Research is a key part of the life of Cliff College, and we are proud to offer a variety of opportunities to engage with both academic and practice-based research on a wide range of topics. These include:
- evangelism and missiology
- Wesleyan and Methodist studies
- women, gender and the Bible
- Pentecostal studies
- the theology of preaching
- the theology of the atonement
- youth, children and families' mission and ministry
- intergenerational church
- New Testament
Cliff College's research degree programmes are approved by and lead to an award from the The University of Manchester, which is a Russell Group university and is ranked among the leading research universities globally.
Having a PhD from a Russell Group university is particularly significant in the world of academia. Although our research students complete their studies with Cliff College, they apply to and are accepted by the University of Manchester. This brings particular benefits for our students; they have access to the university libraries, workshops, seminars and study events in addition to those they have at Cliff. Being a PhD student at Cliff College is really the best of both worlds – access to everything the university extends to research students, plus the intimacy and community that Cliff has to offer.
Sandra Brower, Academic Delivery Director
Research centres
Cliff College is a base for three research centres, all of which support and enable research students at the College and elsewhere. Each centre has its own focus and hosts regular forums or lectures.
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The Bible, Gender and Church Research Centre
The Bible, Gender and Church Research Centre focuses on biblical and practical gender studies, and how these intersect and inform the lives of women and men in the contemporary church.
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Generation: The Centre for the Study of Youth, Children and Families Mission and Ministry
Generation aims to provide a space for research and conversations on evangelical approaches to ministry and mission among youth, children and families.
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The Samuel Chadwick Centre
The Samuel Chadwick Centre aspires to be a spiritual home for all things related to the renewal of Methodism, with a focus on discerning the Spirit in the mission of the church.
The best thing about doing research at Cliff is the relationality. You engage in research alongside others rather than alone, and the College and faculty provide great support.
PhD student, 2020
Research scholarships
Cliff is pleased to be working with the Methodist Church in Britain to offer the Methodist Doctoral Scholarship. This is open to any British Methodist, lay or ordained, who has a research project that falls into one of the subject areas of our research centres. The scholarship covers the recipient's tuition fees for the duration of their studies, whether they choose to study full-time or part-time. The recipient of the award will be expected to engage with the Methodist Church in a variety of ways throughout their research journey, including taking part in an annual research conference and sharing their findings with the wider church as appropriate.
If you are interested in this scholarship, please contact Dr Ben Pugh on b.pugh@cliffcollege.ac.uk to arrange an initial conversation about your research ideas and prior learning.
