School of Government guidance for PhD applicants

Applicants for a PhD typically hold a Masters degree in a related discipline. If you have relevant professional experience or qualifications, these will also be taken into account when considering your application. If you hold qualifications that are different from those stated here, please contact Tricia Thomas, Doctoral Research Administrator, School of Government
Email: gandspgr@contacts.bham.ac.uk 

PhD applicants must have identified a subject area they wish to research and should identify a member of School of Government staff with the appropriate expertise to supervise the project. We recommend that you contact a member of our staff with a clearly defined area of potential research. When contacting staff, please include: 

• A draft proposal or a brief summary of your intended research
• Any Masters level qualifications and relevant professional experience
• Whether you intend to apply for a scholarship 

The University of Birmingham offers a range of scholarship options available each year for doctoral researchers who meet the eligibility criteria and can demonstrate an excellent academic track record. You can find a full list of available scholarships and finding opportunities on the Doctoral Research Scholarships and funding page. 

Scholarships are highly competitive, with limited funding available. It is essential that all applications for scholarships are carefully prepared, and include all necessary documentation. Incomplete applications cannot be considered for scholarship funding. 

The next deadline for scholarship applications will be announced in November 2023.

If you wish to be considered for a scholarship, please contact the relevant departmental lead (see contacts section above) and cc Dr Danielle Beswick, Email: d.beswick@bham.ac.uk 

October 2023 - Applications for a PhD place, commencing September 2024, open.

January 2024 (exact date to be confirmed) - Applications for ESRC competition closes.

June 2024 - All applicants intending to start in September 2024 should have their applications in by June 30th at the latest.

August 2024 - Successful applicants will receive additional information relating to PhD orientation and doctoral research training.

September 2024 - New doctoral researchers will start their studies at the beginning of the new academic year 

Important note:

• This timeline is indicative only, and deadlines are subject to change
• You must hold an offer of a PhD place at the university to be eligible for funding. As such, we recommend that you apply for a PhD place by the end of November. If you wish to apply for scholarship funding, contact the Departmental PGR Director (and cc the School PGR Director) as soon as possible. Advance consultation when preparing your application is key to success.
• PhD applications should not be rushed. Successful applications require time and effort to put together.

Research in the school is aligned to one of three departments and it is important to establish whether the department you are looking at in the School of Government is the right fit for your research plans and qualifications. PhD applicants must have identified a subject area they wish to research and should identify a member of School of Government staff with the appropriate expertise to supervise the project. We recommend that you contact a member of our staff with a clearly defined area of potential research. Please include: 

• A draft proposal or a brief summary of your intended research
• Any Masters level qualifications and relevant professional experience
• Whether you intend to apply for a scholarship 

• The Department of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS)
• The International Development Department (IDD)
• The Department of Public Administration and Policy (DPAP)

Please do not email multiple members of staff with the same query. If you are unsure of who to contact as a potential supervisor, please write to the relevant department’s PGR leads. 

Applications must be submitted online directly to the University of Birmingham. To submit an application, you will require: 

• Personal e-mail address (in addition to a university e-mail address).
• Contact with a potential supervisor in POLSIS, IDD, or DPAP.
• A completed online application 
• 2–3 page CV, with previous educational achievements and grades.
• 1000-2500-word PhD Research Proposal (see guidelines below).
• A personal statement to explain why you are interested in pursuing a PhD
• Academic references and copies of academic transcripts / degrees.
• Successfully completed English Language Test (if applicable).
• For applicants to the Distance Learning programmes only: complete ‘checklist’ in consultation with your supervisor (please contact gandspgr@contacts.bham.ac.ukfor details).  

It can take 6 weeks to make a decision on your application once all supporting documentation is received as we take the time to review all documentation and consult with our staff over your submission. Applicants are interviewed by members of staff before a final decision is made. We might ask you to amend or refine your proposal during this process based on comments from members of faculty with expertise on your intended area of research.

What should you include in a PhD research proposal? 

• A project title and abstract / summary
• A brief introduction to / background on the topic and its significance within the relevant field
• Central research question (with sub-questions where appropriate)
• A concise literature review of the key existing debates in the field relating to this topic, with appropriate references to key academic sources
• The proposed theoretical framework for the project (including discussion of potential alternative approaches where appropriate)
• The proposed research methodology (with clear justifications for why a particular methodology is appropriate for this research, and what methodological limitations, if any, you may encounter)
• A succinct discussion of the potential original contribution of the project to existing scholarship in the field
• A proposed timeline and detailed chapter outline for the project
• A list of references (not included in the word count) 

Further information

More detailed online advice on preparing a PhD research proposal and also read Patrick Dunleavy, Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation (Palgrave, 2003).   

Important note on word limits

For the purposes of your application for a PhD place, admissions allow candidates to submit PhD Research Proposal up to 2500 words (excluding the bibliography). However, the PhD Research Proposal word limit for both the ESRC and School scholarship is 1000 words (plus one page of references). If you are considering applying for funding, we recommend that you limit your PhD research proposal for the PhD place to approximately 1000 words to avoid the need to edit the proposal significantly for funding competition purposes. 

Criteria for a successful PhD application

• Educational background and academic achievements
• The strength and quality of your proposed research project
• The capacity of the department to supervise a particular topic (i.e. is there a supervisor available with the right expertise?)
• The support of your prospective supervisor for your application
• Fluency in English
• Evidence of your ability to fully finance your studies (for self-funding students)