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“When people ask me I always tell them that the PhD programme is very community based and inclusive, really supportive and you get so much help from your peers, and I always stress how egalitarian the department is as we’re treated on equal terms and included with the faculty.

Alexander FitzpatrickÌý- Current PhD cohort

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Admissions Ìý

Entry Requirements

Students register on a full-time basis, and the normal period for completion is 3 or 4 years, depending on the applicant's qualification in Political Science.
Minimum academic requirement for entry to the PhD Programme are (1) Upper Second Class Honours Degree (or equivalent)ÌýandÌý(2) Merit (or equivalent) in a recognised Masters Degree course and (3) a minimum 65% mark on the Masters Degree dissertation.ÌýAt least one of the three has to be a First Class/distinction (or equivalent).ÌýÌýStudents applying for the 1+3 without a Masters Degree will need to have a First Class Honours Degree (or equivalent). * in highly exceptional circumstances and in consultation with prospective supervisors, these criteria may be subject to revision.

Application

+3 PhD Programme

For theÌý+3 PhD ProgrammeÌýqualified students submit an application form using the onlineÌýÌýsystem. The application form asks for a research proposal and names of two potential supervisors, both items are required for the application to be reviewed.ÌýÌýFailure to identify two supervisors at this stage will result in a delayedÌýapplication.ÌýÌýWe have a research proposal templateÌýfor you to use a guidance. When choosing two potential supervisors students should make sure that their research proposalÌýfits with the supervisors’ research interests (find out about our academic staffÌýhere). Students may contact the two nominated supervisors and discuss their completed research proposal with them prior to formal submission.Ìý If students decide to discuss the proposal with the nominated supervisors they should contact the two supervisors only, clearly stating in their correspondence the names of both proposed supervisors.Ìý

Application Deadline: 8thÌýDecember 2023Ìý(for those applying for funding) otherwise April 30thÌý2024Ìý - Please note the preliminary deadline Monday 15th January 2024Ìýfor ESRC applications

Candidates applying before 31st December 2023Ìýwill be notified of the outcome by February 2024.Ìý Candidates applying after December 31st will be notified by May 2024.Ìý ÌýApplication deadline April 30thÌý2024

Candidates must also identify all their funding intentions in the relevant section of the application form and inform the PhD ManagerÌýof their intentions.Ìý Failure to do so willÌýresult in a delayed application or non inclusion in funding pools.

1+3 PhD ProgrammeÌý

Students applying to theÌý1+3 PhD ProgrammeÌýmust contact the PhD Programme ManagerÌý(polsci.admissions@ucl.ac.uk) and discuss the application requirements before submitting the online application form. For the M-Year students apply to a MSc or MA programme at the department. In addition to the Masters Degree application, students submit a research proposal using the research proposal template. We expect the proposal to be less developed than for the +3 PhD Programme application but it still has to cover all the areas identified in ourÌýresearch proposal template. At the end of the M-Year students submit an application for the +3 PhD Programme that contains all the required information described in the relevant section above. Students may wish to change the research focus after the M-Year, and, with the help of the M-Year supervisor, this may be reflected in a new research proposal as part of the +3 PhD Programme application.

Note: We only offer this programme on a full time basis and do not offer either part time or distance learning study.

Research Proposal

Before you apply you should draft a detailed research proposal. It must address relevant literature and clearly outline the research question, research design (including data and methods), relevant literature, and expected contribution. It is important that the proposal is considered realistic and feasible in practical terms. ÌýAfter having drafted the proposal, you need to identify and get in touch with a potential supervisorÌýwhose research interests align with what you want to study. You should email the academic you are interested in working with directly. This is an important step.

Download the Research Proposal templateÌý(Docx)

Download the Research Proposal templateÌý(Docx)

Supervision

Before you apply you need to get in touch with aÌýpotential principle supervisorÌýwith your draft detailedÌýresearch proposal. A list of supervisors and a brief overview of theirÌýresearch interest can be found here. As each student will also have a second supervisor, prospective students should ensure that their research proposal fits with the research interests of at least two members of staff listedÌýhere. Students may add two more supervisors when they join the department if they wish.ÌýNote, however, that students can also apply to carry out research jointly supervised by the School of Public Policy and another Department at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº if the subject area would benefit from expertise across disciplines.

The roles of the principal and second supervisor are explained in theÌýÌýwhich also outlines the responsibilities of both staff and students.

Will there be an interview?

Applicants will be required to attend an interview prior to an offer being made for the MPhil/PhD programme. The interview does not require applicants to prepare any additional documents, but rather is an opportunity to discuss the proposed research in further detail. For applicants residing outside London, interviews may be arranged by phone orÌýSkype.

Note: If offered a placeÌýapplicants may defer their offer subject to Programme Director approval.

Funding

¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Application Deadline: 8thÌýDecember 2023Ìý(for those applying for funding) otherwise April 30th 2024.

• EUÌý students will be liable for international fees from 1 August 2021 onwards.
• If you deferred entry to a date past 31 July 2021, you will be liable for the new fee rate.
• If you are currently studying for a degree in the UK and areÌýliving in the UK as of 31 December, 2020, you should be able to Ìý; you must apply for this status by 30 June, 2021. N.B. ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº cannot currently confirm the fee status for those with pre-settled/settled status for entries after 1 August 2021.

• Departmental Clara Collet Scholarships (2023/24): UK/EU/Overseas (information tbc)

• ESRC Studentships are awarded annually by open competition to prospective ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº. UK Students are eligible for home fees and a stipend.Ìý EU/Overseas are eligible for Home fees and stipend (tbc). However, projects using Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) are eligible for a full award including a stipend regardless of their fee status with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº (Home, EU or Overseas). Applicants who wish to be considered must first submit a complete application for admission to the PhD programe in the Department of Political Science noting their ESRC intention and must also submit a preliminary application to UBEL by Monday 15th January 2024 (23.59)

• : Open for Applications, November 27th 2023.ÌýSubject to availability, these awards will cover tuition fees for a maximum of 3 years at the Home rate (tbc), annual stipend of approx £17,609.Ìý ÌýLAHP has a limited number of full awards (fees and stipend) for EU students designated 'fees-only' by AHRC (tbc).Ìý Please consult website for eligibility details.Ìý

• Research Excellence Scholarship (RES):ÌýThe Research Excellence Scholarships (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº- RES) is our new prestigious scholarship which aims to attract outstanding scholars to undertake doctoral research atÌý¹û¶³Ó°Ôº.Ìý40 fully-funded awards are available annually.

• The ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Research Opportunity Scholarship (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº-ROS) - Windsor Fellowship to support BME postgraduate research degree students: The ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº-ROS scheme offers full financial support and a skills development programme, both designed to promote academia as a more attractive career option.

Who should you contact?

Queries relating to the application process, including funding, can be directed to:

• The Department of Political Science/School of Public PolicyÌý(SPP) Admissions, PhD Manager:Ìýpolsci.admissions@ucl.ac.uk

Other informal enquiries and questions about the MPhil/PhD Programme can be directed to:

• The Programme Director: Dr Zeynep Bulutgil:Ìýz.bulutgil@ucl.ac.uk