Why do your PhD with us?

Why do your PhD at Sheffield?

The School of Information, Journalism and Communication at The University of Sheffield is home to staff with expertise in a range of areas, including disinformation, media freedom, journalism and history, information and knowledge management, information retrieval, libraries and information services, chemoinformatics, health informatics and more.

Studying a PhD within the Faculty of Social Sciences allows you to join our rich community of researchers, working to answer the most pressing questions of our time.

The University of Sheffield as a whole is a member of the Russell Group, a prestigious group of 24 research-intensive universities. We are in the top 100 universities in the world, according to both the QS World University Rankings 2026 and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025. 92 per cent of the University’s research output is rated in the highest two categories (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

In my field of study, the University of Sheffield’s School of Information, Journalism and Communication has consistently ranked as the best in the world for several years. This reflects the high quality and calibre of its research, staff, and students, which is why I chose this university without hesitation.”

Abayomi Arowosegbe

PhD researcher

Supervision and support

You will be supported by at least two supervisors who facilitate your progress throughout your PhD. They will help you to shape your research, guide you in professional development, and support you in delivering your findings to a wider audience. You’ll be able to benefit from their research expertise to gain new perspectives from your innovative research and to achieve your goals. You will also have access to a dedicated research degree support team.

You might find it helpful to use the university’s central Find a PhD Supervisor tool or browse staff profiles in the School of Information, Journalism and Communication.

Vibrant research culture

Our research culture helps to make our School a great place to study. We host regular research events with expert speakers from around the world. As a PhD student you will have the chance to work with one of our research clusters which meet regularly, giving students the chance to discuss their work and ideas with colleagues and academic staff. Our students also run an annual Research Student Symposium.

Excellent facilities

You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and be provided with a range of up-to-date software packages, with more specialised software available if required.

I chose Sheffield for my PhD because of its world-leading reputation, the outstanding quality of its facilities and academics, and its impactful social sciences research, particularly in scholarly communications.”

Holly Limbert

PhD researcher

Being a University of Sheffield student gives you access to several exceptional quality libraries, including the Information Commons, the Diamond and Western Bank Library. You will have the benefit of a top quality, innovative Careers Service staffed by experts who will listen to and respond to your needs. 

Find out more about the University campus facilities, including the award-winning Students' Union.

Comprehensive research training

As part of the Faculty of Social Sciences, you will have access to world-class training alongside your study. Our Doctoral Training Programme is designed to exceed current UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) training and development guidelines, and gives all our social science PhD students access to ESRC-funded White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership cohort activities, regardless of your source of funding. Plus, it can be tailored to your individual needs to ensure you have the right skills you need to develop your research.

Our training programme is coordinated by the Sheffield Methods Institute, which specialises in the teaching of social research methods in an interdisciplinary environment.

I chose the University of Sheffield because of its research reputation and because it is one of the top 100 universities in the world."

Aisha Alshammri

PhD researcher