Join our researchers working on social policy in digital economies, migration, work and organisations, families and communities, environmental problems and behaviours, criminology, prisons and cybercrime.
Social Policy ranks in the top 5 in the country for outputs and our research environment was rated 100% world leading in the latest REF.
You’ll join a vibrant research community. We carry our research that is methodologically innovative and at the cutting edge of contemporary social theory. Our academics contribute to policy in fields such as population change, work and organisations, social cohesion and welfare. We are proud of our links with government departments, agencies and organisations around the world.
You’ll be supported by at least 2 academics who'll guide your research. You'll develop your professional skills, including writing, bibliographic, library, computing and presentation skills. There may also be an opportunity to develop your teaching skills through tutoring on the undergraduate programmes.
You'll be encouraged to develop your networks and create impact with your research by attending external conferences, seminars and workshops.
Our research interests are wide-ranging and we offer PhD supervision across many areas of sociology, social policy, social psychology, anthropology and criminology. Research themes include:
You can either apply for a structured PhD or propose your own research project idea.
Taking a structured PhD will give you access to additional training, conferences and secondments.
We offer our structured studentships in partnership with the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCDTP).
We offer a wide range of fully funded studentships. We run several of our PhD studentships in partnership with doctoral training centres, meaning you'll benefit from enhanced training and guaranteed funding.
These studentships:
As social scientist you may be able to apply for Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding through the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCDTP). You'll need to apply for funding separately from your application to us.
Doctoral training centres offer fully funded studentships which include:
Find our more about the SCDTP.
We offer scholarships and teaching bursaries ourselves. Your potential supervisor can guide you on what is available.
If you’re an international student you may be able to apply for a scholarship from your country.
Find out more about scholarships
Once you've found a supervisor, they can help you with potential funding sources. We offer match funding in some cases.
You'll need to state how you intend to pay for your tuition fees when you submit your application.
Find out more about funding your PhD
You can borrow up to £29,390 for a PhD starting on or after 1 August 2024. Doctoral loans are not means tested and you can decide how much you want to borrow.
Find out about PhD loans on GOV.UK
You may be able to win funding from one or more charities to help fund your PhD.
We charge tuition fees for every year of study. If you're applying for a fully funded project, your fees will be paid for you.
2023 to 2024 entry:
| Subject | UK fees | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Sociology, social policy and criminology full time | tbc | £18,600 |
| Sociology, social policy and criminology part time | tbc | £9,300 |
2024 to 2025 entry:
| Subject | UK fees | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Sociology, social policy and criminology full time | £4,786 | £19,200 |
| Sociology, social policy and criminology part time | £2,393 | £9,600 |
2025 to 2026 entry:
| Subject | UK fees | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Sociology, social policy and criminology full time | tbc | £19,620 |
| Sociology, social policy and criminology part time | tbc | £9,810 |
You're eligible for a 10% alumni discount on a self-funded PhD if you're a current student or graduate from the University of Southampton.
We organise our research around 7 research clusters:
Many of our academics collaborating with colleagues across the university in a number of highly regarded research centres.
Decide whether to apply to an advertised research project or create your own proposal.
It's a good idea to email potential supervisors to discuss the specifics of your project. It's best to do this well ahead of the application deadline.
You’ll find supervisors’ contact details listed with the advertised project, or you can search for supervisors in the staff directory.
You’ll need to send us
The application process is the same whether you're applying for a funded project, or have created a research proposal.
You should have a 2:1 honours undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification.
If you have completed a master’s degree, you should have achieved a merit or above including 60%, for the dissertation.
If you do not have an ESRC-recognised research training masters degree, you will need to complete appropriate research training. This involves taking relevant modules from our MSc programmes. In some cases, the research training will be supplemented by taking training modules from other disciplines in Economic, Social and Political Sciences. Relevant modules include:
If English is not your first language, you'll need an IELTS minimum level of 6.5 with a 6.0 in writing, reading, speaking and listening.
Your awarded certificate needs to be dated within the last 2 years.
If you need further English language tuition before starting your degree, you can apply for one of our pre-sessional English language courses.
Check the specific entry requirements listed on the project you’re interested in before you apply.
Research degrees have a minimum and maximum duration, known as the candidature. Your candidature ends when you submit your thesis.
Most candidatures are longer than the minimum period.
| Degree type | Duration |
| Sociology, social policy and criminology PhD full time | 2 to 4 years |
| Sociology, social policy and criminology PhD part time | 3 to 7 years |
