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Find the latest PhD scholarships available at universities across the UK and globally. We regularly advertise new fully-funded PhD studentships and PhD scholarships in STEM, the humanities, business and management studies and the social sciences plus many more.

Find your ideal funded PhD opportunity in Engineering and Technology, Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Languages and Literature or Biological sciences here. Updated regularly with new PhD opportunities across all disciplines.

537 PhDs Found

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Education Studies 0

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Medical Technology 15

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Archaeology 5

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Information Science 4

Librarianship 1

Other Information Management & Librarianship 3

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Languages 14

Linguistics 6

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Welcome to jobs.ac.uk’s PhD Studentship section. Here you can find the latest PhD scholarships available at universities across the UK and globally. We regularly advertise new fully-funded PhD studentships and PhD scholarships in STEM, the humanities, business and management studies and the social sciences plus many more. Find your ideal funded PhD opportunity in Engineering and Technology, Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Languages and Literature or Biological sciences here. Updated regularly with new PhD opportunities across all disciplines.

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Wondering if a PhD is right for you? What is it like to take on a PhD? What can you do with a PhD once you’ve finished? We have lots of advice on all these topics in our career advice section.

What Can You Do With a PhD?:

Are you thinking about a PhD as the next stage in your educational and professional development? It’s an exciting road to travel with many potential benefits and opportunities. But you have to earn it first so considering what’s involved is important.

What is it really like to do a PhD?

Watch our vlog series, where real PhD students from all walks of life and various levels of study recorded themselves to showcase what undertaking a PhD is actually like.

PhD Funding – A Checklist of Possible Sources

Funding bodies support PhD students in different ways. Some pay course fees only, some include a stipend (maintenance costs) or travel expenses, and others offer a one-off award to ease the financial burden of academic study.

Make sure you never miss out on the perfect PhD opportunity by signing up to our jobs by email service , and for more helpful articles head to our career advice site .

Targeted PhDs

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What is a PhD?

A PhD is a postgraduate degree. It stands for ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ and is one of the highest academic qualifications you can achieve.

Courses involve both research and academic learning where you take on a significant amount of independent work.

For most PhDs, you’ll research for, write and publish an extensive thesis on a specialist subject area.

How long is a PhD? 

PhDs courses usually last between three to four years if you study full-time. Students often extend their thesis deadlines and finish the work in their fourth year. If you study part-time, courses can last six or seven years. 

Courses can begin anytime throughout the year, though most studentships (doctorate scholarships) start in September or October.

What qualifications do you need for a PhD?

You usually need a good second-class (2.1) undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject area, or equivalent. Many courses also ask for a master’s degree. 

When applying, you may need to demonstrate an ability to conduct research. This could be by showing your experience of independently working on a research project. You’ll probably also have to submit a research proposal that outlines what you’ll be studying.

How is a PhD taught?

There’s very little teaching involved in a PhD degree. Your course may begin with five or six hours per week of classes where you learn about research methods and techniques. Aside from this, you’re in control of your studies, though you’ll receive some guidance from an academic tutor.

How is a PhD assessed?

PhD students are assessed mainly by a thesis, and a closed oral examination where examiners ask questions about the thesis. 

Degrees are usually graded as pass or fail.

What skills do you learn during a PhD?

As well as subject-specific skills, you develop transferable skills such as: 

• Organisation 
• Research 
• Work habits 
• Project management 
• Critical thinking 
• Written communication 
• Presentation

How much does a PhD cost? 

Fees vary widely between courses and institutions, but are commonly between £3,000 and £6,000 per year for UK students. International students often pay more. 

Many degrees are partly or fully funded, and lots of students receive scholarships and bursaries. UK Research Councils provide universities with grants of around £4,000 per year for each funded PhD student.

PhD degree facts

Some new PhDs are more vocational and offer practical experiences as well as research. These are designed for those looking to advance their careers. 

When applying for a PhD, you show the university that you’re the right person for an advertised position, or that you’d be suitable to complete your research proposal. 

Popular PhD subjects

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The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the University's principal research degree for graduate students and is available in all faculties and departments. A Cambridge PhD is intellectually demanding and you will need to have a high level of attainment and motivation to pursue this programme of advanced study and research. In most faculties a candidate is expected to have completed one year of postgraduate study, normally on a research preparation masters course, prior to starting a PhD.

Completion normally requires three or four years of full-time study, or at least five years of part-time study, including a probationary period. Terms of research are normally consecutive and, for full-time students, require residency in Cambridge. Not all departments offer part-time research degrees (see Part-time study).

Various routes to the PhD are possible and, if you are made an offer of admission, it will be made clear whether you are required to study for a masters degree or certificate in the first instance, or will be admitted directly to the probationary year for the PhD. You are registered for the PhD only after a satisfactory progress assessment at the end of the probationary year (five terms for part-time degrees). The assessment is designed also to focus your mind on the stages necessary for completion of your research within the normal time limit and to address any structural problems that have arisen during the first year. The progress examination/assessment at the end of year one is a substantial academic hurdle and continuation to the PhD is not automatic.

During your PhD, your effort will be focused on writing a dissertation of up to 80,000 words. This must represent a significant contribution to learning, for example through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of a new theory, or the revision of older views, and must take account of previously published work on the subject. Many Cambridge dissertations go on to form the basis of significant publications.

Although you will spend long hours working independently, your department and college will support you in different ways. You are also able to attend regular seminars in your subject area, might be involved in teaching, perhaps giving seminars or supervising, and can play an integral part in the social life of your department and College.

Courses offering a Doctor of Philosophy

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PhD vacancies

Find fellowships, studentships and bursaries for postgraduate study, broken down by faculty and school.

Click on the relevant link below for the full list of current PhD studentships at Imperial.

Faculty of Engineering

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• Dyson School of Design Engineering

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Business school.

Read about Business School studentships.

Graduate School

Advice from our Graduate School about Imperial studentships

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

With effect from 21 May 2021, any individual who will be undertaking research activities, at PhD level or above, in one of the Academic Subjects/Fields of Research relevant to ATAS will be required to obtain a free of charge ATAS certificate before they can apply for a visa to work in the UK. This will include research, academic, engineering and technician staff applying for Skilled Worker visas. Some exemptions apply.

Find out more about about the ATAS scheme

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PhD opportunities

Our PhD programmes give you the chance to join the next generation of world-class researchers, spanning chemistry, physics and astronomy, and mathematics and statistics. Carry out research at the cutting edge of your field and develop transferable research skills.

Projects may come with specific funding (for example, from a research council or Centre for Doctoral Training) to cover your tuition fees and living expenses. 

If a project does not come with specific funding, you may be able to apply for a scholarship . Once you have found a project you want to apply for, find out how to apply below:

How to apply for your PhD (chemistry)

How to apply for your PhD (physics)

You can also apply for 3 months additional funding for sustainability-themed PhD projects through the Grantham Centre. More information on applying can be found here .

The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering also have researchers with expertise in a wide range of mathematical areas, and PhD projects suitable for applicants with a mathematics degree.

If you have your own idea for a project, you can find a potential supervisor by visiting our research pages . Contact a member of academic staff to find out about PhD opportunities in their area.

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

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PhD opportunities

Explore the different ways to apply for a PhD at NTU, including advertised projects, submitting your own research proposal, and studying at-distance. Find a PhD that works for you, and begin your research journey today.

Applying for a PhD

A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest level of academic qualification you can achieve. It usually takes three to four years to complete full-time, or up to eight years part-time. During your PhD, you will work on an original research topic under the guidance of our supervisors.

At NTU, we encourage and support a huge range of PhD opportunities. We invite you to apply for a project designed by our research staff, as well as submitting a proposal for your own novel research project.

We provide funded, part-funded and self-funded PhD projects across a range of disciplines. Opportunities are available year-round. Search the PhD projects currently available, filtering by keyword, title or academic school.

Propose your own PhD project

Decided on your own research topic? You’ll need to identify a supervisor whose expertise aligns with your own before putting together a research proposal. Explore our research strengths and staff interests to see if we can support you.

At-distance PhDs

Our at-distance PhDs have been designed for candidates who require a more flexible mode to complete their doctoral research.

They strongly suit professionals looking to undertake research alongside their job, individuals with research interests local to where they live, or candidates with caring or other personal responsibilities.

The programmes are delivered online over four to seven years. Every researcher must normally spend at least eight weeks at NTU in any one academic year to establish personal relationships with supervisors and benefit from face-to-face participation in the academic community.

We can offer at-distance PhDs across the majority of disciplines with projects aligned to our research centres.

Get in touch to learn more

Contact the relevant Director of Doctoral Studies to discuss at-distance opportunities in more detail.

PhD start dates

We have four PhD intakes per year in October, January, April and June. Typically it takes four years to complete a PhD full-time or up to eight years part-time, including your "write up" period.  The application deadlines for these are:

How to write a research proposal

Whether you apply for a PhD project or submit your own research question, you will need to produce a research proposal and personal statement as part of your application. Read our advice on how to construct a successful proposal.

Explore our research

Make sure your PhD proposal reflects our research strengths.

PhDs by Academic School

Find out more about studying for a PhD in our Academic Schools.

Research Degrees in Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences

Research degrees in architecture, design and the built environment, research degrees in art & design, research degrees in arts and humanities, research degrees in education, research degrees in law, phd - research degrees at nottingham business school, research degrees in science and technology, research degrees in social sciences, phds fees and funding.

Find out how much a PhD costs, what and how to apply for stipend, information about loans, and the various ways you can fund your studies.

Join our PhD community

How to apply for a phd.

Everything you need to know about applying to study at the NTU Doctoral School.

NTU Doctoral School

The NTU Doctoral School provides a multi-disciplinary home for all our researchers, here to support you throughout your entire doctoral degree. Explore our research community.