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- How do I apply?
Please consult the Political Science Doctoral page in the first instance.
You can then apply online via the Political Science MPhil/PhD prospectus page.
- Is there a deadline for applying?
April 2025
The programme begins each year in September and there are no alternative start dates.
- Should I identify a potential supervisor before applying?
Yes. Students satisfying the minimum academic requirements need to decide whether the department can offer adequate supervision for their desired research project.
Students are required to put down the names of one or two proposed supervisors. Applications will be considered incomplete if no supervisors are identified in the relevant application field.
Individual academic staff research interests may be viewed on the Political Science Doctoral page in the first instance.
- Will there be an interview?
Applicants will be required to attend an interview prior to an offer being made for the MPhil/PhD programme. The interview does not require applicants to prepare any additional documents, but rather is an opportunity to discuss the proposed research in further detail. For applicants residing outside London, interviews may be arranged by phone or Skype.
- What are the Entry requirements?
Applicants must have an upper second-class Bachelor’s degree from a UK university (or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard) and a Merit (or equivalent) in a Master's degree course and a minimum mark of 65% in the Master's dissertation.
At least one of the three has to be a First Class/distinction (or equivalent)
- What are the English Language Entry requirements?
Please take a look at UCL's English language requirements.
The Department of Political Science requires Level 5 (IELTS: Overall score of 8.0 and a minimum of 8.0 in each component)
Please note that tests or pre-sessional courses not listed on the above webpage will not be accepted by UCL.- Are there any funding opportunities for PhD students?
Please consult the Political Science Doctoral page for information on departmental funding.
Information on funding opportunities outside of the department may be found on UCL’s main Scholarships and Funding page.
- Can I study a PhD part-time?
Unfortunately, we only offer this programme on a full time basis and do not offer either part time or distance learning study.
- How will Brexit affect my fees and/or funding?
Information can be found here which advises that the fee status will not change during the programme: If you start on a programme as a home/EU fee student in the academic year 2018/19, 2019/20 or 2020/21 you will pay the same tuition fees as UK students, and you will not see any changes to your loan eligibility. This guarantee will apply for the full duration of your enrolment on that specific programme.
