Doctoral study in Sociology
Why study with us?
We were placed in the top 100 in the QS World Rankings by Subject 2020.
As a doctoral candidate, you'll benefit from: financial support for research expenses through PReSS funding; high-calibre supervision practices; and the networks and expertise of our world-class academic researchers.
Research opportunities
We welcome PhD research proposals in areas such as:
- Critical social theory
- Critical theories of psychiatry, mental health and illness, and professional power
- Cultural sociology
- Environmental sociology
- Ethnicity and national identity
- Feminist and queer theories
- Gender, sexualities and family life
- Labour, work and organisations
- Māori and Pacific student success in higher education
- Marxist sociology
- Medical sociology
- Migration
- Racism
- Social policy and citizenship
- Science and technology studies
- Social class
- Social movements
- Sociology of disasters
Our people
A large number of high-calibre researchers work in Sociology at the University of Auckland.
Past research topics
- "Pinoys in Aotearoa: Family agency in the doing of family in the context of kapwa and structural migration" | Supervised by Associate Professor Vivienne Elizabeth and Dr Moeata Keil
- "Going into labour: Childbirth in capitalism" | Supervised by Dr Ciara Cremin and Associate Professor Carisa R Showden
- "Play, politics and the production of space: DIY urbanism in post-earthquake Christchurch" | Supervised by Professor Robin Kearns, Geography, and Professor Francis Collins
- "A fat chance in health: Examining the relationship between ‘obesity’ discourses, fatness and conceptions of health" | Supervised by Associate Professor Bruce Cohen and Associate Professor Darren Powell
- "The pornographic state: Regulating pernicious online content in the digital era" | Supervised by Emeritus Professor Alan France and Dr Ronald Kramer
- "Hawai'i – GMO ground zero: Seeds of occupation, seeds of possibility" | Supervised by Associate Professor Campbell Jones and Dr Manuel Vallee
- "Being Pākehā: White settler narratives of politics, identity, and belonging in Aotearoa/New Zealand" | Supervised by Professor Steve Matthewman and Associate Professor Louise Humpage
Scholarships and awards
There are several scholarships you may be eligible for when you decide to pursue your PhD in Sociology:
Help and advice
Our friendly staff will provide you with advice on enrolling in your PhD at Student Hubs.
If you would like to discuss your plans for your doctoral research you can contact our PhD Adviser.