Research Studentships
WELCOME
In order to be considered for a studentship, you must first meet the MPhil/PhD admission requirements, in addition to meeting the eligibility criteria for funding. Below you will find information about our PhD entry requirements, the application process, and sources for available studentships and funding. It is possible to apply for a place to study towards a PhD at any time. However, please note that deadlines for funding competitions vary. We are delighted to receive applications from international/non-EEA students. The normal duration of the Doctoral programme is three years full time or six years part time.
MPhil/PhD Academic Requirements
The normal minimum requirement for admission to an MPhil or PhD research degree programme is an upper second-class honours (2.1 Hons) degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.
English Language
Applicants who are non-EEA nationals must also satisfy the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements for English language for visa purposes. If you have not yet obtained an acceptable English Language qualification at the required level before sending us your application, your formal offer for postgraduate admission will include an English language condition which you must satisfy before the start of your programme. Further information on English language requirements.
Your Research Proposal
A research proposal for an MPhil or PhD forms an important part of your application and there are two possible routes to devising a suitable proposal. The first is to develop your research proposal in consultation with a potential supervisor based in the School before you apply; the second is to apply for an advertised staff-driven proposal.
How to Find a PhD Supervisor
Potential supervisors may be found on our School staff pages or through the University's Find a PhD Supervisor database.
How to Apply
Once you have identified a potential supervisor and completed your research proposal, you should submit your application to the Queen’s University Postgraduate Applications Portal ensuring you upload all relevant transcripts and final degree certificates (for completed qualifications).
Studentships for 2021 start
| Studentship | Further information | Closing date |
|---|---|---|
|
Northern Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE)* |
All forms and guidance notes can be downloaded from the DTP website: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/department-economy-studentships |
Applicants to apply to QUB by 16:00 on Wednesday 20 January 2021 go.qub.ac.uk/pgapply |
|
AHRC Northern Bridge Awards Standard PhD/ Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA)* |
AHRC Northern Bridge provides funding for projects orientated towards the humanities. For further details of this competition, please visit www.northernbridge.ac.uk Collaborative Doctoral Awards |
Applicants for both the Standard PhD and CDA routes should apply to QUB by 16:00 on Wednesday 13 January 2021 |
|
EPSRC* |
https://epsrc.ukri.org/ |
Applicants to apply to QUB by 16:00 on Friday 29 January 2021 go.qub.ac.uk/pgapply |
|
ESRC NINE DTP PhD Studentships* |
https://www.ninedtp.ac.uk/ |
Applicants to apply to QUB by 16:00 on Friday 22 January 2021 go.qub.ac.uk/pgapply |
|
QUADRAT NERC |
10 Awards for supervisor-led projects. |
Applicants to apply directly to QUADRAT (not QUB) by Monday 18th January 2021 |
|
QUB-China Scholarship Council (CSC) awards |
Candidates must be citizens of the People's Republic of China at the time of application. 20 studentship places for the joint QUB-China Scholarship Council (CSC) awards for PhD research will be available across the University: |
Steps 1 and 2 must be completed in full by Tuesday 26 January 2021. |
|
Commonwealth Scholarships |
These Scholarships are for candidates from least developed countries and fragile states in the Commonwealth, to undertake full-time doctoral study at a UK university. |
18 January 2021 |
* Studentships will be available for specified research projects for 2021/22 start. They will be advertised as they become available on FindaPhD (see below) and on the A-Z of Research Opportunities.
How to Search for Funding
High quality applications to QUB School of Natural and Built Environment have a good record of success in scholarship competitions.
You can search the A-Z of Research Opportunities for both funded and unfunded PhD Studentships at the School of Natural and Built Environment.
Look for additional Postgraduate funding and scholarship opportunities available at Queen’s.
International students should visit the University's international postgraduate research scholarships webpage.
It is also worth visiting www.jobs.ac.uk/phd for possible sources of PhD funding.
Please note that there are differences between the PhD entry requirements and requirements for funding, which are often assessed separately.
We also advertise available PhD studentships on Find a PhD (please scroll down for those currently available in our School).