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Practice as research

Our Department was one of the first in the country to offer practice-as-research PhDs. This type of doctorate allows you to refine your ideas and present your postgraduate research as both practice and thesis.

Our doctoral students have developed practice-as-research projects on subjects including performance and duration, multimedia and digital performance, and activist theatre. We welcome interdisciplinary as well as discipline-specific projects.

Types of doctoral degree

Choose a Practice-based PhD, PhD by Thesis or PhD by Published Works. 

Part-time study

Part-time PhDs are available in our Department as well as full-time, so you can choose a mode of study that suits your circumstances. 

PhD by Distance

Our PhD by Distance programme allows you to benefit from the expertise of a Reading-based supervisor, while conducting your research in a different location.

PhD supervision

Find a PhD that aligns with your interests and career ambitions – in our Department we accept original research proposals so you can choose your own topic of study.  

We want to ensure that your time spent with us is as rewarding as possible and as such we offer expert PhD supervision. 

Our staff have a wide range of expertise in film, theatre, television and other media. As you explore your options and consider your research topic, find out more about our staff and the areas of postgraduate research that they supervise.