university of edinburgh phd supervisors

• Schools & departments

Postgraduate research supervisors & examiners

Information and guidance for staff who supervise and examine postgraduate research students.

Fundamentals of PhD Supervision

Fundamentals of PhD Supervision is an online course that has been developed by the Institute for Academic Development in consultation with the Doctoral College and relevant staff in Colleges and Support Services.

Fundamentals of PhD Examination

Fundamentals of PhD Examination is an online resource developed by the Institute for Academic Development in consultation with the Doctoral College and relevant staff in Colleges and Support Services.

Course list and booking

Our workshops for University of Edinburgh academic staff who supervise research. Information on how to locate and book them in the People and Money Learning App.

Codes & regulations

Links to relevant codes and regulations and College pages for postgraduate researchers and supervisors.

Resources and tools

A range of resources and tools which may be useful for staff who supervise research students.

Events, workshops and activities

Events, supervisor discussion groups, and practical workshops.

Contact details

Our dedicated email address to contact us about IAD research supervision support.

This article was published on 2024-02-26

• Schools & departments

Support for PGR supervision and examination

Information and guidance for staff who supervise research students.

Code of Practice

Expectations and responsibilities of University of Edinburgh postgraduate research supervisors are set out in the University's Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students. 

Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students (PDF) - read now

Fundamentals of PhD Supervision

All new supervisors are expected to complete the online course, Fundamentals of PhD Supervision. This should be renewed every five years by continuing supervisors.

More information on this course can be found on the Institute for Academic Development (IAD) pages

Fundamentals of PhD Supervision online course - find out more 

Fundamentals of PhD Examination 

This resource aims to support new examiners develop their understanding of the examination process at the University of Edinburgh, and to encourage experienced examiners to reflect on and develop their practice.

Fundamentals of PhD Examination online course - find out more

University level support and resources for supervision  

Institute for academic development (iad).

The IAD has pages for postgraduate research supervisors with resources and links.

Institute for Academic Development - information and resources for supervisors - find out more 

Disability and Learning Support Service

The Service provides support to all students who have a disability, learning difference, health or neurodiverse condition that impacts on their academic work.  They also provide advice and guidance for staff on supporting students: Staff | The University of Edinburgh   In addition, the Service offers regular training for staff on raising awareness and supporting students with a wide range of conditions.  All sessions are run several times across the academic year and are advertised and booked via the MyEd events channel

Student Counselling Service  

The Student Counselling Service has resources and information on supporting distressed students, as well as links to online training for staff.

Student Counselling Service - resources and training for staff, to help support students

The Careers Service 

The Careers Service has a page with links to resources and information for PGR supervisors.

Careers Service - advice for research supervisors 

Related Links

UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) Research Supervision Recognition Programme

This article was published on 2022-10-28

School of Engineering

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SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Study for a PhD

A PhD degree from Edinburgh is your chance to connect with internationally renowned researchers and innovators, with a unique opportunity to experience one of Europe's leading universities in one of the world's most iconic cities.

We carry out world class research and provide high quality training in research for both students and postdoctoral researchers.

Our world-leading research is conducted through our seven Research Institutes . These span across and connect between our core disciplines of Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Electronics & Electrical Engineering.

You will carry out independent research resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen area, guided by your supervisor. You will submit a thesis and defend it in an assessed oral exam.

Alongside this research, all our researchers follow a comprehensive training programme that is an integral part of our research degrees. You will gain skills that will equip you for a wide range of future careers beyond your specialist research project. These will serve you for the rest of life, making you a more confident and knowledgeable person, and equipping you in both technical and soft skills. You can find additional information on our training and support here: https://edin.ac/3f7KyhE . This includes a link to the current handbook for postgraduate research students in the School of Engineering.

The School of Engineering has an active research community. PhD students present at research seminars in their research institutes, and attend talks by visiting speakers. Our Engineering Graduate Society organises networking, training, and social events across the School.

We have a very wide range of high-quality engineering facilities, including specialised test laboratories, fabrication workshops, and computing resources. Information on these facilities can be found on our research web pages .

Our graduates are amongst the most highly sought-after candidates for academic, commercial or consulting positions, entering careers around the world. The majority of our research graduates enter the engineering profession in a wide range of fields, including automotive, bioengineering, communications, medical imaging, engineering consultancy, fire safety, renewable energy, chemical processing, oil and gas, fast moving consumable goods, high-technology and the semiconductor industry.  Other graduates from our programmes continue to further research including postdoctoral fellowships, lecturing roles and research contracts in universities and research institutes.

Funding Required

• Tuition fees : All students pay tuition fees. Further information on the fee rates for Home, EU, and International students can be found here: Full time fees and Part time fees
• Research costs:  "Additional programme costs" are in addition to the tuition fees, and include the costs of carrying out research project, such as the costs of laboratory and experimental work, software licenses, or travel costs. The costs of research depend upon the nature of the research project.   Further information .
• Living Expenses / Stipend:  The University gives information on living costs in Edinburgh, which will be a substantial commitment: Latest estimates of living expenses .

Scholarships Available

The School of Engineering offers several scholarships for excellent students. The deadlines for scholarships applications are early in each year. Please view our scholarship options .

Academic Grades

You will need a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent in your first degree, which must be in a relevant subject.

A good MSc result, relevant work experience, or some other exceptional achievement will be considered for applicants who do not meet this requirement.

English language requirements

Information on our English language requirements can be found on the Engineering PhD degree finder page , with additional information for International applicants given on this web page .  Please note that our English language requirement cannot be waived.

Before applying for a PhD, you should look at our research pages  to help identify the field of research that you would be interested in studying.

Our list of Current PhD Opportunites gives several possible research projects, but it is not exhaustive, and you should contact a member of our academic staff to see whether they would be able to supervise your research.

Before you Apply

Before applying for a PhD in Engineering you should:

• Identify a possible academic supervisor working in the area that you would like to carry out research. You can find information on our academic staff on our research web pages , or view our list of PhD Opportunities .
• Check that you meet the entry requirements and that you have degree certificates and transcripts for your application.
• Established how you will fund your PhD: Funding and Scholarships

To apply for a PhD you will need the following documents:

• Degree certificates, transcripts, and evidence of meeting our English language requirements (as appropriate).
• Two references on official letterheads, with signatures.
• A  Research Proposal , which should be in your words even if your are applying an advertised project. This helps evaluate your writing skills and research ideas. It can help with both assessing your suitability for a research degree and whether we can offer supervision. It should be no more than 2 A4 pages.

​Potential students in all of our engineering disciplines and all of our research institutes should apply for our  PhD in Engineering  programme.  Apply here using the University's online application system .

Additional information for PhD applicants (and for our EngD, MPhil, MScR or visiting student programmes) can be found in these two documents:

• Additional information for postgraduate research students
• Postgraduate Research Student Handbook (School of Engineering)

Part-time Study

A small number of our students study part-time. This must, however, be discussed with your potential supervisor, as whether this is possible will depend upon the nature of the research project. As a part-time student you would be required to spend 50% of your time on your PhD and you are expected to be in the University 50% of your time. It is consequently not possible to pursue a part-time PhD in addition to full-time employment.

Distance Learning

Our PhD students usually study here in the University of Edinburgh, where they benefit from the research community, expert networks, training and activities that are an integral part of a PhD. It is occasionally appropriate to study remotely, for example, to make use of research facilities that are uniquely available at a different location. Distance learning requires careful planning and the arrangements need to be agreed in advance, to ensure adequate supervision, training, and opportunities to engage with our research community. Please discuss a possible distance learning proposal with an academic supervisor before applying.

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

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• Postgraduate research study

Entrance requirements & application procedure

Making your application

The University of Edinburgh has a central postgraduate application system and all applications should be made online using this system.

• Apply online

After selecting the relevant research programme and the relevant date on the above site, the online form will guide you through the required information. You will be able to save your application at any point in the process and return to it when you are ready to continue.

On the application form you will need to state the research area(s) you are interested in, likely topic(s) and the name(s) of the supervisors you wish to work with. You will find it useful if you first read through our lists of potential PhD projects.  If you wish to propose your own topic, you are welcome to do so, but please upload a full research proposal.  You may also wish to speak with a relevant potential supervisor to discuss in advance.  To ensure your application gets to the correct people and won't be held up please ensure you indicate which Institute you are applying for: Astronomy, PPT, PPE, NP, CM (hard) or CM (soft). 

• PhD research opportunities and potential PhD projects
• Further guidance on how to apply

Entrance requirements

Entrance requirements can be found under the following PhD subject areas, along with the links to the application forms:

• Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Condensed Matter (including Biophysics)
• Nuclear Physics
• Particle Physics (Experiment / Theory)

Application deadline

Applications for admission to PhD studies at the School of Physics and Astronomy may be sent at any time of the year.  Those who wish to be considered for funding however should apply by the funding deadline of 19th January, 2024 (the Astronomy deadline is 8th January, 2024). 

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. We may consider late applications if we have places / funding available.

• Funding opportunities and deadlines

Related links

• Postgraduate Study Degree Finder
• English Language Requirements

• Schools & departments

• Seminars and events
• Selected Publications

PhD opportunities and graduate testimonials

• Operational Research Consultancy
• Funded Projects
• Awards and Recognition
• School of Mathematics
• Data and Decisions
• Optimization and Operational Research

The Optimization and Operational Research PhD programme and areas with opportunity for research

The School offers a PhD Programme in Optimization and Operational Research. From the start of their studies, PhD students are assigned a main supervisor with whom they work closely throughout their degree programme and a second supervisor who provides additional help and pastoral support.  See poster

Why Study  Optimization and Operational Research  in Edinburgh

Funding opportunities, eligibility requirements, application process and further information, research opportunities, computational optimization and applications.

The Optimization and OR group in the School of Mathematics possesses world leading expertise in the solution of very large scale continuous and mixed-integer linear, and continuous quadratic optimization problems. The group has been awarded several EPSRC-funded research projects devoted to developing core optimization methods that led to the development of world class solvers for linear programming using the interior point method. At the UK level, the group has unmatched competences in developing theory and software for solving huge scale problems.  Amongst open source systems, the performance of the group's mixed-integer linear opimization software system, HiGHS, is the best in the world.

People:  Miguel Anjos, Skarleth Carrales Escobedo, Sergio Garcia Quiles, Jacek Gondzio, Andreas Grothey, Akshay Gupte, Julian Hall, Joerg Kalcsics, Ken McKinnon, John Pearson, Lars Schewe, E. Alper Yıldırım

Continuous Optimization 

The Optimization and OR group in the School of Mathematics has extensive expertise and experience in modelling optimization problems arising from various applications, developing and implementing problem-specific algorithms, and utilising decomposition methods, interiorpoint methods, advanced numerical linear algebra tools such as preconditioners, and highperformance computing approaches for solving challenging and large-scale optimization problems. In addition, the group is actively involved in general-purpose optimization software development. The research expertise in the group encompasses several facets of continuous optimization, including linear, quadratic, nonlinear, convex, nonconvex, global, PDE-constrained, and stochastic optimization. The research experience includes the development and application of OR methodology for solving optimization problems arising from diverse applications such as data science, energy systems, truss topology design, finance, and wireless networks. In addition, the group members have secured extensive external funding from funding agencies and has strong industrial collaborations.

People:  Miguel Anjos, Skarleth Carrales Escobedo, Jacek Gondzio, Andreas Grothey, Julian Hall, Ken McKinnon, John Pearson, E. Alper Yıldırım

Decision Making under Uncertainty

The Optimization and OR group of the School of Mathematics has extensive experience in modelling, analyzing and optimizing real-world problems involving uncertainty. Our group is also one of the leading research groups in the world developing methods to solve the resulting huge scale stochastic optimization problems efficiently, and our members has been funded for various projects by EPSRC and other external organizations to develop fast solution methods for these problems. The research interests of our members also include Gaussian process emulation and Bayesian decision analysis. Our members have actively collaborated with organizations from a wide-variety of sectors, including but not limited to government, service, energy, aviation and telecommunication. The group has strong ties with leading research groups at Heriot-Watt University and London Business School.

People:  Merve Bodur, Burak Buke, Chris Dent, Jacek Gondzio, Andreas Grothey, Akshay Gupte, Ken McKinnon, Lars Schewe

Future Energy Networks

The Optimization and OR group of the School of Mathematics can provide both domain expertise in the modelling and optimization of energy networks, particularly electric and gas networks, as well as the methodological expertise to solve the resulting optimization models in practical applications. The group collaborates with energy researchers across the university via the Energy@Edinburgh initiative. At UK national level members of the group are part of the EPSRC-funded National Centre for Energy Systems Integration. Additionally, our members have led or been involved in numerous other externally funded projects involving the development and application of OR techniques to energy problems. The members of the group have a wide range of experience in modelling different systems’ energy markets, and in optimizing energy networks of different sizes from small-scale local smart grids to national and continental networks. There is also specialist expertise in calibration of large-scale computer models, and in probabilistic security of supply risk modelling.

People:  Miguel Anjos, Chris Dent, Andreas Grothey, Ken McKinnon, Lars Schewe

Integer and Combinatorial Optimization

The Optimization and OR group in the School of Mathematics has broad expertise in the modelling and solving of integer and combinatorial optimization problems. Members of the group have had public and private funding, including EPSRC, to work on logistics problems, aircraft cockpit design problems, energy problems, and portfolio optimization problems. Members of the group have worked on both the theory and application of integer and combinatorial optimization: On the theoretical side, the group has experience in cutting plane methods, convexification techniques, and the construction of efficient algorithms both to obtain exact and heuristic solutions. Here, the group has focussed both on mixed-integer linear but also on mixed-integer nonlinear programs. As for applications, the portfolio of the group includes energy, logistics (facility location, network design, supply chain, districting), and healthcare applications (junior doctor allocation, kidney exchange).

People:  Miguel Anjos, Merve Bodur, Sergio Garcia Quiles, Andreas Grothey, Akshay Gupte, Joerg Kalcsics, Lars Schewe

Recent projects

Recently completed PhD projects include

• Solution Methods for Some Variants of the Vehicle Routing Problem

Optimal Coordination of Multiple Price-Maker Electricity Storage Units for Price Arbitrage

Optimizing Heating and Cooling of Smart Buildings

Regularized Interior-Point Methods for Convex Programming

Pre-trained Solution Methods for Unit Commitment

Multi-Period Sales Districting Problem

Efficient Algorithms for Solving p-Median Problems with Radius Constraints and Its Application to Clustering with Feature Selection

Graduate testimonials

I joined the University of Edinburgh as an MSc student in Operational Research, and the following year I started my PhD research working on routing problems. The School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh has given me an opportunity to be part of an excellent community, build a wide network of brilliant friends and colleagues, and gain research and teaching experience that has been invaluable for my career.

Supervisor: Sergio Garcia Quiles

Current Position: Operational Research and Optimization Analyst, Edinburgh Airport

The University of Edinburgh is a great place to do research. During my PhD I had the chance to work not only with people from the University but with researchers at other institutions, both in academia and in industry. Attending summer schools and conferences was an integral part of the programme, and a great way to find out about new or interesting ideas closely related to my research topic. I really enjoyed the social environment too. There are always plenty of events and activities going on inside the University, and a great deal of university clubs. The city is quite lively too and offers great landscapes for outdoor activities.

Supervisor:  Chris Dent

Current Position:  Data Scientist, Lynceus.ai

  I studied my PhD in Optimization at the School of Mathematics of the University of Edinburgh, under the supervision of Prof. Jacek Gondzio and the co-supervision of Prof. John Pearson.  I worked on solution methods for convex optimization problems with applications in operational research and data science. During my studies, I had the opportunity to collaborate with experts in the field of optimization both within and outside the UoE, which resulted in several successful publications in top peer-reviewed journals in the field. At the same time, I was able to travel around the world, attending major and local conferences, and expanding my research network. Studying Optimization at the School of Mathematics of the University of Edinburgh has been an invaluable experience and played a significant role in my subsequent career development. After defending my thesis, I received an offer to pursue postdoctoral studies in stochastic optimization at the electrical engineering department of Yale University. Upon the completion of my postdoctoral studies, I was offered a lectureship position in mathematics at the University of Dundee.

Supervisor:   Jacek Gondzio

Current Position:  Lecturer in Mathematics, University of Dundee

I first joined University of Edinburgh for a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics. I liked the School of Mathematics and the city of Edinburgh so much, that I completed the MSc in Operational Research with Computational Optimization and, later, a PhD in Optimization in the School of Mathematics. My time as a PhD student resulted in the creation of HiGHS, the world's best open-source software for solving large-scale linear and mixed integer programming problems. As a result, I'm happily employed in the School as the HiGHS Development and Integration manager.

Supervisor:   Julian Hall

Current Position:  HiGHS Development and Integration Manager , University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh was an ideal place to study as a PhD student. The school has one of the largest research groups in the field, and as a member of the group, you would have opportunities to interact with a number of leading researchers on a daily basis. Outside of the research, you would find an amazing environment: an international, vibrant city and a supportive, welcoming community. I highly recommend the PhD program at the University of Edinburgh.

Supervisor:   Andreas Grothey

Current Position:  Postdoctoral Researcher, CIRRELT, University of Montreal

Doing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh has been a thrilling and very rewarding experience. During the first year, thanks to being part of a Centre for Doctoral Training, I was given the opportunity to explore new interests in mathematics. This led to changing my original plans, which resulted in doing a PhD in Optimization and Operations Research, with applications to power systems and the energy transition. This is an area I continue to find exciting nowadays, and where I do most of my research work. During my time as a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, I participated in many local seminars, conferences, and courses. Being able to engage with many excellent researchers, close enough to my topics of interest, significantly enhanced my learning and improved the quality of my research. In such quality, variety, and quantity, these opportunities are not present at many universities. I would like to make a special mention to my PhD supervisors, with whom I enjoyed working with, from whom I learned a lot, and were always supportive. Finally, many other PhD students in the School were also crucial for successfully completing my PhD, since I enjoyed collaborating and doing research activities with them, learning together, and having fun with and without research

Supervisor:   Miguel F. Anjos

Current Position:  Postdoctoral Researcher, Polytechnic University of Catalonia

PhD with Integrated Study in Management

Our PhD with Integrated Study in Management programme challenges students to make the most of their potential. Our objective is that when you graduate as an alumnus of the Business School, you will be able to enjoy international recognition for your achievements.

This programme is currently undergoing the final approval process. We anticipate applications will open in January 2024.

PhD with Integrated Study in Management at a glance

• Study over four years full-time, with an additional 'writing-up' year available to all
• During your first year, undertake 180 of taught courses designed to train you in the theory and methods necessary to conduct high-quality research
• As part of a collaborative academic community, we support students with cross-disciplinary interests to find expertise, support, and supervision across the University of Edinburgh
• We encourage our students to aim higher, presenting papers at prestigious conferences and submit articles for publication
• Access to a wide range of professional and personal development opportunities during your studies
• While we invite students from around the globe to join our community, we don't offer this programme online or by distance learning

Entry requirements

Find out our academic, English language, and application requirements for the PhD in Management.

Programme overview

View the learning outcomes and a typical training course schedule for a first-year student.

Fees and living expenses

When budgeting please consider associated administration fees and expenses as well as our funding support.

Ready to apply?

Review our application checklist and make your application to the PhD in Management.

Professional pathway

This route allows students to maintain their current occupational role while also studying for a PhD with the Business School.

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Research degrees

• LLM by Research

Edinburgh Law School offers expert supervisors in a wide range of subject areas for PhD study. As a doctorate student you’ll join a community of around 100 PhD students and will be a vital part of the intellectual life of the School.

Edinburgh Law School is ranked 3rd in the UK for law for the quality and breadth of our research by Research Professional, based on the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). 

80% of our research outputs are rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent and we are recognised as having a 100% world-leading research environment in the REF2021 exercise. You can therefore be confident that you will be joining a dynamic centre of research excellence when you begin your research career with us.

Edinburgh Law School’s PhD programme seeks to train the future world leaders in law and criminology research and is available to study full time over three years or part time over six years (UK and EU students only).

A PhD at Edinburgh Law School involves undertaking independent research, culminating in the submission of a 100,000 word thesis, which should be an original piece of work that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in a chosen field of study and contains material worthy of publication.

We offer a supportive environment for PhD study to help you to develop the skills to communicate your findings to a wide variety of audiences. You will benefit from:

• supervision by a team of experts in your chosen field of study
• a PhD training programme which provides a basic foundation in legal and criminological research methods, as well as key transferable skills
• opportunities to undertake individual advanced training that is necessary for a particular research project
• the chance to integrate with a community of established researchers and benefit from a rich and diverse intellectual environment.

Find out more about training and support

In this video playlist Dr Ali Malik talks about his experience of studying for a PhD at Edinburgh Law School and the impact of his thesis.

Dr Leonardo Cofre Perez, Chile

Dr Leonardo Cofre Perez completed his Law PhD at Edinburgh Law School. In this video, he talks about his experience studying the PhD and what it's like to live in the city of Edinburgh.

PhD supervision is available across an extensive range of legal and criminological subjects. If you have a particular PhD topic in mind, you can find out if we have a potential supervisor for you by looking at our areas of research.

Research areas

By becoming a PhD student at Edinburgh Law School, you will be joining an ambitious and successful community of scholars.

Our PhD students go on to pursue careers in a variety of fields. Many of the former students have gone on to undertake an academic career in law or criminology at leading universities around the world. Others have also gone on to work in private practice, for national governments or for international organisations.

Please contact us if you have any questions about studying a PhD at Edinburgh Law School.

[email protected]

The LLM by Research is an excellent opportunity to focus on a piece of dedicated research and can be a bridge to further doctoral study.

The degree of LLM by Research aims to consolidate and build on legal research and writing skills acquired through undergraduate legal studies by enabling students to plan, undertake and complete a 30,000 word dissertation, working independently but under specialist academic supervision, within their chosen field of law.

The topic of your dissertation can be chosen from any of the School's legal and criminological research areas.

Find out more about our research subject areas

The programme will enhance and develop your ability to manage and engage with both primary legal sources and academic literature on your chosen topic, present critical and engaged legal arguments, and maintain the coherence of those arguments over a substantial piece of written work.

The framework of the LLM by Research allows you time and intellectual space to work in your chosen field, and to refine and develop this initial phase of the project for future doctoral work.

The programme does not have formal coursework elements, other than initial training seminars alongside PhD students. This makes the LLM by Research a particularly attractive option for those wishing to undertake postgraduate research on a part-time basis, while pursuing legal practice or other employment.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the LLM by Research.

Key information

Why Edinburgh Law School?

Research centres and networks

School of Social and Political Science

Phd social and political science, introduction.

The deadline to apply for September 2024 entry is Monday 1 July 2024.

On this PhD programme you will carry out independent research, resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen area.  

Our expertise and interests range across the following subject areas:   

• African studies  
• global health policy  
• international development  
• medical anthropology  
• politics and international relations  
• social and public policy  
• social anthropology  
• social work  
• sociology  
• socio-cultural studies  
• South Asian studies 
• sustainable development

On our PhD programme, you will be able to choose from a range of courses that provide research training in social science methods, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods.  

You can also take courses addressing aspects such as research ethics and positionality, as well as substantive taught courses in the School of Social and Political Science as relevant for your thesis. 

The given period of study for a full-time PhD is three years, and your thesis will be submitted towards the end of your third year. 

As a Social and Political Science PhD student, you will learn to design and generate original research. You will gain knowledge of principal research methods, and practice in ways that are reflective, self-critical and based on research and evidence. 

You will have access to a suite of professional development courses and workshops offered by the University’s Institute for Academic Development and the School’s Student Development Office. 

You will also be part of the  Scottish Graduate School of Social Science , meaning you can participate in all its offered courses, events, and initiatives such as internships. 

Your application must clearly state the potential supervisor you have contacted.  

While you are studying on the PhD programme, you will be under the supervision of at least two members of academic staff. 

On completion of this PhD, you will have gained many graduate attributes that are highly regarded in the field of social and political science.

Among other things, you will be able to: 

• demonstrate substantial authority and exercise a high level of autonomy and initiative in academic and equivalent activities  
• manage complex ethical and professional issues  
• display critical, detailed and leading knowledge and understanding of literature at the forefront of the specialist research area  
• use critical judgement in both your own work and the work of other scholars in the field  
• communicate to a range of audiences through your published academic work 

Applying for this PhD

• Identify potential supervisors suited to your research interests
• Write a draft research proposal
• Contact the Postgraduate Advisor with your research proposal and list of potential supervisors
• Once discussed with the Postgraduate Advisor, formally submit your application on EUCLID

Postgraduate Advisor

• Help & FAQ

PhD supervisor (external)

• Hopkins, C. (Supervisor)
• Edinburgh College of Art
• History of Art

Activity : Other activity types › Other

• Schools & departments

Politics PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Politics

Discovery Day

Join us online on 18th April to learn more about postgraduate study at Edinburgh

View sessions and register

Research profile

Approximately 60 members of PIR academic staff enjoy international reputations for their research and have won numerous teaching, research and advising awards. Their scholarship covers a diverse range of research areas on Scotland, Europe, and the world, and is published in highly-rated journals and books.

The department has a strong tradition of advising, informing and debating policy with key decision-makers at Scottish, UK, European and international levels, and has a notable concentration of political theorists.

Research in Politics and International Relations explores the theory, practice and ethics of politics and governance.

We cover a broad area of expertise, from local policy to global governance, political theory to empirical studies, constructivism to rational choice approaches.

Our Politics & International Relations group has close links with cross-disciplinary and internationally recognised research centres.

Major research focuses include:

• sub-state and supranational dimensions of politics and public policy
• the impact of devolution in the UK and elsewhere, and the constitution and governance of the European Union
• international politics: changing relations, the new security agenda, transatlantic relations, political economy, migration politics and global governance
• nationalism, democratic transition, civil society and institution-building
• health, welfare, environment, competition, migrations and citizenship, and equal opportunities policies
• political theory, especially war ethics, environmental ethics and theories of freedom

Programme structure

The degree is based on three to four years of full-time research. Each student follows an individual training programme designed with their supervisor and the Postgraduate Adviser. This programme is reviewed and updated on an annual basis.

In the first year, you will acquire a wide range of research skills and formulate their research question and related design, under the guidance of their supervisors. At the end of their course of study you will submit a thesis and will be assessed in an oral examination (viva voce) by two examiners (usually one internal to the University, the other external).

The thesis is a long piece of research on a topic of your particular interest and makes an original contribution to the field of politics and international relations.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Training and support

You will follow a programme of research training, drawn from the MSc by Research courses coordinated by the School of Social and Political Science and Politics and International Relations-specific training.

The programme equips you with professional training to a high standard. After graduating you can expect to be a strong candidate for careers in a wide variety of contexts, including academia, the media, the private sector and a diverse array of public services. Nearly everyone needs good researchers!

Politics and International Relations helps you gain a range of transferable skills above and beyond those required by their specific projects, such as:

• organising seminars and conferences
• learning how to apply for research jobs in and out of academia
• learning how to deliver professional seminar presentations

Postgraduate researchers also have access to the University and College-wide programme of training in transferable skills and other aspects of professional development, such as specialist careers advice.

Research library and archive facilities in Edinburgh are outstanding.

You will be a member of the Graduate School of Social & Political Science, with full access to the Graduate School’s facilities in the Chrystal Macmillan Building.

Other library and archive facilities include the University’s Main Library, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Records Office. Proximity to the Scottish Parliament and other institutions of national government provides further research opportunities.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, and a UK masters degree with an overall mark of 65% or its international equivalent.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Application fee.

This programme requires a non-refundable application fee.

Your application will not be processed until we have received your application fee.

• Application fee information

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

Scholarships and funding, featured funding.

School of Social and Political Science Scholarships

UK Research Council Awards

For specialised guidance on submitting a competitive scholarship application, please follow the requirements and recommendations and how to contact relevant academic staff as advised here:

• Important information and recommendations

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Postgraduate Admissions Team
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
• Contact: [email protected]
• Programme Advisor, Dr Sarah Liu
• Contact: [email protected]
• Graduate School of Social & Political Science
• Chrystal Macmillan Building
• 15A George Square
• Central Campus
• Programme: Politics
• School: Social & Political Science
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Politics - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd politics - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

You must submit a research proposal demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research, which will be closely scrutinised as part of the decision-making process. We request that PhD research proposals are no more than four A4 typed pages in Times New Roman, 12pt font. This includes charts and figures but does not include references or a bibliography.

We require PhD applicants in particular to contact potential supervisors before applying to discuss their research proposal so we can ensure there is adequate supervision.

A non-refundable application fee of £50 must be paid after you submit your application. Your application will not be processed until we have received your application fee.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes: