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Due to the wide choice of disciplines at SSPP, highlighting the many aspects of social science research, our faculty offers a modern education rooted in King's long-standing research tradition as a one of the oldest universities in the UK. Anchored in the heart of London, and drawing upon our international links, we continuously attract academics and students from across the world which makes for a cosmopolitan, diverse and international hub of expertise from which our students can gain a global perspective on their area of research.  Our students can also benefit from a range of worldwide opportunities open to them following on King's and SSPP's many strategic partnerships with leading universities worldwide.

Explore opportunities for postgraduate research in the Faculty 

Brazilian studies research.

PhD Brazilian Studies Research from the Brazil Institute at King's College London.

View course

Chinese Studies Research, option of joint PhD with HKU or NUS

Contemporary india research, option of joint phd with nus.

MPhil/PhD Contemporary India Research from the India Institute at King's College London.

Defence Studies Research

MPhil/PhD Defence Studies Research in Defence Studies Department at King's College London

Development Studies with Reference to Emerging Economies

PhD Development Studies with reference to Emerging Economies in International Development Institute at King's College London.

Education Research

MPhil/PhD Education Research at King's College, London

European Studies Research

MPhil/PhD from the Department of European & International Studies Research at King's College London.

Geography (option of joint PhD with Hong Kong University or National University of Singapore)

MPhil/PhD Research from the Department of Geography at King's College London, option of joint PhD with Hong Kong University/Humboldt/National University of Singapore.

Gerontology Research

MPhil/PhD Gerontology Research at King's College London.

Global Health and Social Medicine Research

MPhil/PhD Social Science, Health & Medicine Research in the Department for Social Science, Health and Medicine at King's College London.

Interdisciplinary Policy Studies

MPhil/PhD Interdisciplinary Policy Research Studies at King's College, London.

International Political Economy

MPhil/PhD in International Political Economy from the Department of European & International Studies Research at King's College London.

International Relations, joint PhD with the Institute of International Relations at the University of São Paulo

Study PhD International Relations in the Brazil Institute at King's College London and the University of São Paulo.

Language, Discourse & Communication, option of joint PhD with HKU/NUS

MPhil/PhD Linguistics Research at King's College London, joint PhD with Hong Kong University or National University of Singapore.

Leadership Studies with reference to Security & Development, option of joint PhD with University of Pretoria

Study Leadership Studies with reference to Security & Development PhD, in the African Leadership Centre in the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London or Joint PhD Leadership and Security Studies with the University of Pretoria.

Political Economy Research, option of joint PhD with NUS

MPhil or PhD Political Economy Research in the Department with Political Economy, with the option of a join PhD with NUS, at King's College London.

Politics and Contemporary History

MPhil/PhD Contemporary History at King's College London.

Politics Research

MPhil/PhD in Politics Research in Department of Political Economy at King's College London.

Public Policy Research

MPhil/PhD Public Policy Research at King's College London.

Russian & Eurasian Studies

PhD in Russian & Eurasian Studies in Russia Institute at King's College London.

War Studies Research

MPhil/PhD from the Department of War Studies at King's College London, option of joint PhD with Hong Kong University of the National University of Singapore.

Defence Studies Department

School of education, communication & society, department of european & international studies, department of geography, department of global health & social medicine, department of international development, king's brazil institute, king's india institute, lau china institute, institute of middle eastern studies, department of political economy, department of war studies.

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PhD (School of Social Sciences)

Suitable for applications.

All of the Academic Divisions in the School of Social Sciences invite PhD applications.

The research areas are only broadly indicative, and our staff place great store by creative and innovative approaches to issues whether they are novel or familiar – and to intellectual analysis, both established and path-breaking.

Subjects we supervise include the following areas:

Development Studies

Peace Studies

Sociology and Criminology

Social Work and Social Care

Undertaking a PhD is an exciting opportunity but can also be quite daunting as there are lots of stages to think about including application, arrival, admission, expectations, and progression to name but a few. At the School of Social Sciences, we believe it is important that, although our research students are working on individual projects, they are not working in isolation.  We offer a range of opportunities for training, developing skills, regular supervision sessions and ongoing peer support.

Entry requirements

For the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy

• First or upper-second class degree of Bachelor at an approved university or institution
• A higher degree at an approved university or institution
• Exceptionally, candidates with lower than above but with experience and training as suitable preparation

Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy now register directly on the Doctor of Philosophy award.

For the degree of Master of Philosophy

• Degree of Bachelor at an approved university or institution
• Professional qualification approved by the Faculty Research Postgraduate Degrees Sub-Committee and suitable general education and training
• Exceptionally, candidates with less than above but able to give satisfactory evidence of having obtained adequate standard of knowledge may be accepted by the Faculty Postgraduate Research Degrees Sub-Committee

English language requirements

Applicants who do not have English as a first language must obtain at least a 6.5 in their IELTS scores, or have completed a degree in which the language of instruction is English.

If you do not meet the IELTS requirement, and you have a UKVI approved IELTS, you can take a University of Bradford pre-sessional English course. See the Language Centre for more details . For further information on English Language requirements please see the dedicated international entry requirements page .

What you will study

A research degree gives you the opportunity to determine your own field of study. Your supervisor(s) will help formulate your research topic and ensure you are on schedule to complete your research on time. Research projects are, almost by definition, unique. It is not easy to describe a typical project. However, certain common features apply to all.

In order to confirm progress on your PhD a recommendation must be made by a Progression Panel proposed by your supervisor. If you opt nevertheless to submit for an MPhil then your remaining work should be accomplished in the following year. 

The second year of your PhD programme may well be taken up with actual data collection. Towards the end of the year it should be possible to attempt an initial analysis of your results.

In the third year you may conduct detailed collation and analysis of your results, and organise them into a logical and persuasive thesis.

During your fourth year, your supervisor may confirm that you are ready to submit your thesis for examination.  Following submission, your thesis will be read by two examiners and you will be required to attend an oral examination, at which you will be expected to answer questions on your thesis.

Learning and assessment

In order to confirm your progression, a recommendation must be made to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. The student is required to produce detailed documentation with a timetable of further work to completion and attend a progress meeting.  This is sometimes called a progression or transfer panel and is a compulsory university requirement.

Students will be required to go through this process between the 12 and 13 month mark of their registration. The documents required for the meeting are as follows:

• a three-page overview report on your study, that reflects on your progress to date and raises anything that you would particularly like feedback on;
• a substantive chapter of your thesis;
• a research proposal;
• a thesis planner.

These documents must be submitted 14 days in advance of the meeting.

A further monitoring meeting can be held at any time following the Progression meeting, if the supervisor thinks it is necessary. This would again take the form of a panel of academics reviewing written work, but the number of academics and the type of written work that will be reviewed is up to the supervisor to decide. Often a third monitoring meeting is held towards the end of the programme of study, and takes the form of a review of the first draft of the thesis or a mock viva.

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee 2023.

Please see the tuition fees website for the relevant tuition and writing up fees:

• Home students
• International students

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our  scholarships  section.

Available PhD projects

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Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from the  Career and Employability Services , including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and utilise their extensive resources.

Designed specifically for doctoral researchers, there is extensive training and development opportunities included in our unique and flexible  Postgraduate Research Framework . This bespoke offering tailored for research students, provides training opportunities to support your future employability and your development as an independent researcher.

Career prospects

One of the University of Bradford's goals is to equip all our students with the attributes and capabilities to be confident and capable in their life beyond university.

Study support

All new PhD students can expect an Induction Programme to welcome you to the Unviersity and the Faculty, where you will meet the Director of PG Research and other relevant academic staff. The Faculty Induction also includes a small tour of the campus with current students and an opportunity to meet your supervisors.

The University Induction Programme is currently delivered three times per academic year for Year 1 students. The Faculty and University induction sessions are a  requirement  for all new PGR students across the University, whether part-time or full-time.

Supervision

Students are allocated a principal supervisor and an associate, with whom you work with throughout your studies. The supervisor(s) has a duty to monitor progress, and to do this in a way that is both searching and supportive. But remember, one of the selection criteria for applicants is an ability to conduct research independently and with a degree of autonomy.

Students are  required  to attend meetings with their supervisors. These should be held  monthly  for full-time students less frequent for part-time. Supervision reports  must  be completed following each meeting by the student/supervisor(s), and sent to the relevant email address. The forms and email can be found on Canvas, our virtual learning environment.

Seminars and events

We organise regular seminars for our PhD students covering a range of subjects including Preparation for Fieldwork. Students are also encouraged to attend Faculty-wide seminars.

You are also encouraged to identify appropriate development opportunities, internally and externally, that will support your journey through your PhD.

Development Studies emphasises the applied and policy-relevant approaches to research, and this is reflected in the consultancy work which staff have undertaken for a number of governments and international organisations.

The Division's areas of research include foreign direct investment, trade liberalisation, the operations of multinational corporations, issues arising from resource-based economies, sustainable livelihoods, human rights and capabilities, social justice, water research, regional development challenges within the UK, accountability mechanisms, poverty, inequality, and democracy.

Under these broad headings, a very considerable variety of doctoral research projects find an accommodating and stimulating intellectual environment.

The culture of research in Peace Studies is unique and interdisciplinary, involving field-based, theoretical and applied knowledge creation. While issues-based work remains important, theoretical research is no less valued – indeed we regard it as essential to the continuing work of trying to address some of the most vexed and troubling problems of our time.

Key focuses include Disarmament (from small arms and light weapons to WMD and biological arms control); innovative work in Participation Studies including research on social class, ethnicity, gender and human rights; research undertaken within the John and Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies (JEFCAS); research on development in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America on democratisation and gender and development; research from the pioneering Centre for Conflict Resolution on conflict analysis, peace-building from below and humanitarian intervention.

Other Regions in Conflict studied include east-central Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and Central America.

Peace Studies is multi-disciplinary and we invite applications from suitably qualified and motivated individuals, whatever their disciplinary background. 

The Psychology Division encompasses a range of theoretical and applied researchers.

The Division has a particularly strong focus in the areas of health psychology and behaviour change.

The Applied Health and Social Psychology Group has an increasing national and international reputation receiving Economic and Social Research Council and NHS funding for research. The Group’s work is inclusive of research on gender and health, motherhood, eating behaviour, health behaviours, alcohol and drug misuse, community development and practice, inequalities in health and mental health, neuropsychological disorders, diversity in prisons, identity, creativity, sustainable societies, PTSD research and social media, suicide and social media, online disinhibition, attribution research, cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience, cognitive ageing research and dementia.

Members of the Bradford Cognition and Brain Group in the Division of Psychology work collaboratively with colleagues from the  Faculty of Life Sciences  to explore cognitive development and neuropsychological functioning.

Government deliberation and public debate over social policy has never seemed more topical – and in some particulars, never more urgent.

Our vibrant Social Policy Division engages both the practical and theoretical aspects of contemporary social policy at the international, national and local levels across a wide range of issues.

These include criminal justice studies, policing, hate crime, racism in prisons, human trafficking, youth offending, families, ethnicities and identities, transnational identities, anti-Muslim racism/Islamophobia, ethnicity and religion, gender and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, violence against women, work-life balance in Britain and Europe, individualisation and new families, parenting and partnering, children and young people’s participation, identity and self, contested sexualities, and the economics of personal behaviour.

In addition to collaborations with Social Policy and Psychology, the Social Work Division undertakes important and timely work on a range of Social care issues.

Social care is a vital social function, and social work is one of the major means by which the state intervenes in personal welfare, yet both are often both underplayed and under-researched.

Research in this area seeks to redress the balance, when the importance of social care is re-emerging as traditional forms of working and living decay while the content and form of social work has changed dramatically over the last decade.

Current research addresses this agenda in the following linked strands

• understanding policy and practice with children and families in the context of gender, culture and life experience, such as family support, mothering and fathering, child welfare policy and practice, adults who were in care as children, men as sexual offenders, child sexual abuse among Asian communities, and adoption and divorce
• religion and spirituality in social work, including the needs, strengths and difficulties that arise in practice from the religious, spiritual and other beliefs both service users and practitioners
• the experiences of service users, including the family carers of dementia sufferers
• the wellbeing and autonomy of older people in care
• the organisation and management of social work, such as interprofessional working
• ‘new managerialism’ in social work, and service organisation

How to apply

Social Research Institute (with integrated research methods training) MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society offers world-leading doctoral programmes in education and related social sciences. Students will be taking four training modules in social science relating to methodologies and research in the social sciences alongside supervised research. Our MPhil/PhD students undertake research projects, working closely with their supervisors to develop each stage of their research, and undertake a tailored programme of training courses and activities. This programme is available to study both face-to-face.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

Applications open

• Entry requirements

The normal minimum requirement is an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Integrated research methods training MPhil/PhD at the Social Research Institute provides a route for students to carry out their own research project within a multidisciplinary and multi-method environment with a taught research element. Our research students engage with the academic community within UCL and benefit from a comprehensive research training programme. This programme is available to study both face-to-face.

The Social Research Institute is one of the largest multidisciplinary social science research and teaching centres in London. Our staff include sociologists, psychologists and economists. We have research-active staff able to supervise research in our key areas of expertise.

Who this course is for

The MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in an aspect of educational and social research, which may be understood broadly across the life course, in relation to other subject areas and wider social, economic, political and cultural changes. You should normally have at least a 2:1 degree or equivalent from a recognised university and want to develop a specific area of research. You may have a background in education or a cognate area of study. It is suitable for both recent graduates and those progressed in a career.

What this course will give you

IOE is a world-leading centre for research in education and related social science. We host the UK's largest doctoral cohort in these areas. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023), the institute was ranked first for education for the tenth year running, ahead of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. In the UK's recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), we were ranked first for research strength and research power in Education, according to the Elsevier REF 2021 Results Analysis Tool. We attract extensive research funding each year and host many prestigious research centres and projects.

Doctoral students at IOE have access to the wider UCL community as well as the education cluster constituting the UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership. The Institute's programme has been designed to provide comprehensive and broadly based research training and to meet the requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the UK Researcher Development Framework.

Students work closely with their supervisor(s) to develop each stage of research; supervisors also help put together a programme of additional courses and activities to support progress towards completion of the final thesis. Doctoral students at the Department of Education, Practice and Society can participate in departmental seminars and research groups which further enriches learning. 

The foundation of your career

IOE doctoral graduates progress to careers in education, university teaching, educational research, and policy and curriculum development.

Employability

You will have opportunities to gain experience of planning and implementing research methodologies, as well as academic writing and presentation, and management of your own research projects. You may also be able to engage with a range of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other groups relevant to your chosen topic.

The Social Research Institute has a wide range of research seminars where students can join discussion of our ongoing projects, and IOE is the base for national and international conferences. The Centre for Doctoral Education holds two annual conferences for doctoral students. There are also opportunities for students to offer specialist reading groups and workshops and to act as facilitators on courses within the research training programme.

Teaching and learning

A wide range of teaching and learning strategies are deployed across the four modules and students are expected to engage in the wider research culture of their area of work.

The first part of the programme consists of four taught modules, taken alongside supervised research. The taught modules are assessed by written assignments of 5,000 words.

The summative written assessments for the taught modules may include:

• Writing research proposals
• Analysing data
• Critiquing published research papers
• Contributions to online forums

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis (up to 100,000 words), which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline. It must also represent a distinct and significant contribution to the subject, whether through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory, or the revision of older views. It should reflect the exercise of critical judgement with regard to both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.

For those who decide not to pursue the full PhD, or are unable to do so, the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should represent a contribution to the subject, either through a record of your original work or a critical and ordered exposition of existing knowledge.

You must ensure you have adequate time to devote to this research, at least six hours a day (2-3 days a week part time).

Research areas and structure

Our expertise at the Social Research Institute covers the following specialising fields:

• Children’s rights and advocacy; childhood studies; child development; children in care; maternal and child health; reproductive health; health behaviours; health promotion
• Families; family formation; parenting; work and family life; fatherhood; motherhood; food practices
• Gender; sexualities and intimate lives
• Longitudinal analysis; cohort studies cross-cohort and international comparisons
• Lifecourse transitions; intergenerational studies; demography; youth and young adulthood
• Social inequalities; intergenerational and intragenerational social mobility
• Education; skills and employment; labour market behaviour
• Migration; transnational families; sociology of religion; culture and ethnicity
• Cultural and social psychology
• Political sociology and the study of social movements
• Advanced qualitative and quantitative methods; mixed methods and visual methods
• Systematic reviews of research evidence; study of how research evidence is used in policy, practice and decision making
• Time use research; time use data to study social life, gender, work/family balance, family and economics.

Research environment

As a research student at UCL Social Research Institute, you can participate in the seminars organised by department research centres or according to interest groups.

Initially, students undertake four taught modules alongside supervised research.

Students are expected to pass 120 credits from the MRes in Social Research before upgrading to the PhD pathway.

Upgrade is expected no less than 21 months after initial registration for full-time, giving an extra 12/18 months more than normally provided for the MPhil/PhD in order to complete the taught component.

Following the taught component, the IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. Full-time MPhil/PhD students are required to fulfil at least 20 units of training activity each year, which may be met by participating in training courses, seminars, conference and related activities. This training can be selected from the IOE Research Training Programme, each unit being worth approximately half a day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent.

In addition to the taught modules, all students on this programme are expected to take a mandatory core course during their first year, which has been designed to meet the needs of early stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups. Processes aimed at assisting you during your course of study include the Research Student Log (an online project management tool), and periodic reviews of students’ progress.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.

Upgrade is expected no less than 33 months for part-time students, giving an extra 12/18 months more than normally provided for the MPhil/PhD in order to complete the taught component.

Following the taught component, the IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. Part-time students fulfil at least 12 units of training activity a year, which may be met by participating in training courses, seminars, conference and related activities. Students may also take additional training courses from the Programme, as relevant to their research and agreed with their supervisor.

Optional modules

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course, additional costs.

As a research student you may incur expenses relating to fieldwork, or additional expenses such as purchasing of books or conference attendance.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/funding-students-postgraduate-research-courses

UCL's Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available annually to prospective and existing UCL research students from any country: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/research-excellence-scholarship . The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership offers studentships annually. More information is found here: https://ubel-dtp.ac.uk/

UBEL, RES and other funding programmes are not available to online and non-resident students.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

After choosing a programme to apply for, you should develop a research proposal and identify a potential supervisor. For more information, visit our website to find a supervisor and get in touch with departmental graduate tutors.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Social Research Institute

[email protected]

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• Postgraduate research
• Cancer Studies
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Social Sciences, Doctor of

• Translation Studies

The DSocSci is designed to meet the needs of established professionals who require a sophisticated academic understanding of the issues affecting their field.

It is intended to produce a group of leading-edge practitioners who have mastered the full range of theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for the conduct of their professional activities at the highest level.

On this programme you will gain knowledge of research techniques available for enhancing professional knowledge and the training to help you use these to produce research of publishable quality.

On completion of the DSocSci you will:

• Have the latest and most sophisticated theoretical knowledge for practitioners
• Be able to ensure that this knowledge can be used to inform practice and that you can critically engage with developments in your field
• Be equipped with the tools and techniques necessary to conduct and evaluate research pertinent to your professional interests
• Be able to enhance the growing discipline areas of human resource development and labour market studies

The DSocSci is equivalent to a PhD - and like the PhD holders are allowed to use the title 'Doctor'. The DSocSci is available for study by distance learning only and can be completed in a minimum of 48 months to a maximum of 72 months. You can start your degree in May or September

Programme structure

Candidates complete eight taught modules . Modules one to four cover key aspects of research skills and methodological training. For modules five to seven, candidates select three specialist options to demonstrate their knowledge in a specific field. Module eight is a detailed thesis proposal.

Having completed all eight modules, candidates are required to submit a thesis of 50,000 words in a field of study approved by the Doctorate Programme Board. The thesis will demonstrate your ability to apply appropriate research methodologies and to analyse issues within the field of work, employment, and learning. The thesis must contain original work and be of publishable quality.

Prepare your Research Proposal Form   and follow the How to Apply guidelines in the section below.

Supervision and research areas

Get more information about supervision interests .

Entry requirements

Standard academic entry requirements and English language entry requirements apply.

We will require evidence of a relevant Masters degree, preferably at distinction level, together with a detailed outline of your initial research proposal. The validity and quality of the proposal will be of crucial significance in determining eligibility for entry.

The majority of our candidates are mature professionals who undertake the DSocSci programme to advance or change their career.

How to apply

Make sure we offer  supervision  in the area in which you want to work and that you meet or expect to meet the  academic entry requirements  and the  English language  requirements.

• You might be interested in signing up for our 5 week online course  Discovering Your PhD Potential: Writing a Research Proposal . The course is offered through  FutureLearn  where you can register your interest for the next available course.

Prepare your supporting documents, with your application you need to include proof that you meet the  academic entry requirements  and the  English language entry requirements : 

• Download and save the  Research Proposal Form  and prepare your proposal. Complete all sections using the guidance on the form.  If your proposal is not submitted on the Proposal Form your application will not be considered.
• Personal statement explaining your interest in the research, your experience, why it is worth doing and why we should consider you.
• Copies of your Degree Certificates and Marks Transcripts of study already completed and if possible a transcript to-date of any study currently being undertaken.
• If your documents are not in English please include an official translation.
• Evidence of English language proficiency if applicable
• In the reference section please enter the contact details of your two academic referees in the text boxes provided or upload letters of reference if already available.
• In the funding section state clearly how you intend to fund your study.

Submit your application using the  Apply Button  at the bottom of this page. Please ensure you upload all the required documents and your completed Research Proposal Form, failure to do so may cause a delay in assessing your application.

When to apply

We have intakes in May and September.

You should try to submit your application as far in advance of your preferred start date as possible.

After you have submitted your application, it will take a minimum of six weeks for you to receive a decision about your application.

If you have any questions about the DSocSci or about supervision in the School of Business, please contact us .

Fees and funding

For distance learning study if you are living outside of the UK during your studies you will pay the International fee.

UK Distance Learning

• Starting in 2022/23 academic year: £21,000 Total course fee
• Starting in 2023/24 academic year:  £21,850 Total course fee

International Distance Learning

• Starting in 2022/23 academic year: £25,000 Total course fee
• Starting in 2023/24 academic year: £26,000 Total course fee

Paying for Distance Learning

The fees quoted are the total fee for the DSocSci programme and can be paid by the following options:

• Total course fee paid in full before first year registration
• Total course fee split into four annual payments with first annual payment made in full before first year registration
• Total course fee split into 12 equal instalments payable over years 1-4 of the study. The first instalment to be paid before first year registration

If study extends beyond the 4th year no further fees are required. A payment schedule will be sent with the offer letter.

PhD description

Apply: distance learning, applying for, where are you studying, when would you like to start, how would you like to study.

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Find your course

• PhD - School of Social Sciences and Humanities

The School of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) welcomes applications for the doctoral programme in any of the research areas covered by the School. This includes: English (language, literature, applied linguistics), History, European Integration in comparative political, security, social and economic contexts, International Relations, Politics, Sociology and Policy.

Please note that each year there are two enrolment points and associated application deadlines:  

• January (deadline 24th October)
• October (deadline 1st July)

Applications received after the stated deadline will be considered for the next available enrolment date.

Course format

3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

UCAS code(s)

Programme Structure

Entry requirements, how to apply.

Whatever the matter, Society matters.

Hear about some of the fascinating academic research taking place into current issues facing our society.

Click here to listen now .

ESRC-accredited research methods training

74% of research in Social Sciences and Humanities achieved 3* or 4* in the latest Research Excellence Framework.

Aston University is the lead partner on the €4.6m 'Cultural heritage and identities of Europe's future (CHIEF)' project funded by the European Commission.

Social Sciences at Aston University was ranked 26th in the world for ‘citations’ (THE World University Ranking, 2022).

Researchers in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) are a multi-lingual, multi- and interdisciplinary community, working across the humanities, arts and social sciences, and bringing together a unique blend of internationally well-connected scholars.

SSH welcome applications for the doctoral programme in any of the research areas covered by the School, this includes: English (language, literature, applied linguistics), History, European Integration in comparative political, security, social and economic contexts, International Relations, Politics, Sociology and Policy.

If you are interested in PhD study in the following departments please contact the Research Director

Department of English, Languages and Applied Linguistics - Professor Gertrud Reershemius [email protected] Department of Politics, History and International Relations - Jelena Obradovic-Wochnik [email protected] Department of Sociology and Policy - Dr Gary Fooks [email protected]

In the first year you will undertake four ESRC approved taught Research Methods modules. These modules are designed to provide you with the necessary skills to both successfully complete your PhD, and to develop as a well-rounded researcher.

In line with ESRC initiatives, the Research Methods course is taught by experts across the College of Business and Social Sciences and involves modules on (1) Philosophy of Social Science Research, (2) Research Design, Practice and Ethics, (3) Fundamentals in Quantitative Research Methods, and (4) Foundations in Qualitative Research Methods.

These modules are designed to support the development of your research project and, ultimately, support the submission of a final Qualifying Report towards the end of Year 1.

The Qualifying Report is an extended research proposal that details your proposed research aims and objectives, contributions to current academic knowledge, and the research strategy, design, and methods you intend to employ to meet these aims and objectives.

You are required to defend your Qualifying Report through a viva voce oral examination involving two internal academic examiners, one of whom will be familiar with the subject area. Upon successful completion of this examination, you will then be allowed to proceed onto the PhD Programme.

During the second year you will typically concentrate on obtaining ethical approval for your research, before focusing on data collection and analysis. For some students this will involve travel to external research sites where data is collected. Towards the end of Year 2, you are required to communicate and defend your research progress. This is either through:

• An oral presentation of all, or part, of your research
• The write up of all, or part, of your research as a journal paper/article (without the requirement to submit for publication)
• The write up of all, or part, of your research in the form of an empirical chapter that would constitute part of your thesis

Year three is typically a writing up year, where you will spend most of your time developing your thesis.

We would also encourage you to submit to important academic conferences in order to communicate your research to an external audience and to develop your research profile.

If you are seeking to pursue a career in academia, we also encourage you to consider sending work for publication.

At the end of the final year, you will submit your thesis and will have a formal viva voce examination, where your finished PhD is examined by one internal and one external examiner.

Applicants  should:

• Possess a masters degree from a UK university or hold an equivalent qualification. An overall merit or equivalent, with merit in the dissertation is normally required. 
• Have the required skills and experience
• Submit a detailed research proposal (typically 8 to 12 pages) on a relevant subject (see 'How to Apply'). 

Language requirements:

For applicants who are not from majority English-speaking countries, it is necessary to meet our English language requirements.

Find out more about our English language requirements.

UK students (2024/25): UKRI

International students (2024/25): £15,800 

*Part-time students pay a pro-rata version of full-time fees.

Home students, including EU students with settled or pre-settled status, living in England may be eligible for a non-means tested, low interest, loan towards tuition costs and living expenses. Find out more about the Doctoral Loan Scheme .

The United Kingdom government has confirmed that European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals commencing academic courses in England from August 2021 will no longer be charged the same tuition rates as home students.  Further information can be found here.

Tuition fees for students are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. Any such increase shall always be in accordance with the law. When undertaking a placement year, a placement year fee applies.

More information on fees

PhD Scholarships

Fully funded studentships from the Economic and Social Research Council as part of the Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership.

Applications for the European Area Studies pathway are now closed.

Please follow this link for details:

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP PhD studentship competition

Each year the College of Business and Social Sciences advertises a number of PhD studentships.

Please follow this link for further information:

BSS PhD Studentship s

The PhD programme recruits students to start in October and applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible to avoid delays.

Apply by completing the Postgraduate Research Online Application Form in the section 'Making your application' below, including:

• A substantial outline of your proposed research (see below)
• Copies of your Bachelor and Masters degree certificates and transcripts of your grades (including English translations, if required)
• Two academic references, at least one of which must be from your most recent University
• Evidence of meeting the English languages requirements
• A personal statement
• A copy of your CV

Your application and proposal will be reviewed by the School’s Research Committee - you will then be notified of the outcome.

Contacting a supervisor

Finding an appropriate supervisor who is an expert in your chosen area of research is an essential part of the application process. We recommend that you look at the research centre pages and research profile pages which will enable you to determine whether there is a good match between your research interests and SSH.

If there is a member of staff whose research interest matches your own, we recommend that you contact them directly with a copy of your research proposal and discuss further with them. In addition to contacting a prospective supervisor, you also need to submit a formal application. If you are unsuccessful in identifying a supervisor through this method, it is essential that you indicate this on your application form. Please be advised that a formal decision on your application can only be made once the formal application has been submitted via the online form.

You are required to:

1. Outline an area of (possibly cross-disciplinary) study and demonstrate a familiarity with that area in bibliographical terms 

2. Specify a focus for research which may be expressed in various forms, e.g. hypothesis, question and problem. You must provide details of: 

• Your understanding of the subject at an appropriate level and highlight the scope for doctoral research
• Your expected outcome (e.g. descriptive, explanatory, pedagogic)
• Which field the research will contribute to

3. Demonstrate an awareness of an appropriate research tradition (or paradigm) which will provide a focus for your project

4. Show a basic understanding of at least one appropriate theoretical model that will be used to analyse data for your study

5. Draft a plan (in line with 3 and 4 above) of how the research will be carried out over the time allowed

Organisation of the Proposal

Title 

Identify the precise topic and indicate the approach you plan to take, if possible. 

Introduction

This should identify the relevant research area, show why the research is worth doing and indicate what you hope to achieve.

Aims and Objectives

This expands on the first of the above topics. In this section you should clearly set out the aim of your research, providing you with an opportunity to develop your research question and hypothesis and specify the intended outcomes. This should be done with reference to relevant literature.  Where appropriate, there should also be reference to your individual and institutional situation in which you intend to carry out the research.

Orientation to Previous Research

This builds on the previous section and sets your work more explicitly in the context of previous work and wider issues. You should set out a justification for your own research in the context of other studies, showing how it builds on and/or orientates to these. The section should demonstrate to the reader that you have familiarised yourself with the subject and are acquainted with current debates related to it. 

This section should indicate on which data the research is planned to be carried out.

Methodology 

In this section you will need to provide a justification for your methodological approach and you should expect to include the following:

• A statement of the paradigm and tradition(s) within which you will work
• A description of the data collection and procedures to be used, including work to be done in archives and a justification for these (showing why alternatives were rejected)
• A consideration of practical issues (e.g. permissions, gaining entry, ethics) showing that data collection is possible
• The analytical approach that you plan to adopt.

Present a realistic timetable for the research, including research visits abroad, corresponding to the time available for the project (usually three years for a full-time and 4-6 years for  a part-time PhD, including writing-up).

References  

All references to academic works should be presented consistently, in a standard format.

Making your application

Making an application can be split into the following steps:

• Use the 'Select Online Application Form' below to access the online application form. Then click "Apply for selected Degree Programme" (this will open in a new window)
• Complete the online application form, uploading the necessary documents
• We'll review your application and contact you if we require any additional information/documents
• If you have applied for one of our research projects, and your application is successful, the supervisor will contact you to arrange an interview.
• If you have submitted your own project, and your application is successful, a supervisor who is interested in your project will contact to arrange an interview. How to Reduce Process Time
• Contact academics at Aston University and find someone who would like to supervise your research. Name them in your application. 
• Provide all the documents required. Make sure that these are high-quality scans and (if applicable) certified English translations.
• Be aware of the degree programme fees and explain clearly in your application how this will be funded.

Select online application form

Application guidance notes.

The following guidance notes will aid you in completing the online application form. We advise keeping this page open while you apply as a useful point of reference.

When progressing through the application form please use the hyperlinks/buttons at the bottom of each page and not your web browser back and forward buttons.

Existing Aston Students: Please note: You will need to Create a New Account to start a new application please do not log in with your student username and password.

When creating your new account please ensure that you provide us with a valid and accurate email address as most of the correspondence from Aston will be sent via email.

You will be automatically logged in after this and be able to start your application immediately.

You can elect to 'Save and Return Later' at any point of the process, at which point you will be emailed details on how to return to your application later.

You are a sponsored student if all or part of your tuition fees will be paid by an external organisation. This may be an employer, government body or embassy (not a family member). On receipt of an official letter purchase order, the University will send a tuition fee invoice directly to your sponsor.

Please specify in your application that you are a sponsored student. To confirm your sponsorship, please follow the instructions here:  Tuition Fee Sponsorship | Aston University

There are guidance notes available through out the application to assist you in completing the form. Names Please input your first names and family name as stated in your passport or other official documentation. 

E-mail addresses E-mail address. This is your personal email address - the email address used to register an online application account with Aston University.

Alternative contact E-mail address. If you are an Educational Agent, working on behalf of an applicant, please insert the Educational Agent email address in this box. Addresses Please provide information on your address. The permanent address is usually your home address. This is the address we will use to contact you unless you specify a correspondence address. 

If the correspondence address given is temporary, please ensure that you notify the relevant Admissions Office of any changes.

Disability/additional support needs This section is included for the purposes of monitoring equal opportunities and to ensure that students with a disability know about and have access to appropriate facilities and services. Applications are judged solely on academic merit. The University is committed to equal opportunities in its admissions policy and considers applications from candidates with disabilities on the same academic grounds as apply to all candidates. Find out more information about the facilities and support available contact:

The Enabling Team Aston University Aston Triangle Birmingham B4 7ET UK Telephone: +44 (0) 121 204 4700 E-mail:  [email protected] If appropriate, please choose the code most relevant to you from the drop down menu, when completing the online application form. Please also give any details of any special requirements or additional support needs you might have. Educational details Please include all qualifications obtained or anticipated (post compulsory education only).

Please note that the authenticity of your qualifications will be checked by Aston with the awarding institution/examination board and that submission of fraudulent documents will disqualify you from studying in the UK. Professional qualifications Please enter any professional qualifications received or memberships of professional institutions that are relevant to your application e.g. the Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma or any other non-academic qualification e.g. GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test). 

Your academic qualifications, to a maximum of 14 The most important qualification to include is the qualification you are currently studying, or if you have completed all qualifications, the highest qualification that you have achieved. English All applicants are required to provide evidence of their ability in English. The minimum English language requirement varies between schools - please refer to the Postgraduate prospectus for the individual programme requirements.  These usually include:  GCSE / ‘O’ Level English language, IELTS, Pearson Test of English (PTE) or TOEFL, although there are other acceptable qualifications.   Please note that IELTS and TOEFL results are only valid for 2 years . Applicants who have already successfully completed, or are successfully completing, a full time university degree in the UK and other English-speaking countries may be exempt from these requirements. Applicants with less than the minimum English Language requirement may be rejected or asked to retake the relevant examinations. Alternatively, they may need to successfully complete one of the English language courses at Aston University before starting their programme of study. Applicants will be notified at the point of offer of any such conditions. Relevant work experience Please include any relevant work experience to support your application by ticking the box and completing all the mandatory fields. Please note that relevant work experience is a requirement for some programmes; please refer to the programme listed in the prospectus or the website for further information. Finance details Please provide as much information as possible about how you will be funding your postgraduate studies.  If you have been awarded a grant/scholarship for all or part of your costs please send us a copy of the letter of the award you have received from the grant-awarding body. This can be uploaded at the beginning of your application. Personal statement You are required to complete a personal statement.   The statement should add any further information which you think is relevant to your application e.g. personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, further description of relevant employment experience etc. Also include information about your leisure activities and interests.

Please do  not include symbols in your text  as the system may not recognise them.

Research proposal A good research proposal is one of the most important aspects of your application to the Research Degrees Programme. When the University receives your research proposal, we use it to confirm the quality of your ideas, your ability to think originally and critically, to ensure that you really have understood the depth of investigation that your doctoral research will entail, and that you have a good understanding of the key theories and literature. Research Proposals should be in sufficient detail to enable the relevant research group or supervisor to decide if your experience is appropriate and if your proposed topic is relevant to existing research themes at Aston. The outline should be a substantial document, typically 6 to 12 pages in length. Please refer to ‘How to Apply’ section on the programme page for programme-specific requirements. If applying for an advertised project or studentship, please refer to the advert for research proposal requirements. References You must provide two official references.  Members of your family or friends cannot provide references.  At least one of your referees should be from the institution where you studied your last University degree. For Research Applicants: If you have completed your first Degree at a different University to your Masters Degree please provide a reference from both Institutions. References must be provided on headed-paper and/or stamped by the institution and must be signed by the referee. If you choose to enter an email address for either of your referees they will be automatically e-mailed to ask them to provide you with a reference if the ‘Email this referee on application submission?’ box is ticked. The referee’s email address must originate from the referee’s official university/professional e-mail address. Private e-mail references will not be accepted. The referees will receive full instructions on how to complete the references and where to send once they have completed the reference. PLEASE NOTE: If you apply for  more than one course  at Aston but are using the same referee you do  not  need to tick the ‘Email this referee on application submission?’ box, for your second or any subsequent applications. Those applicants who have chosen not to have their referees automatically emailed will need to contact the relevant Admissions Office for more information on manually sending the references for your application. Please include the Application Reference Number, emailed to you separately, on all correspondence.

If you are applying for an advertised Studentship please state the reference code. This can be found on the advertisement.

Once you have completed your application you will be automatically logged out from the system and emailed with confirmation that your application has been received. After this point, admissions staff at Aston will communicate with you via the email address you have provided regarding the outcome of your application and you will not need to log in to the Online Application form again. If you have any supporting documents which you need to send to us please send these to  [email protected] .  

Notification of decision The University will make a decision based on the information you have provided and you will be advised of the decision within a few weeks. (If you do not hear anything after 6 weeks and you have completed your online application and provided all required supporting documentation, you can email the PGR Admissions Office as stated on your receipt of application email. Your query can be processed quicker if you can provide your Reference Number, as provided on the email sent you when you submitted your application form).

You will be contacted by the university with a decision to invite you to an interview, or that your application has been unsuccessful.

Following a successful interview, the offer of a place will be made. This may be subject to certain conditions which you have to meet before your admissions can be confirmed (conditional offer). You must satisfy these conditions by sending further evidence or completing additional documentation to the University.

If you have any more questions about the application process or the information you will need to provide the University, please contact us.

This section provides you with some simple solutions to technical problems that you might have whilst completing the online Application Form.

I can’t create a new account, what should I do? If you are unable to create a new account, please ensure that you are using a supported web browser (listed below) and that you are completing all of the required fields on the new account page. You are unable to create an account twice with the same email address. If you need to apply for a second Degree Programme at Aston, you can use your existing account details to log in. If you have forgotten your original password, please follow the instructions below to receive a reminder of your password. If (after verifying that you are using a supported web browser and that you do not already have an account in the system) you are still unable to create an account please contact our technical support staff at  [email protected] I haven’t received any emails from the application form, why is this? Normally, you will receive an email once you choose to ‘save and return Later’ to your current application or when you complete an application form. You may not receive these emails if: Your email software or provider has marked the emails as Junk or Spam. Please check your Junk / Spam folder to see if any emails have been directed there.  Additionally, please ensure that you add ‘aston.ac.uk’ to your email account safe list so that any further emails sent to you by the Admissions team are received quickly and safely. You may also have entered your email address incorrectly when creating your account. If this is the case, please contact our technical support staff at  [email protected]  with your name, date of birth and email address.

How do I get a reminder of or reset my password? To have your password reset  visit this webpage on MAP . You will be asked to provide the email address, surname and date of birth that you entered when you originally created your account. If these are accepted by the system, your password will be reset to a random value and emailed to you. If you are unable to retrieve your password this way, please contact our technical support staff at  [email protected] The application form doesn’t look right or doesn’t work properly on my computer, what can I do? The Aston application form has been tested to work with the following web browsers: Internet Explorer 8   Firefox   Google Chrome   Safari  You will also need to ensure that Javascript is enabled on your internet browsing software. This is usually enabled by default. If you are using one of these web browsers and are still experiencing issues, please contact our technical support staff at  [email protected] I’ve made some mistakes on my application form or supporting documentation, what do I do? If you haven’t submitted your application form, you can change any of the documents you have uploaded and any of the information you have entered simply by  logging into your application  and making the necessary changes. If you have submitted your application form, please contact the relevant Admissions Office as stated on your receipt of application email  with details of any changes you wish to make, along with any supporting documentation if applicable How do I log back into an uncompleted application form once I have chosen to ‘Save and Return Later’? You can access any existing application form by simply  logging back into your application . You can log in using the email address and password you used to create your account. However you cannot use this to start a new application.

If you are an overseas student and require a student visa to come to the UK, you must also allow sufficient time to submit your visa application form to your local British Embassy/High Commission.

For some of our courses you may also be required to apply for an  Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)  certificate, which can take up to 4 weeks to be issued, please allow sufficient time for this.

If you are applying as an international student, you should note that the terms and conditions of entry into the UK usually prevent you registering for a part-time programme. For more information, please refer to  www.gov.uk/student-visa  or  www.ukcisa.org.uk . 

If you require any additional advice before you wish to submit your application, please contact us at  [email protected]

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Student life at aston.

Accommodation

We provide award-winning accommodation on our small, friendly campus in partnership with Unite Students

Students' Union

Aston SU  represents and supports around 14,000 students, providing a number of commercial and non-commercial services.

Birmingham life

Aston University is in a great, central location. Ideally positioned in the centre of Birmingham - one of the youngest cities in Europe - our campus is only a 10 minute walk to the city centre.

Clubs and societies

Joining a club or society is one of the best ways to get the most out of your time here at Aston. With over 130 student-led groups we have something for everyone.

Here's Sports at Aston. Discover what's happening on the Aston University campus at the Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre.

Student support at the Hub

The Hub is a central location on the Ground Floor of the Main Building where most of the student support services are located.

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201 PhD Programmes in Social Sciences 2024

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Doctor of Applied Social Research

University of stirling.

• Stirling, United Kingdom

Full time, Part time

Distance learning, On-Campus

Compare this program

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Doctor of Christian Counseling (Online)

Christian leadership university.

• Orlando, USA
• Distance learning

Are you confident that you are ministering to the deep heart needs of your clients, or do you sometimes feel like you are just putting on Band-Aids to cover festering wounds? Wouldn’t you like to know that your clients have been cleansed and healed by experiencing the loving touch and compassionate words of the Wonderful Counselor Who alone can touch those deepest places within? If so, then a Doctoral Degree in Christian Counseling from Christian Leadership University is exactly what you’ve been searching for.

Doctor of Diplomacy (DDipl)

Doctor of international relations, geneva school of diplomacy and international relations.

• Geneva, Switzerland

Blended, On-Campus

The Doctor of International Relations (DIR) Programme is the highest degree offered by the Geneva School of Diplomacy and brings together academic excellence through meticulous independent research, and real world applicability.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Antropology

Selinus university of science and literature.

• London, United Kingdom
• Bologna, Italy

English, Italian

This thesis should explore the four subfields of anthropology, namely archaeology, ethnology, physical anthropology and linguistics, which combine to give a complete understanding of humanity.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in International Affairs

This programme provides a theoretical basis and practical analysis of international business. A research thesis should address the global environment in which the business operates, as well as the process of business preparation and market entry, strategy and operations.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in International Relations

This programme examines the complexities and processes involved in the relationships that govern international governance institutions. It deals with socio-economic and political, legal, historical and context-sensitive factors, which are key elements in any international environment.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Peace Studies

A dissertation on this current topic of academic studies should examine the fundamental issues in peace studies from various perspectives. What are the concepts of peace? Is peace a relative status?

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Human Rights

This programme examines several national and international legal, political and moral issues. A research thesis should aim at identifying the ideological and political motivations behind global and regional regimes and human rights organizations.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in the Humanities and Social Sciences

The global centre for advanced studies.

• Dublin, Ireland

GCAS College Dublin is recruiting the best minds and researchers of the next generation. We are excited to form the first class of our new Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in the Humanities and Social Sciences. We aim to support our students and researchers with the highest quality of educational resources available.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Research in Anthropology

Auream phoenix university for women.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Research in International Affairs

Doctor of philosophy (phd) by research in international relations, doctor of philosophy (phd) by research in sociology, doctor of philosophy (phd) in political science.

The learning skills at a distance from the Faculty of Arts & Humanities are usually highly professional. The degree programs of distance learning of Selinus University in this faculty allow access to the specialization in which the student can choose the topics of your interest in order to design a program fully adapted to his vocation.

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Course type

Qualification, university name, phd degrees in humanities and social sciences.

60 degrees at 43 universities in the UK.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

Related subjects:

• PhD Humanities and Social Sciences
• PhD African Studies
• PhD Age Studies
• PhD American Politics
• PhD American Studies
• PhD Americas: Studies
• PhD Anthropology
• PhD Anthrozoology
• PhD Applied Social Studies
• PhD Arabic Studies
• PhD Asian Studies
• PhD Biological Anthropology
• PhD China Studies
• PhD Classics
• PhD Community Studies
• PhD Contemporary Studies
• PhD Criminology
• PhD Cultural Studies
• PhD Defence Studies
• PhD Demography
• PhD Development Politics
• PhD Diplomatic Studies
• PhD Disaster Studies
• PhD English Studies
• PhD Ethnology
• PhD Europen Politics
• PhD France Studies
• PhD Gender Studies
• PhD Germany Studies
• PhD Globalisation
• PhD Government Studies
• PhD Government and Politics
• PhD Humanities
• PhD Immigration studies
• PhD International Politics
• PhD International Relations
• PhD International Studies
• PhD Irish Studies
• PhD Islamic Studies
• PhD Italy Studies
• PhD Japan Studies
• PhD Jewish Studies
• PhD Latin America Studies
• PhD Local Government Studies
• PhD Middle East Studies
• PhD Middle Eastern Studies
• PhD Policy Studies
• PhD Political Philosophies
• PhD Politics
• PhD Politics of Specific Countries
• PhD Popular Culture
• PhD Regional Studies
• PhD Russian Federation Studies
• PhD Social Anthropology
• PhD Social Data Analysis
• PhD Social Research
• PhD Social Research Methods
• PhD Social Sciences
• PhD Social Studies
• PhD Sociology
• PhD Sociology of Health and Sickness
• PhD Sociology of Specific Subjects
• PhD Spain Studies
• PhD Strategic Studies
• PhD UK Politics
• PhD War Studies
• PhD Women's Studies
• PhD Youth Studies

• Course title (A-Z)
• Course title (Z-A)
• Price: high - low
• Price: low - high

Mphil Phd Social Sciences

University of east london.

• 3 years Full time degree: £5,740 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,870 per year (UK)
• PhD via MPhil- Core
• View all modules

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) - Non-Lab

Liverpool hope university.

• 2 years Full time degree: £4,100 per year (UK)
• 3 years Part time degree: £2,050 per year (UK)

PhD Postgraduate research opportunities in Humanities and Social Science

Liverpool john moores university.

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 7 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

PhD (School of Social Sciences) Doctorate

University of bradford.

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,682 per year (UK)

PhD - Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

Bournemouth university.

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 4 years Part time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)

PhD at the University of London Institute in Paris

University of london institute in paris.

• 3 years Distance without attendance degree: £6,130 per year (UK)
• 5 years Distance without attendance degree: £3,065 per year (UK)
• 3 years Online degree: £6,130 per year (UK)
• 5 years Online degree: £3,065 per year (UK)

Human Sciences PhD

Faculty of education, health and human sciences, university of greenwich.

• 4 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

English and Humanities MPhil/PhD

Birkbeck, university of london.

• 7 years Part time degree: £2,500 per year (UK)

Humanities research degree MPhil/PhD

De montfort university.

• 5 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

Social Science and Health PhD

University of glasgow.

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,596 per year (UK)

History PhD/MPhil - Medical Humanities

University of leicester.

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £3,121 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,298 per year (UK)

Social Science Research Methodology PhD

University of nottingham.

• 6 years Part time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)

University of Roehampton

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,711 per year (UK)

Environmental Social Science - PhD

University of kent, social sciences phd, london south bank university.

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 3 years Full time degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,892 per year (UK)

Oxford Brookes University

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,696 per year (UK)
• 4 years Part time degree: £2,348 per year (UK)

PhD Postgraduate research in Social Sciences

University of wolverhampton.

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,596 per year (UK)
• 8 years Part time degree: £2,298 per year (UK)

PhD Advanced Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences

University of bath.

• 2 years Full time degree: £4,800 per year (UK)
• 3 years Part time degree: £2,400 per year (UK)

Psychology and Human Development MPhil/PhD

Ucl (university college london).

• 3 years Full time degree: £7,580 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £3,790 per year (UK)

German Studies (Social Sciences) PhD

University of birmingham.

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,778 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,389 per year (UK)

1-20 of 60 courses

Course type:

• Distance learning PhD
• Full time PhD
• Part time PhD

Qualification:

Universities:.

• University of Warwick
• Hull York Medical School
• Cardiff University
• University of Suffolk
• Royal College of Art
• King's College London, University of London
• The University of Edinburgh
• University of Sussex
• Ulster University
• University of Gloucestershire
• Birmingham City University
• University of Sunderland
• Aston University, Birmingham
• University of Manchester
• Lancaster University
• University of London Worldwide
• Robert Gordon University
• Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education
• Buckinghamshire New University
• Regent's University London

Related Subjects:

2024 PhD Studentships in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh

The university of edinburgh.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education's REF power ratings).

The University of Edinburgh is seeking extraordinary doctoral candidates to take up PhD scholarship opportunities available across the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Our world-leading research influences policy, professional practice, business performance and the wellbeing of communities and cultures.

Join our 1,000 academics and students involved in research across our 12 Schools and become part of our extraordinarily rich and vibrant postgraduate research community.

Our scholarship opportunities include:

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) PhD Studentships

The University of Edinburgh is part of a consortium of 10 Universities which have been awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to support postgraduate studentships and training in the Arts and Humanities in Scotland. 

These scholarships include fees, stipend for full-time or part-time study and significant additional flexible funding to shape their doctoral training to meet their individual needs.

Deadline for applications to the University will vary according to each School.

• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) PhD Studentships

The University of Edinburgh is part of a consortium of Universities in Scotland which have been awarded funding from the Economics & Social Research Council (ESRC) to support postgraduate studentships and training in the Social Sciences in Scotland.

Subject to confirmation of funding by the ESRC, t hese scholarships include fees and stipend for full-time or part-time study and additional training opportunities. Deadline for applications to the University will vary according to each School.

For further information, please contact our Postgraduate Office at [email protected]

Apply now to join us in 2024

Why study with the University of Edinburgh?

• The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power , with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.*
• The University of Edinburgh was named 4th most sustainable university in the world and 1st in the UK.**
• One of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and ranked 22nd in the QS World University Rankings 2023.
• The University of Edinburgh is located in the very heart of Scotland’s capital - a capital consistently considered one of the most desirable places to live in the world .
• A total of 24 Nobel laureates are associated with the University of Edinburgh. These include winners of Prizes in Peace, Literature and the Memorial Prize in Economic Science.
• We’re ranked 22nd in the world’s most international universities . Students from two-thirds of the world’s countries study here.***

* Times Higher Education's REF power ratings 2021

** QS World Sustainability Rankings 2023

*** Times Higher Education Most international universities in the world 2023

Show all PhDs for The University of Edinburgh …

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Best universities for social sciences degrees in the UK 2023

Explore the best universities in the uk for social sciences degrees, using data from the times higher education world university rankings 2023.

Top 10 universities in the UK for social science degrees 2023

The social sciences are fields that explore the relationships between individuals and societies. Subjects under this umbrella include anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, linguistics, politics, psychology and sociology.

In the UK, undergraduate courses tend to be in one subject within the social sciences as opposed to a singular social sciences degree.

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However, if you are looking for a broader foundation in the social sciences, there are an increasing number of joint honours and liberal arts courses on offer that allow you to study several social science subjects alongside each other.

Below are the best universities for social sciences in the, UK according to the  Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023.

Best universities in the world for social science degrees Best universities for social sciences degrees in the US Best universities for social sciences degrees in Canada Best universities for social sciences degrees in Australia

5.  University of Manchester

The  University of Manchester ’s School of Social Sciences offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. Courses include criminology, economics, law, philosophy, politics, social anthropology, social statistics and sociology. There are also PhD programmes available.

The university has a number of centres and institutes that facilitate research in the social sciences. These include the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research and the Mitchell Centre for Social Network Analysis.

Located on its central London campus,  UCL’s  Social Research Institute specialises in the areas of education, employment, family, gender, health and well-being, migration and inequalities.

At the undergraduate level,  UCL  offers an interdisciplinary bachelor of social sciences degree for those looking for a broad foundation in the field. Students are taught how to understand and shape future policy and engage with global perspectives. Core modules include sociology, psychology and research methods, but students can choose additional modules that suit their own areas of interest.

At the graduate level, research can be carried out at across any of the institute’s seven sociology centres.

What can you do with a media and communications degree? What can you do with a geography degree? What can you do with a politics degree? What can you do with a sociology degree?

3.  London School of Economics and Political Science

The  London School of Economics and Political Science  (LSE) is located in central London and is one of the world’s leading specialist social science universities. It is particularly well known for its highly international student body, which represents about 140 countries.

There are more than 40 undergraduate degree programmes available across the social sciences. These include courses in anthropology, geography, history, economics and international relations. There are also a range of graduate courses on offer for students seeking to conduct research in these fields.

The university records a monthly podcast that includes discussions with leading social scientists. In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the university released an episode of the podcast called “What’s the point of social science in a pandemic?”, in which experts discuss how social scientists have contributed to overcoming the virus.

2.  University of Cambridge

The  University of Cambridge  School of the Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of seven main institutions including history, human, social and political science and history and philosophy of science among others.

The school offers a range social science courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level including human, social and political sciences (HSPS), geography, law, linguistics and many more. In all courses, students are taught different methodologies such as ethnography, quantitative analysis of big data and analysis of material culture and past societies.

1.  University of Oxford

Perhaps the most famous social sciences degree at the  University of Oxford  is PPE: philosophy, politics and economics. A significant number of British prime ministers studied PPE at Oxford. Nobel Peace prizewinner and advocate for women’s education Malala Yousafzai also recently graduated from the course.

Aside from PPE, undergraduate courses within the social sciences include geography, archaeology and anthropology, and law and human sciences. There are also a range of research and teaching postgraduate courses in the social sciences that includes history, conservation management, international relations and sociology.

The  University of Oxford  Social Sciences Division is thought to be one of the world’s largest groupings of social scientists. Research is carried out in areas including aid, poverty and development, conflict, justice, climate change and resource management. Most recently, the university’s Blavatnik School of Government agreed to collaborate with other institutions as part of a £2 million global policy project to address the social impacts of Covid-19.

Top universities in the UK for social science degrees 2023

Click each institution to view its full  World University Rankings 2023  results. 

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Humanities and Social Sciences Fully Funded Swansea University PhD Scholarship

Job information, offer description.

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Swansea University is pleased to offer a scholarship for a full-time doctoral study, commencing in January 2024.  

This scholarship includes  tuition fees  and a stipend – reviewed annually at the  UKRI standard rate  – and an annual training allowance to support immersive training experiences such as engagement with industry and international collaborative opportunities.   

The scholarship is offered for a maximum period of three years; students are expected to submit their theses within this timescale. 

Applicants should be aware that department-based shortlisting panels are expected to take place in early December 2023. Please note that shortlisting panels may contact candidates within this period. Interviews are expected to take place in early December 2023.   

Successful candidates will work with an experienced, forward-thinking supervisory team and join a strong existing cohort of doctoral students. They will participate in research and training activities embedded in our research centres and groups, which are sites of internationally-recognised, multi-disciplinary research. We also welcome applications in related research areas. 

Requirements

Candidates must have attained, or must be expected to attain, a first-class honours degree and/or a distinction at master’s level. 

• Where applicants have multiple master’s degrees, a distinction must be held in the degree that is most relevant to the intended PhD study. 

If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship (i.e. a student who is eligible to pay the UK rate of tuition fees) but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements (see  country specific qualifications ). Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency. 

Please note that both the degree and language-proficiency entry requirements for these scholarships are higher than the baseline standard for entry that is stipulated for most of the PhD programmes at Swansea University. 

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only , as defined by  UKCISA regulations . 

Additional Information

This scholarship covers the full cost of UK tuition fees and an annual stipend of £18,622.

Additional research expenses will also be available. 

Please see our website for more information.

Work Location(s)

Where to apply.

• Schools & departments

School of Health in Social Science PhD Studentships

The School of Health in Social Science PhD Studentships are funded by the School and are designed to enable the development of Doctoral level research, aligned to existing health and social science research within the School. These studentships cover fees and a stipend and are offered on a competitive basis. This round of School Scholarships offers 3 Scholarship positions, for a September 2023 start, with 3-years of funding, awarded on a full-time basis or 6 years on a part-time basis.

Important Notice

Please note the a programme application is required in order for your funding application to be considered. The deadline for programme applications is the 14th November 2022, 11:59. 

Scope of PhD

The School of Health in Social Science is composed of 3 subject areas (Clinical Psychology, Nursing, Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Sciences) and 5 centres (Scottish Centre for Health Research, Policy and Practice; Edinburgh Centre for Research on the Experience of Dementia, Centre for Applied Developmental Psychology, Centre for Creative Relational Enquiry and the Centre for Homeless and Inclusion Health). We are a global centre of excellence with high local visibility in our core professional disciplines and in established and emerging interdisciplinary fields associated within health and the social sciences. Our work addresses complex global health and social challenges such as development of mental health issues, dementia care, life-course risk and resilience, complex needs in diverse care environments, psychological well-being and public mental health.  Our research areas align closely with the University and College themes, and our research highlights the ongoing importance of health and wellbeing in the context of the pandemic, and onward into societal post-Covid recovery.

Doctoral level research and the development of Early Career Researchers is a core element of our research portfolio and we have an active and vibrant PGR community. The new School PhD Scholarships offer an opportunity for applicants to develop innovative research, aligned to areas of research within the School. These scholarships are offered on a completive basis, and applications will only be considered if they are aligned to our existing areas of research and/or the work of our Centres. Please see our webpages for more information on current staff research areas. 

We encourage applicants from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds and approaches, particularly those from Widening Participation and Low and Middle Resource backgrounds. Applications will be assessed by an interdisciplinary panel within the School.

Supervision and Collaboration Arrangements and Educational Environment

Each student PhD has a supervisory team comprising a principal and second supervisory, whose research expertise is aligned to the proposed topic and associated methods.  The student will be based at the School of Health in Social Science, and be part of the appropriate Section, and Research Centre or grouping, depending on the applicant’s proposal area. Within the University of Edinburgh the student will have access to the wide range of research methods and transferable skills courses available to PhD students to meet their learning needs. The University is one of the leading Universities in the world, and the School offers a research-rich environment that specialises in research capacity development through doctoral and post-doctoral education and opportunities.

Funding Arrangements

This Studentship is for 3 years full time or 6 years part time. The stipend will be set to the UKRI level for 2023/24. The UKRI level for 2022-23 is currently £17,668 for full-time students, or the pro rata equivalent for part-time students.  Funding will cease at 3 years full time or 6 years part time or on submission of the PhD thesis, whichever is earlier. Individuals from outside the UK are welcome to apply, but it will be their own responsibility to pay the difference between the UK and international student tuition fee rates.

The PhD programme will start in September 2023 on an annual basis.

Academic Contact

For any informal discussion or enquiries, contact our School PGR Director: HSS PGR Director [email protected]

Attributes (essential and desirable criteria)

Closing date.

Thursday 2nd February 2023, 11:59pm (GMT)

Notification

The selection panel will meet after the deadline, shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview and the successful candidates will be informed in April 2023.

Application Details

Application to this Studentship is a two stage process – you must have carried out both stages by the deadline to be considered for the funding. If you are having any difficulty with your submission, have queries about the application process, or wish to check that your application has been received please contact our Research Admissions Administrator at [email protected] before the deadline.

Please also complete the online application system by Monday 14 th November 2022, 11.59pm (GMT), noting which of the following programmes you are applying for:

PhD and PhD by Distance Counselling Studies

PhD and PhD by Distance in Clinical Psychology

PhD and PhD by Distance Health in Social Science

PhD and PhD by Distance Nursing Studies

You will be asked to provide your degree certificate(s); degree transcript(s); references and other documents. For further information please refer to: https://www.ed.ac.uk/health/subject-areas/postgraduate-research .

Scholarship applications will only be considered if the programme application has been submitted by the deadline.

Please submit a CV of no more than two pages, and covering letter, drawing on your own background (including your life experiences, journey to/through university, work experiences or volunteering) please provide a summary of why you are ready to undertake a PhD now and how you will flourish as a result of PhD funding. You might include, for example, personal challenges that you have overcome or achievements that you are proud of in your work, study or life experiences and how these map onto the skills required to flourish in a PhD programme. Challenges could include, but are not limited to, protected characteristics, socio-economic status and of being first-in-a-generation to university or care experienced.

In order to gain access to the scholarship application system applicants must have applied for admission to the University of Edinburgh.  Please note that, following the submission of an application for admission, it can take up to ten working days for all system checks to be completed and for access to be granted.

The online scholarship application form is located in EUCLID and can be accessed via MyEd our web-based information portal at  https://www.myed.ed.ac.uk

When logging in to MyEd, you will need your University User Name and password. If you require assistance, please go to  http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-systems/support-guidance