Overview

Ranked 7th overall in the UK 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), our research is considered world-leading and internationally excellent, and you’ll be supported by leaders in the field.

Research students benefit from expert supervision from academic staff within the School. Some students are also co-supervised by staff from other Schools within Queen Mary. Learn more at the Politics and International Relations programme offered by Queen Mary University of London .

We are proud to be part of the prestigious London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP), funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, run jointly by Queen Mary, King’s College and Imperial College, London.

This Partnership provides generous funding for research students, as well as research training and seminar programmes.

Key facts

The School is also part of the London Arts & Humanities Partnership AHRC (LAHP DTP) that provides funding for PhD applications in the arts and humanities. Funding is also available through the Queen Mary Principal’s Studentships scheme.

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Programme Structure

Curriculum:

Year one: The first year is usually spent consolidating the ideas presented in your research proposal, undertaking a literature review and establishing an appropriate methodology for your research. You will also undertake extensive training in research methods through the Department's qualitative and quantitative methods course and research seminar series.

Year two: This year will be spent conducting the major ‘research’ element of your degree. This may take the form of fieldwork (either in the UK or abroad); major archival research; gathering statistical data; or some other form of research, dependent on the nature of your project.
Year three and second progression review: This year is predominantly spent analysing the data collected in the second year and writing up the final chapters of your thesis. You will also have your second progression review towards the end of this year.

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Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 72 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-21 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

More details

There are no set deadlines for applying for a research degree, unless you are applying for a funded place. Funded places normally have a deadline of late January.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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PTE Academic

76

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IELTS

7

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

London, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Political Science View 101 other PhDs in Political Science in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

76

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

7

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a good first degree of at least 2:1, or equivalent, and/or a Masters degree of at least Merit, or equivalent (usually 65% and above), in politics and/or international relations, or a cognate discipline.

Relevant experience within the field may also be taken into account.

If English is not your first language, take note of any English language requirements. The College’s standard requirement for English is IELTS 7.0 (6.5 Writing) or equivalent.

Completed application form

Transcripts of your previous degrees
Proof of English language ability for overseas applicants from non-English speaking countries
Curriculum Vitae (CV), or Résumé
Your full-length research proposal of 2,000 words (excluding bibliography)
A short statement (no more than 4,000 characters in length, including spaces) explaining why you want to study with us.

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

23750 GBP / year

≈ 23750 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

5006 GBP / year

≈ 5006 GBP / year

Living costs

London

United Kingdom

1137 - 2157 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Politics and International Relations.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Key facts

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Living costs

London

Funding

Check for any work restrictions

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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