uk university phd fees

• Postgraduate Research

PhD fees and costs

To study a PhD, you'll need to pay the cost of tuition fees, research support fees (such as materials used in a laboratory) and be able to cover your living expenses

A funded PhD studentship may meet all or part of these costs or you may be able to find funding for your self-funded PhD or research project.  The fees below are for the academic year 2024/25.

The fees stated in the table above exclude potential research support fees also known as ‘bench fees’. You will be notified of any fee which may apply in your offer letter.

* Please note that if you are undertaking a PhD within the Faculty of Science and Engineering the fee you pay, Band A or Band B, will reflect the nature of your research project. Some research projects incur a higher fee than others e.g. if you are required to undertake laboratory work. You will be informed of the fee for your programme in your offer letter.

^ Self-funded, full-time international students studying a PhD programme classified as Band A will receive a £2,000 reduction in their fees for the first year only.

Paying fees

The University requires payment of tuition fees at registration for the whole of the coming academic session or for the duration of a programme that is to be completed in less than a year. However, arrangements can be made for self-supporting students to pay their tuition fees in installments.

All instalments must be arranged with the Student Administration and Support Division. If you hold a scholarship or studentship, the awarding body should provide the Student Fees section of the Student Administration and Support Division with an acceptable guarantee of payment.

If you expect to be sponsored please ensure that your sponsors understand fully their responsibilities for your fees and maintenance and that they are prepared to honour them for the duration of your studies in Liverpool.

If your sponsor does not provide an acceptable guarantee of payment, or defaults on their guarantee, you will become responsible for the payment of fees yourself. Unfortunately, the University is not able to provide financial aid or waive fees for students whose arrangements for financial support fail during the period of their studies.

Transfering funds from abroad

International students will need to ensure that they can bring sufficient funds with them for living expenses, as well as for payment of fees, or have sufficient funds sent to them in instalments throughout the year. Students from countries which operate strict foreign exchange controls should make sure that permission can be obtained for the transmission of adequate funds.

Other costs

Research support fees.

Research support fees, also known as 'bench fees', cover the cost of consumable materials used in your study. Some MPhil/PhD and taught programme projects use up large amounts of materials or ‘consumables’. In these cases you may be charged an annual Research Support Fee to help cover the cost of this. Programmes which might incur a Research Support Fee are likely to be those which are laboratory-based. You will be notified of any fee which applies in your offer letter. Research Support Fees are the same for UK, EU and International students.

Study costs

We want to try and help you prepare for the day-to-day costs of studying. These might include things like photocopying in the library, buying textbooks and specialist equipment or going on field classes. We have put together tables of additional costs for guidance, for each subject area, including where departments make contributions towards these costs.

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• Postgraduate study

Find out how much your research degree will cost and our approach to the tuition fee-paying period.

View tuition fees alphabetically by department:

Tuition fees for postgraduate research degrees by department

Tuition fees for the degrees of Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Dental Science are available once you have applied and subject to you having met the admission and eligibility criteria.

In common with other UK universities, the University of Sheffield charges different tuition fees depending on whether students are classed as Home or Overseas for fee purposes.

How we assess your fee status

The tuition fee-paying period

The tuition fee-paying period is the period during which full annual tuition fees are payable. This varies between 3 and 4 years for full-time PhDs (6-8 years for part-time PhDs), depending on the source of funding and scope of the research project. 3.5 years is the recommended tuition fee-paying period for most full-time PhDs.

If you're still working on your project between the end of the tuition fee-paying period and the overall time limit (4 years for full-time PhDs, 8 years for part-time PhDs), restrictions may apply .

PhD projects should be designed from the start to ensure that they can be completed within the tuition fee-paying period, as this is the period during which most students also receive a stipend from their funder to support their living costs. You'll discuss and agree the appropriate tuition-fee paying period for your project with your supervisor during the admissions process. Precise details of both the tuition fee-paying period and the overall time limit for the degree will be included in the offer letter.

You can find more information about fee types and tuition fee-paying periods on our Research, Partnerships and Innovation webpages:

Periods of registration

I simply would not have been able to undertake this PhD without the university's funding and I am very grateful to be able to remain in the UK to continue my studies Krissy Moore, Department of Archaeology Doctoral Academy Award recipient

PhD scholarships

Search for PhD opportunities at Sheffield and be part of our world-leading research.

• How Much Does a PhD Cost in the UK?
• Funding a PhD

Choosing to dedicate the next few years of your life towards a PhD is no light decision. Not only will it require you to dedicate an extensive amount of your personal time, but you’ll also need to consider how you’ll fund it. This raises the question, how much does a PhD cost in the UK?

The cost of a PhD can be divided into three key areas; tuition fees, living expenses and research expenditures. The combined cost of these are approximately  £20,000 per year  for UK students and can increase to over  £40,000 per year  for international students. A more in-depth breakdown of these costs can be found below. We’ve also compared these costs to other countries and outlined the various methods available to you to fund your PhD studies.

Tuition Fees

For UK ‘home’ students, the tuition fee for a PhD varies between £3,000 to £6,000 per academic year. For 2023/24 programmes, most universities opt for £4,712 per year within this range. Although this number may seem a little odd, it’s commonly adopted due to being the indicative rate set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for UK universities.

International Fees

Unlike for UK applicants, the rates for international students don’t align with the indicative level set by UKRI. Following the implementation of Brexit, EU students now follow the same fee rates as other international students. International students will find that their tuition fees are higher than those of home students. For example, at the time of writing, the average annual PhD tuition charge at the University of Dundee is £4,825 for home students undertaking an Engineering PhD. This same average is £25,305 for international students.

International applicants will also find that the fee for PhDs in STEM subjects are greater than those in non-STEM subjects. For example, at the University of Bristol, a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering costs £25,300 per year whilst a doctorate in Medieval Studies costs £20,100 per year.

To summarise, international students can expect a tuition fee of between £16,000 to £25,000 per year, with an average of around £19,600 per academic year. Non-STEM subjects will generally be at the lower end of the range, whilst STEM subjects will be at the higher end of the range.

Part-time Fees

The above fees are based on full-time postgraduate study. If you’re doing a part-time PhD, you can expect the fee to be half of these amounts. Although this may appear to be a cheaper option, keep in mind that the average duration of part-time PhDs are twice that of full-time PhDs. Therefore, the total tuition cost will amount to the same value and the end of both courses.

Other Degree-related Costs

Research support fees.

If your research project requires a high use of consumables, equipment or other resources, you may have to support the cost of these through an additional annual fee. This additional annual fee, often referred to as either a ‘research support’ or ‘bench’ fee, often apply to laboratory-based STEM research projects. Bench fees vary between different projects, even those within the same field. Therefore, it is best to speak to the admissions team on a project-by-project basis to receive anything useful.

Another cost you will need to account for is travelling. As part of your degree, many supervisors will expect you to attend conferences, training workshops, or other collaboration opportunities. As a result, you will often need to travel to various destinations which aren’t always limited to the UK. Although some programmes will cover these costs, it’s not unheard of that some positions will expect you to fund this yourself. It’s impossible to put a value on this, as the extent of travel depends on each project. Therefore, it would be wise to speak with the admissions team and current PhD students. They can provide you with an accurate estimate and let you know whether the university will cover the expenses.

Overtime Period Fee

When you’re enrolled into a PhD programme, you will be given a period to complete your PhD within. This period is known as your ‘registration period’ and is usually 3-4 years for a full-time PhD and 6-7 years for a part-time PhD. If you’re given an extension due to not completing your PhD study within this time, you will need to pay an overtime registration fee. Although the amount depends on each university, the University of Leeds sets theirs as £290 for 2023/24.

Living Costs

From a 2022 survey of over 2,300 university students , the average living cost, covering expenditures such as rent, bills, food and recreation, was £924 per month. This equates to £11,088 per year.

Although this is an average cost, your true cost of living will depend on your location. Living in major cities such as London will draw significantly higher rent and travel costs than living in more rural locations. Although your living situation will in large be driven by the university you undertake your PhD with, you should factor it in when deciding which universities to apply to.

To put this into perspective, the survey average of £11,088 per year uses a rent average of £418 per month. In London, this average increases to £650 a month and can surpass £1,000 if staying in university halls or private student accommodation. This is supported by University College London (UCL) who state you should expect an average rent of £1,028 per month if living in private accommodation around their university.

Tip  – You can use this handy calculator for an estimated average cost of living for any UK university. All you need to do is select the university, and the calculator does all the rest.

If you’re an international student, you should factor in return flights back home. Although this may seem like a small expenditure compared to tuition fees and rent, they can add up quickly depending on the frequency and distance of your trip.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

How to Fund Your PhD

Studentships.

A studentship is a form of scholarship for doctoral students. They can either be partially funded, which cover tuition fees only, or fully funded, which also covers living costs through a ‘stipend’.

Studentships can be found in various places. Research Councils (RCUK) and European Social Fund (ESF) make funding available to university departments, who in turn make the funding available to doctoral students. Therefore, you will find that there are many postgraduate funding opportunities available to you, with the best places to look being the RCUK and ESF websites and the university departments themselves. External institutions which focus on research and development such as research trusts and charities would also be a useful place to look for a funded PhD.

Doctoral Loans

If you’re a UK student, you may qualify for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan from Student Finance England. This form of financial aid is available for nearly all postgraduate research degrees undertaken in a higher education setting. They will allow you to borrow up to a total of £28,673 for 2023/24 courses .

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Graduate Teaching Assistantships are a form of studentships which allow you to teach undergraduates as part of your research degree. This not only helps improve your academic skills, but it also enables you to receive a salary whilst you’re studying. As well as teaching assistantships, some departments also provide opportunities for demonstrations, marking papers, and tutorial support. The amount you can earn through these schemes will depend on how many hours you work and what agreements you make with your supervisor or course leader.

Working Whilst You Study – Part-time PhDs

A research student may opt for a part-time PhD as opposed to a full-time one. Although this would double the duration of their studies, it allows them to take on a part-time job to improve their financial situation. For students going down this route, it would be highly beneficial to pick up a part-time role in a position related to your industry. This will help refine your skills and increase your employability within this career role should you choose to pursue it after your degree.

If you’re an international student, keep in mind that you’ll likely be on a study visa. Therefore, there’ll be certain restrictions on what you can and can’t do alongside your study.

How Does This Compare to the Fees in Other Countries?

When considering the tuition fee of PhDs across different countries, the United Kingdom is generally considered as being in the ‘middle-ground‘ region.

A handful of countries offer PhD programmes for free. These include, but are not limited to, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Norway and Poland.

The middle-ground region comprises countries such as Austria, Spain, Russia and New Zealand where postgraduate fees range from £1,400 to £4,000 per academic year.

The upper-end region comprises countries such as Hong Kong and the United States, where postgraduate tuition fees for a PhD student can go up to £33,000 per year.

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• Queen Mary University of London
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• PhD Tuition fees

PhD tuition fees

Students enrolling on a postgraduate degree programme are charged tuition fees each year by Queen Mary University of London. The rate you will be charged depends on  whether you are assessed as a Home or Overseas student .

2024-25 Tuition Fees 

Home students beginning their PhD in September 2024 (or later) will be charged the following tuition fees:

• £4,786  for full-time research degrees 
• £2,393 for part-time research degrees 

2023-24 Tuition Fees 

Home students beginning their PhD in September 2023 (or later) will be charged the following tuition fees:

• £4,712 for full-time research degrees 
• £2,356 for part-time research degrees 

Tuition fees for Home students are set by UK Research Council (UKRI) and each year UKRI usually increases their fee and stipend levels in line with inflation. Further information can be found on the  UKRI website .

For international students (this now includes EU students), the tuition fees for 2023-24 and 2024-25 entry can be downloaded below:

2023-24 PGR Tuition Fees [PDF 436KB]

PGR 2024-25 Tuition Fees [PDF 133KB]

Some postgraduate courses may include an additional charge known as a fee band. This is to cover associated costs including equipment, laboratory consumables, specialist technical support, data processing, training and travel. You will be notified at the point of offer if a fee band is applicable.

Please note that fees are quoted at the full-time/part-time rate for the academic year you’ve applied for.  If you begin your study part-way through the academic year then your first tuition fee payment will be calculated on a pro-rata basis

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Information on how to pay

Instalment Plan

If your fees are more than £1,000 per year, you can pay in instalments. 

Fee status determines the rate of fees throughout studies at Queen Mary.

University Fee Regulations

Our regulations are updated every year, you can access a list of present and past University fee regulations here

Research degrees fees

Postgraduate research fees are not regulated by the UK government so decisions on UK undergraduate fees do not apply to them. Our postgraduate research fees are set independently and reviewed on an annual basis.

You are classified as either a home or international postgraduate researcher for the purpose of assessing tuition fees. Where your status is not clear from your application, you will enter our fee assessment process . 

The following fees listed are meant as a guide only. An annual bench fee may be charged in addition to academic fees where the research projects undertaken require a high expenditure on consumables, equipment or other resources. Please check with the admissions team for your research area for accurate information.

If you are a former student of the University of Leeds you may be eligible for a 10% alumni tuition fee bursary .

You may also need to pay additional study costs in some instances.

UK first year fees

Fees for home rated applicants for the 2025/26 academic year will be confirmed in February/March 2025.

The fee quoted is based on full-time study and shows the fee charged for postgraduate researchers studying in that academic year. The fee may increase in future years of your studies in line with inflation.

International postgraduate research annual fees 

The following fees for international postgraduate researchers are based on full-time study and apply for each year of the course. These fees are fixed at this level for each year of your course allowing you to plan your finances for the duration of your studies. 

Fees quoted are based on full-time study and apply for each year of the course. If you are studying part-time, the fee is normally 50% of the full rate (with the exception of the overtime fee).

Split-site PhD programme fees

The fees for split-site programmes (see  our page on types of research degree for more information) are set as a percentage of the UK or international fees. There are three ways of studying for a split-site PhD at the University that will affect the fees you pay:

• Model A involving a strategic partnership with a commercial/industrial organisation or an international academic or research institution. These are full-time programmes and are normally cohort-based.
• Model B involving individual postgraduate researchers. These are part-time programmes.
• Model C  involving another organisation entering into a partnership with Leeds to deliver the PhD research project. These are full-time programmes with a reduced requirement for attendance in Leeds.

Overtime (writing up) fee

There is an overtime registration fee of £320 for 2024/25 and £340 for 2025/26. This fee is chargeable should you need extra time to write up your thesis outside the standard period of study.

If you are still undertaking new research in the overtime period, the full fee may be charged.

Your offer letter will state the end of the standard period of study and also the maximum time limit. The difference is usually the overtime period. Full-time postgraduate researchers normally have one year of overtime and part-time/split site have two years.

Fee status assessment

You are classified as either a home or international postgraduate researcher for the purpose of assessing tuition fees. Only certain categories of students will be charged the home tuition fee.

Where it is not clear from your application form whether you have home or international status, the Admissions Operations team will contact you to carry out a fee assessment. This may be before or after you have received an offer. For further information and advice, see our  fee assessment page .

Sponsored postgraduate researchers

If you are supported by your government, employer, or other sponsor, you should provide a letter from them addressed to the University, confirming that the fees will be paid directly. Sponsors cannot pay by instalments.

For more detail, see our information for sponsored postgraduate researchers  on our For Students website.

Paying your fees

You need to make arrangements to pay your fees before the start of the academic year or you won't be able to register. Find out more about how to pay your tuition fees  and view the tuition fee payment schedule on our website For Students.

You become liable to pay tuition fees when you register on your course. If you leave before the end of your course, we calculate your fees based on your leaving date.  Read more about tuition fee liability .

Related links

Postgraduate research

Tuition fees and expenses: research degrees

Find out about tuition fees and expenses for postgraduate research courses (PhD, MPhil, iPhD and MA/MSc by research) at York.

The fee that you pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student.

• Check your fee status

2025/26 tuition fees

• UK (home) tuition fee rates 2025/26
• International and EU tuition fee rates 2025/26

2024/25 tuition fees

• UK (home) tuition fee rates 2024/25
• International and EU tuition fee rates 2024/25

Fees in subsequent years

The fees quoted in your offer letter are normally for one year of study. If your course is longer than one year, the tuition fee in following years will be subject to annual increases. You should take this into account in your financial planning.

For UK (home) students , fees will increase in line with, and no higher than, the prevailing UKRI fee rate as published at  ukri.org .

For international students fees will increase in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate, up to a maximum of 10%.

The University reserves the right to alter the level of fee.

Got a question about applying to York? Email our friendly Admissions Team for advice and support.

If you've already applied to study at York please use You@York to upload any documents. Please do not email documents to us.

[email protected] +44 (0)1904 322142

Related links

Visiting students.

If you're already studying a postgraduate course at another university you can apply to spend time at York as a visiting student.

• Find out about tuition fees for visiting students

Living expenses and additional costs

Our living costs guide is designed to give you an idea of living expenses in York, as well as information about additional costs and charges you might incur while studying a postgraduate degree at York.

• Take a look at our living costs guide 

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Fees – what you need to pay

The information below is only relevant for students who register directly with The Open University. Students who register through an Affiliated Research Centre (ARC) should contact the ARC directly if they have any questions about fees.

Annual fees

All students registered for a research degree are liable for an annual fee that covers registration, supervision, examinations and graduation.

• Where a student is in receipt of funding, their fees will be met by the funding body for the periods stated in accordance with the provisions in the offer letter. Where registration continues beyond the funded period the student will become liable for fees.
• Self-funded students are required to pay annual fees in full at the beginning of each of their academic years (usually prior to the registration anniversary date).

The annual fee depends on the research programme that you want to study, whether you are studying full time or part time, where you currently live and potentially on your nationality and immigration status.

Fees normally increase annually in line with inflation.

Annual fee amounts for 2023–24 and 2024–25 are:

Am i a uk or an international student.

UK students are those who can show that:

• they have been ‘normally resident in the UK’ – not just for educational purposes – for at least three years before the start of their course
• who can demonstrate that they are ‘settled’ in the UK.

‘Settled’ means having either:

• indefinite leave to enter or remain
• having the right of abode in the UK.

For those students who are resident outside the UK, the fee varies according to whether they are taking a research degree in a science or in an arts discipline.

Advice for international students about fees and finance for research degrees for international students can be found on the website of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) . Advice about visa requirements can be found on the UK Visas and Immigration website .

Continuation fees, writing-up and resubmission fees

Continuation fees, writing-up fees.

Please note that students on Professional Doctorate courses are not eligible for writing-up fees.

Where a student enters their fourth year (full time) or eighth year (part time) of study and is no longer engaged in the acquisition of new data and is predominantly concentrating on writing up their thesis prior to submission, they will be classified as writing-up students. A writing-up student must be in a position to submit their thesis within 12 months, or by their thesis submission date, whichever is sooner.

The writing-up fee is available for a maximum of one year. Regardless of mode of study, should the student fail to submit their thesis within the ‘writing-up year’ they will become liable for the full annual continuation fee should they be granted an extension to registration.

The supervisor will need to formally confirm to the Graduate School when a student should be classified as writing up.

The writing-up fee will be invoiced at the start of the fourth year (full time) or eighth year (part time); it becomes payable halfway through the year (e.g. at 42 months of registration for full-time students and at 90 months of registration for part-time students). Where a full-time student who has been designated as at ‘writing-up’ stage submits prior to 42 months the writing-up fee will be waived. Where a part-time student who has been designated as at ‘writing-up’ stage submits prior to 90 months the writing-up fee will be waived.

Resubmission fee

Where a student is required following the final examination to resubmit their thesis for re-examination a fee will apply. The charge is made to cover costs of re-examination and additional supervision.

Before accepting an offer of registration, it is important to consider your finances over the period of your studies. If you are paying your own fees, you must make sure you can meet the cost; you will not be able to proceed with your degree if your fees are in arrears. New postgraduate research students are now eligible for student loans; information on eligibility and how to apply can be found on the Gov.uk’s doctoral loan page. Please note you are unable to apply until you have received an offer letter and you will need to ask the Graduate School for a Course Code in order to apply.

Funded students

Some students are in receipt of a studentship – that is, they have applied for and successfully been awarded funding for a fixed amount of time during their studies. Current studentships are advertised on the Studentships page . Depending on the award received, which would be confirmed in their award/funding offer letter, students typically receive a stipend and the awarding body pays the fees.

Students entering the fourth year (full time) or eighth year (part time) may become liable for a continuation fee or a writing-up fee. This may not always be covered by funding bodies and the student will be expected to pay this fee – payments by instalment can be arranged using an OUSBA account (subject to credit check). Where a student is formally recorded as ‘writing up’ (i.e. they have completed their research and are focused on writing their thesis), by the time they enter the fourth year (full time) or eighth year (part time) year, the fee is reduced.

Students are advised to check whether this is covered in their award offer letter and/or with the organisation/body making the award offer.

Self-funded students

Students who are self-funded are liable for the full fees for the duration of their study.

Students entering the fourth year (full time) or eighth year (part time), will become liable for a continuation fee unless they are formally recorded as ‘writing up’ by the time they reach the end of the third (full time) or seventh (part time) year, in which case the fee is reduced.

Your questions

For advice about applying for a research degree, or sponsoring a research student, email the Graduate School or call +44 (0)1908 653806.

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Science and Technology Studies

STS offers degrees at each university level: undergraduate, masters, and PhD

• Funding Your Doctorate

PhD programme: fees and funding

Fees and funding.

Information on tuition fees: UCL Tuition Fees

Part-time fees are pro-rata of full-time fees.

Scholarships

UCL scholarships available to STS applicants

UCL Research Excellence Scholarship

Open to exceptional applicants from any country.  Up to 40 scholarships are awarded across UCL

DEADLINE FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS: Friday 10th January 2025 

If you are applying for UCL RES funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Friday 3rd January 2025 23.59 GMT

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship

UCL's Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS) supports BAME postgraduate research degree students.  7 scholarships are awarded across UCL

If you are applying for UCL ROS funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Friday 3rd January 2025 23.59 GMT

External scholarships for STS applicants:

London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP)

The  LAHP AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership  funds up to 80 research studentships per year across all subject areas covered by LAHP. Applications for funding should be made directly to LAHP, and open in December   2024 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS TO FUNDER:   5pm 24th JANUARY 2025 (TBC)

UK students with excellent academic records in history of science or philosophy of science are encouraged to apply. Please note that in order to be eligible for this funding you must have established your supervisor before applying to LAHP for funding. We strongly recommend that interested individuals contact potential supervisors by late November, and you will need to have submitted a standard UCL PhD admissions application complete with references, by the STS January deadline. However you are advised to submit a complete application earlier if possible.

More information can be found on the  London Arts and Humanities Partnership website.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The department has ‘+3’ and '1+3' recognition from the ESRC in the category of Science and Technology Studies. Studentships are available to UK and EU applicants intending to pursue a PhD and who have already received a foundation in research training (+3), or who wish to pursue a PhD after completing an ESRC-recognised MSc (including those within the department) (1+3). Applicants with such qualifications who are interested in the areas of public understanding of science, science policy research, social history of science, or the sociology of science and technology are encouraged to discuss the possibility of applying for an ESRC grant with the departmental graduate tutor at the time of their application. See the  ESRC Doctoral Training Programme website  for further details. You can also visit the  main ESRC Website  to find out more about the council itself.

DEADLINE FOR PRELIMINARY  APPLICATIONS    Monday 2nd December 2024 23:59 GMT   (Applications are now open).

If you are applying for ESRC funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Friday 3rd January 2025 23.59 GMT

British Society for the Philosophy of Science

The British Society for the Philosophy of Science offers scholarships for doctoral work in the philosophy of science at a UK university. Scholarships are only available to students applying to degree programmes in philosophy or in philosophy of science. Further details are available from the  BSPS website .

The next scholarship competition will run in 2025

Overseas students are encouraged to apply for Commonwealth and British Council Scholarships in those countries where they are administered.

A list of other scholarships available to students applying to UCL is available via the  UCL Scholarships page.

Register your interest in studying at UCL and receive important information about open days, applications, and more.

Graduate Prospectus 2023/24

• Graduate Prospectus

How to Apply

Funding your phd, visiting doctoral students, support for current students: .

Can we help? support for current students  STS PhD Moodle site.

• Reading Groups

STS hosts a series of reading groups, run by current PhD students, to discuss interesting, thought provoking material in relevant fields.

STS Research Space

The STS Research Space is an initiative to assist PhD students with a wide range of academic and non-academic problems.

• The STS Research Space

• Postgraduate
• PhD and Professional Doctorates
• Fees and funding

Fees and funding for research students

Find out how much a PhD or Professional Doctorate will cost and the funding options available, including PhD studentships, stipends, loans and doctoral awards.

Once you’ve decided to study a research degree, the next step is figuring out how you're going to fund it. There are many different types of PhD funding, including studentships, external grants, and loans. Explore this page to see what’s available and how much a research degree will cost.

How much does a PhD or Professional Doctorate cost?

Our tuition fees are set and reviewed on an annual basis and the amount you pay will depend on the length of your course and mode of study. For some Science and Technology projects, an annual bench fee may also be payable.

Postgraduate Research fees for 2023/24 entry

Postgraduate research fees for 2024/25 entry, phd funding.

There are many different ways to fund a PhD, including university studentships, funding from research councils, charities or businesses, and doctoral loans. PhD funding falls into three main categories:

• Fully-funded – your PhD tuition fees are covered in full along with an amount for living costs and other expenses (usually called a PhD stipend).
• Partially-funded – part of your fees or living costs are covered, but not both. You will usually need to top up this funding with your own money or other grants.
• Self-funded – you are financing your own PhD fees and living costs through a combination of savings or earnings and loans.

Search our current projects .

ESRC studentships

The Midlands Graduate School (ESRC accredited) is looking to recruit top quality PhD students to commence study in October 2024 across a range of subjects, offering studentships – covering a maintenance stipend and payment of tuition fees at the home fee rate.

NTU fully-funded PhD studentships

Every year we provide fully-funded PhD studentships with opportunities across all our academic disciplines. These cover the full cost of tuition plus a stipend for living expenses for both UK and International students. Applications usually open in October.

Sign up for emails to be notified of the next release and to keep up to date with research funding.

What is a PhD stipend?

Some funded projects may eligible for a  PhD stipend – a grant to help cover your living expenses that you don't have to pay back. Find out the  current minimum stipend rates set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

PhD funding for international researchers

Many of our funded PhD projects are open to international students. Check the specific project details to see who is eligible.

FindaPhD also provides a guide to funding for international students looking to study a PhD in the UK.

Other funded opportunities at NTU

We’re pleased to participate in funded projects that improve access to research and benefit local communities.

Midlands4Cities

Funding and supporting outstanding research in Arts and Humanities across the Midlands.

Co(l)laboratory

A Universities for Nottingham project providing funding for locally-relevant, challenge-based research.

Equality and Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation (EDEPI)

A funded programme for NHS workers, created to tackle barriers to doctoral education for racially minoritised groups.

ESRC Studentships

Funding and further support for doctoral candidates in a range of subjects and pathways.

Doctoral loans

Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales provide a non-means-tested Doctoral loan of up to £28,673 to help with course fees and living costs for a postgraduate research course, such as a PhD or Professional Doctorate.

These are available on full-time, part-time and distance learning courses if you are living in the UK and you’ll only start to repay when your income is over £21,000 a year.

Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA)

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) helps to cover the extra costs you might incur because of a disability, including a long-term health condition, mental health condition, physical disability, or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Learn more about DSA

Alumni discount

We offer an exclusive 20% discount to NTU alumni who enrol on an eligible postgraduate course.

External funding

A variety of research councils, governmental agencies and charities can provide funding for your research degree. Take a look at some of the opportunities available below.

Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences

• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) - the UK's main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge transfer in the environmental sciences.

Art and Humanities

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - small, large, and project-based grants for students in humanities and social sciences.

Science and Technology

• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) - funding provider for research into biological systems
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - funding for Information Systems and Mathematics research.

Social Sciences

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - small, large, and project-based grants for students in humanities and social sciences
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues
• Ford Foundation - provides grants to support research into social change and development
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation - endowed charity that funds a large, UK-wide research and development programme focussing on social policy issues
• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - supporting researchers in health and social care
• Nuffield Foundation - fund research and innovation in education and social policy
• Social Science Research Council (SSRC) - an independent non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of social science research and scholarship
• Wellcome Trust - grants for human health-related research.

Situational

• Commonwealth Scholarships - offers opportunities to Commonwealth citizens to study in the UK
• Leverhulme Trust - funding for cross-disciplinary research.

Financial support

Studying through the cost-of-living crisis.

How we can support you, and how you can make your funding go further.

We provide a range of support and resources to help you manage your finances while you're studying at NTU.

Need advice on how to fund your studies?

Our student finance team are here to help. They can offer guidance on postgraduate fees, loans, and money management.

Chat to the  team on Unibuddy , email  [email protected] or call +44 (0)115 848 2494 .

For advice on making secure international payments please visit our international scholarships and fees pages .