Social Sciences PhD studentships

PhD Opportunities in the School of Social Sciences.

Start date

1 October 2026

Duration

42 months

Application deadline

03 April 2026

Funding source

Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences

Funding information

Studentship covering home or international fees and monthly stipend. UKRI standard stipend is currently £20,780 per annum for 2025/26 academic year.

About

The School of Social Sciences is delighted to announce four PhD studentship awards for outstanding postgraduate researchers. These awards are designed to support innovative and impactful research that aligns with our strategic priorities in the School.

The School of Social Sciences fosters an environment of interdisciplinary research that bridges economics, law, sociology, politics, and international relations. The school is proud to harbour programmes ranked amongst the top in the UK, with a significant percentage of the research produced being rated as world-leading. As a PhD candidate, you will join a vibrant community of postgraduate researchers who are dedicated to making a difference in a range of theoretical and practical fields. You will also have the unique opportunity to collaborate with esteemed faculty members who are internationally recognised in their fields and will benefit from our strong links with local, national, and international academic communities. The rich environment at the School of Social Sciences is home to stimulating seminars, workshops, and lectures from distinguished academics and practitioners, ensuring that you receive a well-rounded and impactful research training.

We welcome applications from candidates who intend to develop their research within our PhD Programmes. It is recommended that applicants identify a prospective supervisor and contact them to discuss the research project before applying. Please check the links below for more information about each programme, available research expertise, and entry requirements.

We also encourage applications from candidates who are eager to explore innovative interdisciplinary questions and who wish to be supervised by academics based at different schools/departments (e.g., Law & Economics/Law & Politics/Politics & Sociology, etc.). If you have questions regarding making an application for an interdisciplinary research project, please contact Dr Lucas Miotto: l.miotto@surrey.ac.uk.

Supervisors

Identify a prospective supervisor from the School of Social Sciences and contact them to discuss your project before applying. You can find information about supervisors through the following links:

Eligibility criteria

Open to any UK or international candidates.

Candidates must demonstrate academic excellence and meet the minimum entry requirements for the programmed applied for. Please check the links below for more information about each programme, available research expertise, and entry requirements.

How to apply

Once you have discussed your project with a prospective supervisor, you should submit an application for a place on a postgraduate research programme. Please consult our course listings to identify the most suitable programme. Applications must be made via the relevant Law, Politics, Sociology, or Economics programme page by selecting the ‘Apply now’ button.

At the top of your research proposal, you must clearly state that you are applying for the 2026 PhD Studentship Competition.