politics phd manchester

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PhD Politics

Year of entry: 2024

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• Bachelor's (Honours) degree in a cognate subject at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
• Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 1 December 2023.

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.

• For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024
• For January 2025 entry: 30 September 2024

Programme options

Programme overview

• Join a diverse and vibrant postgraduate community of PGRs from around the world.
• Benefit from regular research seminars and events, and opportunities for professional development.
• Receive support and expertise from academics working in a wide range of politics research areas.

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The University holds annual open days, where you will have the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and programmes. On this day, you will learn more about the School of Social Sciences, our Politics department, and our resources. You will also be able to meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions that you may have. 

For more information, see open days.

Fees for entry in 2024 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2023 were as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,712 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,000
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,356 International, including EU, students (per annum): £10,500

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards available to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Social Sciences studentships is 1 December 2023. We can guarantee eligible applications submitted by this date will be considered in the funding competition. If you apply after 1 December 2023 and would like to be considered in the competition, please contact [email protected].

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting your funding application and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships 2024 Entry
• School of Social Sciences PhD Studentships 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• PhD Studentship with the Stuart Hall Foundation (Social Sciences) 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Future of the Academy PhD Studentship (Politics) 2024 Entry
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry

Contact details

See: School Subjects

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• Government, Politics and International Relations
• Social Sciences

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview, english language.

• IELTS test minimum score - 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in other sections.
• TOEFL (internet based) test minimum score - 100 overall, 25 all sections.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum score - 76 overall, 76 in writing, 70 in other sections.
• To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years.
• Other tests may be considered.

English language test validity

Other international entry requirements.

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see entry requirements from your country.

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School.

Application and selection

How to apply, advice to applicants.

Before you start your application, you should:

• Develop your own research proposal and project title.
• Find a supervisor by browsing our academics' profiles, and reach out directly to discuss if they are interested in supporting your research.
• Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor.

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents:

• A 1,500 word PhD research proposal. Please state the word count on page 1 of the document.
• Copies of the academic transcript and certificate from both your Bachelor's and Master's degrees. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript;
• An up to date academic CV, detailing your education and qualifications; employment history; publications; and any other relevant information.
• You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following submission of your application form. You may wish to contact your referees to request they submit your reference in a reasonable timeframe as this forms part of the review process;
• International applicants must additionally provide English Language evidence (e.g IELTS).

Interview requirements

As part of the offer making process, applicants will be required to undertake an interview assessment. This may be in the form of an in-person interview or video call.

The interview is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the broad topic area, the viability of your proposed research and its intellectual contribution, alongside the fit of your project with the supervisory team. You also may be asked to identify and address any potential ethical considerations in relation to your proposed research, and discuss how best to progress your ideas in line with University of Manchester ethics guidance.

The interview panel will consist at minimum of your proposed primary supervisor and an independent interviewer.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen programme.

Re-applications

If you applied in a previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.

Programme details

Programme description.

Our Politics PhD programme is a three-year (full-time) programme of study that enables you to carry out a piece of in-depth research in the area that most interests you.  

You will benefit from a global reputation, lively PhD student body, multiple research seminar series, and expertise in a diverse set of areas of politics grouped in our five research clusters .  

Politics is the biggest postgraduate community in our School and we welcome PGRs from all around the world, forming a vibrant community both socially and academically.  

Politics at The University of Manchester is one of the top politics departments in the country and globally, offering many career opportunities for our PGRs, such as:

• networking, internally and externally;
• support for diverse research methods and approaches; 
• overseas and fieldwork visits;
• internships; 
• career development. 

For further information on this programme, see our Politics page.

Special features

• The British Election Study , the largest quantitative data source in politics in Britain.
• The Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence , an interdisciplinary forum for the promotion research and teaching in Europe.
• The Manchester China Institute, an inter-disciplinary centre promoting a greater understanding of China and globalisation in the modern world.
• MOBILISE a €2 million ORA project studying protest and migration in Eastern Europe, Latin America and MENA.
• Digital Campaigning and Electoral Democracy (DiCED) a €2.4 million ERC project studying the role of digital technology in modern political campaigns.

All PGRs students join research clusters, providing you with a supportive intellectual network and opportunities to draw on the wide range of expertise in our department.

These include:

• Manchester Centre for Political Theory (MANCEPT)
• Comparative Politics
• Global Political Economy 
• Democracy and Elections
• Critical Global Politics

Additional programme information

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities.

We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.

All appointments are made on merit.

The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Teaching and learning

When you become a postgraduate researcher, you will join a diverse and vibrant community of doctoral students from nearly 100 different countries, all studying within the Faculty of Humanities.    

You will be assigned to a specific research grouping that complements your research interests and have access to a variety of interdisciplinary research institutes.   

Our working environments are often spacious and open-plan, giving you plenty of opportunities to communicate with colleagues and staff within the School, and you will have your own desk space as well as access to our fantastic range of libraries on campus.   

All of our academic supervisors are research active and will support you to work on challenging research problems and develop rigorous, creative and original research.   

You can expect to meet with your supervisor at least once a month to discuss progress on your project.   

As a postgraduate researcher, you'll have access to a large and diverse community of internationally recognised academic experts offering an environment that will stimulate intellectual debate and development.   

We provide additional financial support for a number of activities related to your PhD, including:   

• presenting at international conferences;   
• attending workshops that provide relevant professional opportunities; 
• conducting fieldwork in the UK and overseas.  

Graduate Teaching Assistants   

You can also get hands-on, paid teaching experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.    

Graduate Teaching Assistants in the School of Social Sciences are valued members of the teaching team. As such, we take pride in the opportunities provided for the professional development of graduate teaching assistants.    

Our training includes preparation for application to the Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. This brings a range of benefits as follows:  

• consolidates your personal development and emphasises your professional practice in HE;   
• entitlement to use post-nominal letters - AFHEA;   
• provides a valuable measure of success and is increasingly sought by employers across the education sector as a condition of appointment and promotion;  
• recognised and valued by a growing number of international institutions.  

For more information, see the  Associate Fellowship HEA .

Programme unit list

The programme unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme of study.

What our students say

The School of Social Sciences is based in a purpose-built building which allows 24/7 access. 

There is shared workspace available for PGRs within the discipline area and also a dedicated area in the atrium with computer terminals.

Disability support

Career opportunities.

I stand firmly convinced that the collaboration, guidance, and mentoring of my supervisors, along with the Politics departments technical training, will generate unparalleled opportunities not only for my research, but, my career more broadly. Konstantinos Achilles Kanellopoulos / PhD Politics student

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a PGR and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help support you with your goals for the future .    

Our programme aims to enable you to become more aware of your developing researcher identity, equipping you with the skills you need during your PhD and prepare you to integrate into the researcher community.    

We offer training sessions to build your skills and confidence in writing and presenting, with specific sessions on viva preparation, thesis submission and preparing for your Review Panel.    

You will also have access to a range of workshops, covering areas such as:

• increasing research impact through blog posts; 
• making the most of social media;   
• publishing in journals; 
• applying for fellowships;  
• designing academic posters; 
• improving time and self-management. 

In addition, our Humanities training hub ResearcherDevelopment@Manchester gives you additional training opportunities in public engagement, wellbeing, language training and teaching, alongside more specialist courses in tools and software such as Python, R and NVivo.     

Methods@manchester , meanwhile, is an initiative that gives you the chance to learn from the very best in research methods expertise at Manchester and beyond. Regular talks, workshops and other methods-related events are organised throughout the academic year.   

Finally, taking a placement provides a great opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange and to develop professional networking opportunities for your future career development.  

We have established Postgraduate Researcher Exchange programmes with a small number of institutions around the world, offering you the opportunity to visit another institution, access research resources and experience another academic culture as well as build professional networks.  

Successful applicants will receive some funding towards travel expenses, accommodation, subsistence, education materials and/or other education-related costs.  

For more information, see training and development .

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Future of the Academy PhD Studentship (Politics) - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry

Type of award.

Studentship

Managing department

School of Social Sciences

• Tuition fees
• An annual maintenance stipend (£18,622 per annum for 2023/24)
• A research training support grant

Specified use

Please note that existing postgraduate research students cannot be considered for this funding.

Tenable period

Continuation of award.

Continuation of the award is subject to satisfactory progress.

Number available

Funding provider.

This award is internal.

Department of Politics in the School of Social Sciences

Level(s) of study

This funding is available to students undertaking the following types of study:

• Postgraduate research

Allowed study options

This funding is available to students undertaking the following modes of study:

Subject restrictions

This funding is available to students undertaking study in:

Academic requirements

• Bachelor's (Honours) degree in a cognate subject at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
• Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

Nationality restrictions

This funding is available to all nationalities.

Other eligibility criteria

Applicants must belong to one of two broad groups identified as under-represented in the Academy:

• Black, Asian, or minority ethnic heritage (BAME), including people of a mixed race/ethnic background;
• Low-income/lower-socio-economic background (broadly defined) or who have incurred major familial or personal financial hardship, currently or whilst growing up. This group also includes care leavers. and those who are the first generation to attend University in their family.

Application procedure

Your programme application must contain all necessary supporting documents and indicate in section 9 your intention to apply for the Future of the Academy Studentship.

Stage 2: The completed Future of the Academy Application Form must be submitted to the Humanities Doctoral Academy via  [email protected] by  26 February 2024.

Application form

• http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=64320

Additional documentation

• A 1,500 word  PhD research proposal . Please state the word count on page 1 of the document.
• Copies of the academic transcript and certificate from both your Bachelor's and Master's degrees. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript;
• An up to date academic CV, detailing your education and qualifications; employment history; publications; and any other relevant information.
• You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following submission of your application form.
• International applicants must additionally provide English Language evidence (e.g IELTS). 

Selection criteria

• Academic merit and preparedness for research
• Quality and feasibility of research proposal
• Consideration of ethical responsibility

Selection body

Closing date.

01 Dec 2023

Deferral information

Contact details for enquiries.

• Humanities Doctoral Academy Admissions Tel: +44 (0)161 275 1200 Email: [email protected]
• Rosie Shorrocks Deputy PGR Director and Admissions Tutor Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 4743 Email: [email protected]

Useful links

• https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/programmes/list/03016/phd-politics/

Finding a supervisor

As a student you will have two supervisors in order to cover sufficient specialism and a variety of skills and expertise within your research project.

We make sure that you get the very best training by:

• Streamlining the way that we provide you with feedback throughout your doctoral research project;
• Introducing personal development planning (PDP) as a core component;
• Giving you opportunities to enhance your career building skills;
• Making sure that you are fully integrated into Politics' research community;
• Championing Political Perspectives, which is run by our PhD students; and
• Helping financially wherever possible with fieldwork trips and the costs associated with presenting papers at conferences.

Our supervisors work across a range of politics research areas , our specialisms include:

• Comparative public policy and institutions
• Global political economy
• Political theory
• Democracy and elections
• Critical global politics
• Projects and networks, such as The British Election Survey and Gender in Politics

Explore our key research themes below and the staff who work within these, then click through to see their individual interests and what they would be keen to supervise. 

Research themes 

Data and methods.

• Ed Fieldhouse

Research specialisms: survey research, methodology and quantitative methods.

• Liz Richardson

Research specialisms: mixed qualitative methods, participatory research methods, co-production.

• Marta Cantijoch Cunill

Research specialisms: quantitative methods.

Research specialisms: protest surveys, capturing ethnic identities in surveys, field and language based qualitative methods. 

• Peter Gries

Research specialisms: methods of political psychology in international affairs.

• Rachel Gibson

Research specialisms: social media analysis, survey methodology, mixed methods.

• Robert Ford

Research specialisms: quantitative methods. 

Elections, participation and governance

• Andy Westwood

Research specialisms: British politics governance.

• Angelia Wilson

Research specialisms: American politics, race and religion.

• David Richards

Research specialisms: public policy in UK, governance and globalisation.

• Dimitris Papadimitriou

Research specialisms: Greek politics and politics of the EU.

Research specialisms: political opinion and political behaviour in the UK.

• Francesca Gains

Research specialisms: public policy, policy agendas, gender and politics, British politics. 

• Georgina Waylen

Research specialisms: institutions and public policy through a gender lens.

Research specialisms: local governance, urban governance, public policy. 

• Louise Thompson

Research specialisms: UK parliamentary politics. 

• Maria Sobolewska

Research specialisms: political opinion and political behaviour. 

Research specialisms: political participation, electoral behaviour, political communication. 

• Nick Turnbull

Research specialisms: public policy and governance.

• Nicole Martin

Research specialisms: ethnicity and identity, political opinion and political behaviour.

Research specialisms: political behaviour and opinion in Eastern Europe and Latin America.

Research specialisms: European governance.

Research specialisms: political opinion and political behaviour, digital technology and political parties. 

Research specialisms: radical right politics, elections and electoral behaviour. 

• Rosalind Shorrocks

Research specialisms: political opinion and political behaviour and gender.

• Stephen De Wijze

Research specialisms: theories of democracy and representation.

• Yoram Gorlizki

Research specialisms: Soviet governance.

Global inequalities

• Adrienne Roberts

Research specialisms: gender, debt, politico-economic inequalities.

• Andreja Zevnik

Research specialisms: race and politics of resistance.

• Aoileann Ní Mhurchú

Research specialisms: Migration, Citizenship and post-colonialism.

• Christian Schemmel

Research specialisms: social justice and equality.

• Cristina Masters

Research specialisms: gender, war, violence.

• Elena Barabansteva

Research specialisms: migration, Chinese immigrants, marriage migration and market.

Research specialisms: gender, feminism.

• Greig Charnock

Research specialisms: economic crisis inequalities.

Research specialisms: inequalities produced by global capitalism.

• James Pattison

Research specialisms: humanitarian intervention.

• Japhy Wilson

Research specialisms: politics of development.

• Jenny Edkins

Research specialisms: race and class.

• Jess Gifkins

Research specialisms: the United Nations, international security.

• Jonathan Gilmore

Research specialisms: human security, protection of civilians.

• Juri Viehoff

Research specialisms: theories of justice.

• Kevin Morgan

Research specialisms: labour movements and the radical left. 

• Laura Mcleod

Research specialisms: conflict, gender, peacebuilding, peacekeeping.

• Liam Shields

Research specialisms: equality of opportunity and education.

Research specialisms: social justice and civic participation in urban contexts.

• Maja Zehfuss

Research specialisms: migration and war.

Research specialisms: immigrant integration, race, ethnicity and religion.

• Martin Coward

Research specialisms: conflict and security and popular culture.

• Miriam Ronzoni

Research specialisms: global justice.

Research specialisms: immigration, race and ethnicity.

Research specialisms: protest, migration, and drivers of conflict in post-authoritarian contexts.

• Oliver Richmond

Research specialisms: peacebuilding.

Research specialisms: China-US relations.

• Peter Lawler

Research specialisms: peacebuilding, conflict, IR.

• Richard Child

Research specialisms: nations and nationalism.

• Sandra Pogodda

Research specialisms: Middle East and North Africa (MENA), peace and conflict studies.

• Silke Trommer

Research specialisms: international trade, development.

• Stuart Shields

Research specialisms: regional development banks.

• Veronique Pin-Fat

Research specialisms: human rights and resistance.

Sustainable practices and climate change

Research specialisms: African politics, development studies, environmental politics. 

• Matthew Patterson

Research specialisms: climate change politics.

Research specialisms: environmental politics.

• Sherilyn Macgregor

Research specialisms: environmental politics, feminist/gender politics, urban sustainability.

Why Manchester?

We turn enthusiasm into achievement and theory into cutting-edge practice. You’ll develop skills, knowledge and experience that will make employers sit up and listen.

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Political Science

Program Opportunities

• Major in Political Science
• Minor in Political Science
• Concentration in Pre-Law
• Minor in International Studies

The Department of Political Science is one of the oldest and most prestigious programs at Manchester University, housing the University's rigorous political science major, as well as its demanding Mock Trial and Model United Nations organizations. Our well-known graduates include G. John Ikenberry '76, Albert G. Milbank professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, and Steven Shull '65, university research professor at the University of New Orleans.

Our distinguished faculty have included such luminaries as Professor of Political Science Robert Johansen '62 (Faculty 1967-74), founder of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and president of the World Policy Institute (1978-1982); and Professor of Medieval History Andrew Cordier '22 (Faculty 1926-1944), one of the co-founders of the United Nations and president of Columbia University (1968-1970).

Manchester University benefited from Cordier's faculty position. Through his relationship with the United Nations, Manchester's Peace Studies Institute was awarded NGO status with the UN, a distinction we still hold. This has allowed Manchester to attract a number of renowned public figures and policy makers to our campus, among them: Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Barry Goldwater, Ralph Nader and Jesse Jackson. These speakers, in turn, have helped provide perspective, depth, and experience to those at the University interested in history and politics.

Our political science program provides a systematic study of politics within collective decision-making and the interactions between power and interest. Political scientists seek to explain human behavior by focusing on people's preferences, resources, interests, on institutional rules and norms, and on socio-economic conditions.

Students taking courses in the field explore such common topics as the bases of political behavior, the world's major political philosophies, ethical dimensions of politics and policy, cultures, institutions and processes of contemporary political systems, and the relationships between and among nations.

Program Highlights

From best colleges 2022.

What can you do with a political science degree?

• Political science prepares students for jobs in politics, policy, international affairs, and media.
• Hard and soft skills developed in political science translate across public and private sectors.
• A growing focus of poli/sci programs, data analysis is a highly in-demand professional skill.

“According to Census Bureau data from the 2018 midterm elections, voter turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds jumped 16% from 2014. Non-presidential elections typically don't draw people to the polls, but young adults' political engagement is on the rise. Even though more are interested in politics, few are knowledgeable about it.” “There are many political issues that are vital to college-aged students. Among them are college affordability, racial equity, gun control, and climate change. Many students may want to pursue these areas as a career — whether in terms of research, advocacy, or direct action — but don't know how to get started.”

Related Majors & Minors

• Communication Studies
• Environmental Studies
• Gender Studies
• International Studies
• Peace Studies
• Population Health

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