In the second of six special Diamond Jubilee features celebrating research at Canterbury Christ Church University, we explore how our post-graduate and PhD courses have helped to develop students as researchers.

We offer a wide range of ways to study for a PhD and attract students from around the world, who are taking research forward in new and exciting ways in many different disciplines.

Professor Susan MillnsDean of the Graduate College

Return to

In this section

The beginning of Research Degrees at CCCU

1st
Canterbury Christ Church University became the first college of Higher Education in the UK to offer PhD and MPhil Degrees in 1983.
An old photo of Christ Church College
Christ Church College, as it was known in 1983

First PhD awarded

1st
In 1990, Gordon Diaper became the first Canterbury Christ Church student to gain a PhD
His thesis was in Psychology on the Hawthorne Effect - the concept that behaviour is altered when it is being observed.

Leaders in key applied areas

Canterbury Christ Church University has built its reputation, in part, through the provision of study in applied subjects. Health subjects make up a key part of this.
Our Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is one of the oldest and most established clinical training programmes in the UK.
Established in 1972, it is also the second largest programme in the country.
Graduating Clinical Psychology students outside Canterbury Cathedral
Graduating Clinical Psychology students outside Canterbury Cathedral
We are one of just five UK Higher Education institutes to award the Certificate of Higher Education in Operating Department Practice (ODP)
Image of First Cohort awarded ODP certificate in 2000
First Cohort awarded ODP certificate in 2000

Always a beginning.

Today, Canterbury Christ Church University offers a wide range of doctoral degrees:

  • PhD by Thesis
  • PhD by Portfolio
  • PhD by Publications
  • Specialist Doctorates and Professional Practice Degrees, eg:
    • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsychol)
    • Doctorate of Education (EdD)
    • PhD in Professional Practice: Psychological Perspectives

60 years in 60 seconds: Diamond Jubilee vlogs.

To celebrate the CCCU Diamond Jubilee, we challenged six of our research leaders to tell us about the legacy of our research in just 60 seconds. These will be uploaded sequentially as they are produced so check back regularly for new ones!