PhD Program

Program Overview

The PhD in Social Innovation and Sustainability is the unique PhD program in Thailand, a combination of social innovation and sustainability, two very important policy areas at the forefront of our contemporary society in the twenty-first century. 

  • When our students join our program, they become part of the vibrant international community. Since the program's foundation, we have attracted students worldwide, including Sweden, Germany, the UK, the USA, Nepal, Japan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar and Thailand.  

    They also come from diverse occupational backgrounds, including NGOs, tech companies, government agencies, social enterprises and international organisations. But all have a deep passion for creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable world and, through the program, they build friendships and bonds that will stay with them throughout their professional and personal lives.

  • The School of Global Studies has assembled an international team of academic instructors from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, France, the USA, Thailand, Nepal and India with specialisations in anthropology, sociology, political science, public administration, behavioral economics, urban and community development. Our team also comprises guest lectures from social enterprises, NGOs, multi-national corporations, and international organisations such as UNESAP, UNDP and ADB.

  • The PhD program is run at the historic and vibrant Thammasat University Tha Prachan campus located in the heart of the old city of Bangkok. Our classrooms overlook the Chao Phraya River and are within easy walking distance from many historical sites, such as the Grand Palace and tourist areas like Khao San Rd. Students can easily access the campus by bus, river ferries and MRT.

When our students join our program, they become part of the vibrant international community. Since the program's foundation, we have attracted students worldwide, including Sweden, Germany, the UK, the USA, Nepal, Japan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar and Thailand.  

They also come from diverse occupational backgrounds, including NGOs, tech companies, government agencies, social enterprises and international organisations. But all have a deep passion for creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable world and, through the program, they build friendships and bonds that will stay with them throughout their professional and personal lives.

The School of Global Studies has assembled an international team of academic instructors from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, France, the USA, Thailand, Nepal and India with specialisations in anthropology, sociology, political science, public administration, behavioral economics, urban and community development. Our team also comprises guest lectures from social enterprises, NGOs, multi-national corporations, and international organisations such as UNESAP, UNDP and ADB.

The Master's program is run at the historic and vibrant Thammasat University Tha Prachan campus located in the heart of the old city of Bangkok. Our classrooms overlook the Chao Phraya River and are within easy walking distance from many historical sites, such as the Grand Palace and tourist areas like Khao San Rd. Students can easily access the campus by bus, river ferries and MRT.

Courses and Career

WHAT WILL THIS PROGRAM PROVIDE?

The PhD in Social Innovation and Sustainability is the unique PhD program in Thailand, a combination of social innovation and sustainability, two very important policy areas at the forefront of our contemporary society in the twenty-first century. The program offers rigorous academic training on issues related to social innovation, public affairs, corporate responsibility, and organizational management. The students will get to specialize in the topic of their own interest, but in close collaboration with our faculty who are experts in different fields. Recognizing that social innovation and sustainability are broad terrains, the program seeks to promote diversity by offering different tracks of entry that cater for applicants with different academic backgrounds and different levels of professional experience.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

You may be a person who is working in academia and looking to re-tool and enhance your research skills or you may be a leader in an NGO, international aid agency, or foundation trying to employ research skills to better measure the impact of your interventions. Or You may be working for the government and policy making space where your job involves analyzing if the policies and plans have been able to achieve the desired outcomes. Or you may be a person who is involved in assessing the environmental impact of the commercial activities from private sector. Or You might have just completed your undergraduate or first graduate degree and looking forward to having a research degree. No matter what profession you are, if your job requires you to use research skills, this degree is for you.

In recognition of the fact that social innovation occurs across all sectors, the PhD is aimed at middle and senior level leaders in NGOs, public bodies, and the private sector. You will form a key part of a strategy to engage with individuals and organisations working specifically to develop novel ‘solutions’ to deep-rooted problems of poverty and inequality in both rich and developing countries.

Courses and Carreer

WHAT WILL THIS PROGRAM PROVIDE?

The PhD in Social Innovation and Sustainability is the unique PhD program in Thailand, a combination of social innovation and sustainability, two very important policy areas at the forefront of our contemporary society in the twenty-first century. The program offers rigorous academic training on issues related to social innovation, public affairs, corporate responsibility, and organizational management.

The students will get to specialize in the topic of their own interest, but in close collaboration with our faculty who are experts in different fields. Recognizing that social innovation and sustainability are broad terrains, the program seeks to promote diversity by offering different tracks of entry that cater for applicants with different academic backgrounds and different levels of professional experience.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

You may be a person who is working in academia and looking to re-tool and enhance your research skills or you may be a leader in an NGO, international aid agency, or foundation trying to employ research skills to better measure the impact of your interventions. Or You may be working for the government and policy making space where your job involves analyzing if the policies and plans have been able to achieve the desired outcomes. Or you may be a person who is involved in assessing the environmental impact of the commercial activities from private sector. Or You might have just completed your undergraduate or first graduate degree and looking forward to having a research degree. No matter what profession you are, if your job requires you to use research skills, this degree is for you.

In recognition of the fact that social innovation occurs across all sectors, the PhD is aimed at middle and senior level leaders in NGOs, public bodies, and the private sector. You will form a key part of a strategy to engage with individuals and organisations working specifically to develop novel ‘solutions’ to deep-rooted problems of poverty and inequality in both rich and developing countries.

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See full list of courses

Admission Schedule

  • - First Date of Application Submission: January 9th, 2023
  • - Last Date of  Application Submission: July 3rd, 2023
  • - Announcement of Final List of Students: To be announced
  • - New Student Orientation: To be announced

Tuition Fees

International Students
International Students
Thai Students
Thai Students
Thai Students
International Students

Admission Requirements

ROUTE 1 (PLAN 2.1) Coursework and Research

  1. Hold a Master Degree in any field of study, or have a minimum 3 years working experience and expertise in related fields of study.
  2. Have a composite GPA of 3.25 or equivalent.
  3. Statement of purpose and area(s) of interest (1 page)
  4. Submit a Research Proposal (English)
  5. Fulfill the English proficiency requirements set by Thammasat University Graduate Studies.
  6. Letters of recommendation from at least 2 persons who are familiar with your work and/or academic performance. Preferably, one reference must be from prior instructor/ institution.

Remark: Applicants not satisfying these requirements will be assessed on a case by case basis.

ROUTE 2 (PLAN 2.2) Course Work and Research (BA>PhD

  1. Hold a Bachelor Degree in any field of study.
  2. Have a composite GPA of 3.50 or a first-class honor or five years of work experience in a field that is relevant to social innovation and/or sustainability and relevant to their proposed research topic.
  3. Statement of purpose and area(s) of interest (1 page)
  4. Submit a Research Proposal (English)
  5. Fulfill the English proficiency requirements set by Thammasat University Graduate Studies.
  6. Letters of recommendation from at least 2 persons who are familiar with your work and/or academic performance. Preferably, one reference must be from prior instructor/ institution.

Remark: Applicants not satisfying these requirements will be assessed on a case by case basis.

ROUTE 3 (PLAN 1.1) Research

  1. Hold a Bachelor Degree in any field of study.
  2. Have a composite GPA of 3.25 or equivalent.
  3. Statement of purpose and area(s) of interest (1 page)
  4. Submit a Research Proposal (English)
  5. Fulfill the English proficiency requirements set by Thammasat University Graduate Studies.
  6. Letters of recommendation from at least 2 persons who are familiar with your work and/or academic performance. Preferably, one reference must be from prior instructor/ institution.

Remark: Applicants not satisfying these requirements will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Required Documents

Accepted Tests:

    • TU–GET paper-based (550 and up)
    • TU-GET computer-based (79 and up)
    • TOEFL paper-based (550 and up)
    • TOEFL Internet-based (79 and up)
    • TOEFL ITP (550 and up)
    • IELTS (6.5 and up)

Note: No English Proficiency test is required if you are a native English speaker or have graduated from an undergraduate program conducted in English within the last two years.

Scanned copy of the identification page of your passport or Thai ID card

Write a short statement of how you became interested in a career in academic research; why you are interested in the PhD program in Social Innovation and Sustainability; and your career goals after graduation. Address in particular how the PhD program may help you advance your goals. (The statement should not exceed 1000 words in length.)

Write a short statement of your research interests and potential dissertation research topic(s). While a sophisticated review of the relevant literature is not expected at this time, you are encouraged to present a well-defined topic that demonstrates an up-to-date understanding of the field, a clear research question(s) and possibly a research methodology. In this statement, please also identify a faculty member at the School of Global Studies who may serve as your dissertation advisor. (The statement should not exceed 4000 words in length.)

From at least 2 persons who are familiar with your work and/or academic performance. Preferably, one reference must be from prior instructor/institution.

It could be a sample of academic writing in English or a Master’s Thesis research paper from your past work.

To process your application we require a fee of 1000THB. Please print the application processing fee form, you will have to find your nearest Krungthai Bank to complete payment with this print off.

For the international transfers, our previous applicants had used WISE or wire transfer directly from their local banks with the information below:

SWIFT CODE: KRTHTHBK
BANK: KRUNGTHAI BANK PCL
BRANCH: THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY, RUNGSIT SUBBRANCH
ACCOUNT NO: 475–0–71597–2
NAME: SCHOOL OF GLOBAL STUDIES, THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
ADDRESS: 99 MOO 18 T. KLONGNUENG A. KLONGLUANG,
PATHUMTHANI THAILAND 12120

For other methods of payment, please contact our admission team for more information graduate@sgs.tu.ac.th, Once payment is complete please send us a photo copy of your receipt.

Scholarship Opportunities

The PhD program offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships, which are competitively awarded based on the candidate's academic excellence, rigor of research proposal, and potential scholarly contributions to the program. The applicant is encouraged to also apply for external funding from independent sources.

Join Our Programs

At the School of Global Studies' graduate programs we are always on the search for talented individuals to join our vibrant community.

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Contact Us

Rangsit Campus (BA Program)

School of Global Studies, Thammasat University

Learning and Laboratory Building, Piyachart 2
99 Moo 18 Klong Luang, Rangsit, Pathumthani
12121, Thailand

Office :
+66 (0)2 564 4444 or +66 (0)2 696 5000 Ext. 4428 (PR), 4427 (HR), 4431 (Education), 4420 (Finance) 

Admission Team :
+66 (0)86 788 8064

Tha Pra Chan Campus (MA/PhD)

Office of Graduated Studies, School of Global studies,

F444, 4th floor60th anniversary building (river side), Thammasat University 2 Prachan Rd., Pranakorn, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Office :
+66 (0)2 613 2037

E - MAIL

info@sgs.tu.ac.th

graduate@sgs.tu.ac.th

gsse.admission@sgs.tu.ac.th

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