Application deadline for September 2025 intake are yet to be confirmed
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 2024 to the most outstanding candidates in the Humanities and Social Sciences applying for a full-time or part-time PhD programme starting in autumn 2024. 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 (c. £20,622 p.a. full-time, c. £10,311 part-time, rate for 2024/25 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.
For 2024 entry, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will be offering up to two fully funded doctoral studentships (tuition fees and stipend at the UKRI London rate) to UK applicants from a BAME background. Awards are tenable for up to three years. 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.
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.
*NEW for 24/25: This year the Doctoral College (DC) will be offering up to 2 BAME studentships (UK/home fees only) to PGR applicants in HSS. The eligibility criteria for the Doctoral College BAME awards are the same as the HSS ones and candidates will be assessed in the same competition. Eligible candidates should indicate in their statement of purpose that they would like to be considered for the BAME awards, without further specification.
For 2024 entry, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will continue to offer a SHF-endorsed PhD Studentship. The studentship will support PhD applicants (or current PhD students in their first year of study - or the first two years of a part-time programme) that are eligible to pay Home fees and that meet specific eligibility criteria based on widening participation requirements. Applicants should fine-tune their statement of purpose to include a description of why they think their project might be suitable for this Studentship, and of what Stuart Hall's 'legacy' might mean to them. They will automatically also be considered for the general awards and, where appropriate, for the BAME awards. The deadline for application is the same as for the HSS Principal’s Studentship. Further details are included in the Specific SHF/HSS QMUL Studentship guidance document.
More information on how to apply for this studentship is available here: SHF-QMUL HSS Principal's Studentship [PDF 144KB]
You should apply for your place at QMUL via the online portal by Wednesday 24 January 2024 (17:00). Candidates for the Department of Law/CCLS must apply by Wednesday 6 December 2023 (17:00). 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 26 February 2024)
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 2024, 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 2024, 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 (c. £20,622 p.a. full-time, c. £10,311 part-time). Please note that these awards cannot be deferred.
General enquiries about making a formal application can be addressed to the Programme Administrator by emailing spir-phdstudents@qmul.ac.uk.
Specific academic queries can be addressed to the following staff members:
Professor Jean-Francois Drolet - DGS - j.drolet@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Corina Lacatus - Deputy DGS - c.lacatus@qmul.ac.uk