School of Social and Political Science

Choosing courses

PhD students wishing to register for courses must discuss and agree their course choices with their Principal Supervisor (PhD). This should be done in conjunction with your Training Needs Assessment form.

Course Choices for Credit - you must attend all scheduled events and submit all assessments.

Course enrolment form is expected to open at 9am on 17th of August 2026 and a link will be available here.

Please allow processing time and log in to your MyEd account to check your record. You will have access to the courses you will be registered on via your Learn pages. If there are any issues with your elective courses, we will be in touch.

Please see full details on changing, auditing, or withdrawing from courses below.

MSc by Research students

For MSc by Research students, your particular degree programme will require that certain courses are taken. If your programme has optional courses, these are discussed with your subject Programme Director as listed on your Programme Handbook and, where appropriate, your supervisor bearing in mind any Research Council requirements, and any particular training needs raised by your anticipated research. Please then follow the steps listed on the Postgraduate Taught web pages for enrolling.

 Details of your MScR  programme can be found in the Degree Programme Tables.

See available courses in Path

Questions about the suitability of a course for a particular student are decided by the Course Organiser, in consultation if necessary with your Progamme Director.

PhD students please read

For PhD students, course choices must be discussed with your supervisor/s (and your subject area Postgraduate Advisor if required) bearing in mind the requirements of your particular degree programme, Research Council requirements, and any particular training needs raised by your anticipated research. This should be done in conjunction with your Training Needs Assessment form. You can have a look at available courses in Path and should consult the core and specialist training courses for postgraduate research students here.

Details of your PhD programme can be found in the Degree Programme Tables.

Please note:

  • Students with practical command of particular research skills should not take courses which reproduce what they have already learned; exemption from the core courses is available for students who can demonstrate proficiency in that area (through previous qualifications and/or work experience).
  • The School's training in research methods assumes existing qualifications or experience in social sciences; courses are not generally suitable for students with no prior knowledge.
  • Please review the Permissible Credit Loads section of the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study and ensure you have your supervisor’s approval for your course choices. Up to 60 credits of taught courses may be taken in a year of study to support the development of the PhD. This limit includes the total of course credits taken for assessment and/or audit. Note that places on courses are not guaranteed and course availability may be subject to change.
Students from other schools

If your degree is in another School, but you need to register for an SSPS Research Training course, you must:

  • Check with your Supervisor/Programme Director that the courses you wish to take are appropriate;
  • Seek approval from the Course Organiser (named on the individual course webpage);
  • Contact your own School's Graduate School Office, who will register you on the course.
Course changes, selecting courses in other schools or Auditing

Please use the Postgraduate Taught Course change and course audit requests page to access the request forms.

Important: ESRC-funded students with specific courses noted in their award letter, cannot substitute these courses.

Please note, it is students’ own responsibility to check their course record on MyEd to ensure that they are signed up in the correct study mode for each course.

 
Withdrawals

It may be possible for you to withdraw from an elective course, provided there is a valid reason for the withdrawal. 

Please note, any withdrawals made after week 6 each semester remain visible on your record.

PhD Students