Funding
Broadly speaking, you can either pay all your own tuition fees and living costs, or you can seek whole or partial funding from various sources. The Graduate Team is there to provide advice. Current fee levels.
Below you can find information regarding external and internal sources of funding.
Funding Opportunities
If you wish to be considered for funding you must have applied for a place on the PhD programme. For details on how to apply and to access the School of Social Sciences Funding Application form please go to the School of Social Sciences funding webpage.
Politics Studentships
The School of Social Sciences offers studentships that cover home fees plus a maintenance award. In 2009/10 Politics was able to award three such studentships. Awards holders are expected to do a limited amount of seminar teaching. Please note that award holders from outside the EU have to pay the difference between home and international fees. Awards to cover this difference are available, but these require a separate application (see below under ORS).
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Politics is able to award between one and two ESRC awards annually and may also put forward another student each year for the ESRC competition awards. In order to be eligible for an ESRC doctoral award you have to already have an MA in a relevant subject with the requisite amount of research training (as provided by ESRC approved ‘RT’ MAs between 1996 and 2001 or an equivalent programme). However, if you do not yet have this training, you may apply for what is known as a ‘1+3’ award, giving you a full four years of funding. In this case you will need to follow a Research Route MA in the first year of the doctoral programme (please apply for a place on a Research Route MA and indicate in your cover letter that you wish to pursue a ‘1+3’ programme). If you are a UK or non-UK EU citizen you could be eligible for an ESRC award, although non-UK EU students may only be eligible for a fees-only award. You can only apply for one of these awards through us or one of the other select Politics departments in the UK that have been accorded ESRC recognition for postgraduate training.
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) website
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Changes to AHRC Postgraduate funding opportunities from 2009.
International Students Award Scheme
The School of Social Science operates an award scheme for international students. Please see the School of Social Sciences funding webpage for further information.
British Council Awards
International students are encouraged to contact the British Council in their home countries to find out about funding opportunities. Information can be found at the British Council website .
The Association of Commonwealth Universities has a Scholars Fellowship scheme for Commonwealth citizens - phone 020 7380 6700.
The SOROS scholarships offered are part of a larger network of autonomous organisations created and funded by George Soros. In this case they are offered to students from Central or Eastern Europe.
For further funding opportunities and up-to-date information please see the School of Social Sciences funding webpage..