a thesis (40,000 words) on a research topic of your choice and attend an oral exam.

PhD

Typical duration:

  • Full-time: three years
  • Part-time: six years

You’ll complete a thesis (75,000 words) on a research topic of your choice and attend a viva meeting.

Fees and Funding

Postgraduate Fees and Funding

Postgraduate Scholarships 

Faculty Graduate School

You'll become part of the Graduate School in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The Faculty supports a range of training and development opportunities, foster interdiscipinary research and can help you nurture interests in academic writing, public engagement and research skills. 

Faculty of Arts and Humanities Graduate School

PhD Student Profiles

Next steps

General Advice: For general advice about research degrees at Sheffield before you submit your application, please contact us. We are happy to help you formulate your research proposal once you’ve written a clear project outline.

Find a potential supervisor: Find somebody whose research interests are closely matched to your proposed project. Browse our staff profiles and research section to find out more about our research activities.

Apply for a place; you’ll need to provide us with a reasonably detailed account of your proposed research at this stage.

Applicants for research within the Humanities and Social Sciences are required to provide an outline research proposal when they apply. This proposal should be about 500-1000 words in length and should incorporate the following information:

  • Title of proposed thesis;
  • The main aims of what your research would be (i.e. why you think it’s worth doing);
  • An identification of links to any previous work or hypothesis;
  • Any resources available and any required;
  • The methods of research proposed, (e.g. survey, case studies, etc.) and a plan and timetable of work:
  • In addition to this information, you should also explain *why* you wish to pursue this area of research, and provide supplementary information on any experience, training or skills you may have gained from your previous education or employment.

For full guidance and help with the application process, please visit: www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply