Please note: this page is for information only and studentships have different deadlines.
The School of Politics and International Relations invites applications for Doctoral Research Studentships open to UK and international students. Studentships will be awarded in March 2025 to the most outstanding candidates in the Humanities and Social Sciences applying for a full-time or part-time PhD programme starting in Autumn 2025. Applications will also be considered from students who are currently in the first year of a full-time PhD programme, or the first two years of a part-time programme.
In order to be considered for an award, applicants should have (or expect to have by the end of the 2024/25 academic year) a master’s degree or equivalent qualification in an appropriate field. Awards are tenable for up to three years, and cover tuition fees and a maintenance stipend at the UKRI London rate (rate for 2025/26 to be confirmed).
We encourage applicants from UK candidates in BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) groups who have been previously under-represented in this process.
To be eligible to apply for these studentships you must be UK permanent residents from a BAME background, and eligible to pay home student fees. You will automatically also be considered for our other studentships. Our goal is to recruit outstanding and diverse candidates across the full range of studentships.
You should apply for your place at QMUL via the online portal by Wednesday 22 January 2025 (17:00 UK time). In all cases, earlier application is strongly advised.
On the online application form, you should indicate that you would like your application to be considered for the Principal's Studentship Competition. (You must be accepted onto your chosen PhD programme by 24 February 2025).
If you have already applied to QMUL to begin a PhD programme in Autumn 2025, you may revise the research proposal and statement of purpose that you previously submitted, to take account of our Guidance to Applicants.
Before applying, please read our Guidance to Applicants [PDF 134KB], which will help you to complete your applications. The guidance is relevant to all applicants, regardless of subject area and type of Studentship.
If you wish to apply for the BAME studentships, you should specify this in the statement of purpose that will form part of your application.
SHF/HSS candidates also need to indicate that they wish to be considered for the award, and to state how they meet the eligibility criteria or are subject to exceptional circumstances. These declarations are excluded from the character limit for their statement of purpose.
If you have already applied to QMUL to begin a PhD programme in autumn 2025, you may revise the research proposal and statement of purpose that you previously submitted, to take account of our Guidance to Applicants. However, you are not required to do so. If you wish to submit revised documents, you should email them to the Director of Graduate Studies in the appropriate School, giving the ID number from your application.
If you have already begun a PhD programme at QMUL, you should email the Director of Graduate Studies in the appropriate School, giving your student ID number and supplying a research proposal and statement of purpose (length and contents as indicated in our Guidance to Applicants).
Your application will be considered and ranked by a School selection panel. Selected applications will then be considered and ranked by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. If a candidate has already begun their PhD, selection panels will be looking for a research proposal that is concomitantly stronger than the proposal of someone yet to begin their thesis.
The School panel will evaluate applications on the basis of the following criteria and weightings:
The Faculty panel will then evaluate applications on the basis of the following criteria and weightings:
At both School and Faculty levels, if two or more candidates are equally ranked, preference will be given to the candidate scoring more highly on the following criteria: quality of proposal; if still equal, preparedness of applicant; if still equal, feasibility of project.
Offers will be made to successful candidates in late March 2025, to be accepted or declined within one week.
The studentships cover all tuition fees, and provide a grant for living expenses at UK Research Council rates for London (to be confirmed for the academic year 2025-26).
Specific academic queries can be addressed to the following staff members:
Professor Paul Copeland - DGS - p.copeland@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Corina Lacatus - Deputy DGS - c.lacatus@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Sharri Plonski - Deputy DGS - s.plonski@qmul.ac.uk
General enquiries about making a formal application can be addressed to the Programme Administrator by emailing spir-phdstudents@qmul.ac.uk.