The School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences has a vibrant and multi-disciplinary research environment, which is home to a wide range of research projects that tackle important questions in the social sciences. We have an excellent international reputation for producing high quality research which has global impact. Our work is centred around three key themes: persistent and emerging socio-economic challenges, policy and practice in divided societies, and national global social justice.
If you are interested in pursuing doctoral research in Politics and Public Policy at Ulster University, you can be confident that you’ll be joining a community of committed researchers whose work is internationally recognized, both within academia, third sector organizations and civic society. Their work engages with pressing issues impacting transitional societies and intersects with questions of socio-economic inequities, asymmetries of voice and access to political processes and issues with (de)democratization, peace building and political violence. We aim to cultivate an intellectually rich and stimulating environment to encourage our students to push the boundaries of disciplinary understandings.
Some of our core areas of interest relate to:
- Identity politics: nationalist studies, gender politics, youth politics
- Memory politics: Commemoration and dealing with the past in societies transitioning from conflict
- Comparative politics: democracy and political parties in Africa, Europe and Latin America
- Political violence and terrorism studies
- Urban politics: political and social impacts of urban planning and regeneration
- Social class, gender and the politics of inequality
- Public Policy and public administration
- Language policy
We welcome interest from prospective PhD candidates in any of these areas.
For more information on the research interests of each staff member in Politics and Public Policy, please visit the Politics and Public Policy page on the website of the Doctoral College. For more information on how to prepare an application, including how to draft a research proposal, please visit our School’s webpage that describes the variety of PhD Opportunities.
Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.
We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.
In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.
If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.
The University offers the following levels of support:
The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:
These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.
Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.
Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.
The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).
This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.
Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living
Submission deadline
Monday 28 February 2022
12:00AM
Interview Date
week commencing 11 April 2022
Preferred student start date
Mid September 2022
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