Help to shape the future of education through our research degrees at Southampton. Explore new ideas that can have an impact on practice as you develop your professional skills.
Join our community of researchers and challenge current national and international thinking in education. We welcome applications from those looking to further their interest in the fields of education, such as: mathematics, science and health education, leadership, inclusion and work-related learning.
You can choose from 2 postgraduate research options:
On our PhD programme, we'll support you through expert joint supervision. You will typically work with 2 supervisors who are active research members of staff with expertise in your area of interest.
At the start of your PhD, your supervisor will discuss any training and support needs you may have to develop specific research skills, and, if appropriate, you will be able to attend relevant modules of our research training programme.
After agreeing on an appropriate development plan, you will meet regularly with your supervisors for academic support and supervision. You will also be able to participate in the research seminars and specialist workshops run at a school or faculty level.
We recommend the iPhD to students who:
This is an intensive programme with 2 phases:
During the first 12-18 months (full time) or 24-30 months (part time), you'll take part in a substantial programme of seminars, workshops and lectures. You must attend the University for taught sessions, usually for half a day per week.
We will develop your foundational research skills and subject-specific knowledge of education, alongside a wide range of transferrable skills. You will further develop and strengthen your initial research proposal, and also write and present a research report related to a key aspect of your proposed research project. Much of the work that you undertake for assessment during this first phase can be turned into material for drafting parts of your PhD thesis.
In the second phase, you will complete a research project leading to the production of a PhD thesis. We will expect you to have passed a range of research and education modules before progressing onto the thesis.
We'll assess you through:
You must complete your annual progress reports and interim thesis, examined by viva, for confirmation of your PhD candidature in order to arrive at the final thesis stage of your PhD.
Research at the School of Education is structured in 3 research centres or groups, providing all research-active members of the school, whether internationally renowned professors or first-year PhD students, with a creative environment for discussion.
Our centres support members (including PhD students nearing completion) in the publication process and carry out commissioned and funded research for a wide variety of organisations.
We have research centres for:
Our research seminar series offers a forum for the presentation of current research being undertaken both by our department and externally, to develop our own research, and to share ideas.
We adopt a deliberately inclusive approach, offering insight into local, national and international research projects in all phases of education.
For questions about Southampton Education School doctoral programmes, please contact Dr Charis Voutsina.
Email: cv@soton.ac.uk
For questions about PGR admissions and the iPhD programme, please contact Dr Andri Christodoulou.
Email: A.Christodoulou@soton.ac.uk
You can either apply for a supervisor-led project or propose your own PhD idea.
We offer most of our funding opportunities between October and March each year. If there are no projects advertised currently, we still welcome enquiries to potential supervisors to discuss projects and funding options.
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:
Find out about studentship funding opportunities from the South Cost Doctoral Training Partnership.
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 may be able to fund your postgraduate research with funding from your current employer or from industry.
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.
2022 to 2023 entry:
| PhD | UK | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | £4,596 | £18,000 |
| Part time | £2,298 | £9,000 |
2023 to 2024 entry:
| PhD | UK | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | tbc | £18,600 |
| Part time | tbc | £9,300 |
2024 to 2025 entry:
| PhD | UK | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | £4,786 | £19,200 |
| Part time | £2,393 | £9,600 |
2025 to 2026 entry:
| PhD | UK | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | To be confirmed Spring 2025 | £19,620 |
| Part time | To be confirmed Spring 2025 | £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.
Our research is organised around 3 research centres.
If you're interested in developing your own PhD project idea, you can find out more about what our academics are working on by visiting our centre pages.
Decide which option to apply to:
If you're interested in developing your own PhD project idea, explore our research centres to find out more about what we're working on.
Whichever option you choose, 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 our list of potential supervisors.
You’ll need to send us:
Download the document 'Guidelines for writing a PhD/iPhD research proposal'.
The application process is the same whether you choose the PhD or iPhD research path.
PhD applications can be submitted at any point in the year. However, for an October entry to the PhD programme, we strongly encourage applicants to submit their application no later than 15th June, to allow sufficient time for processing the application.
For a January entry to the PhD programme, we strongly encourage applicants to submit their application by no later than 15th October, to allow sufficient time for processing the application.
The Integrated PhD (iPhD) has one entry point only and that is in October, at the start of the academic year. The latest date by when you can submit your application for the Integrated PhD programme is 15th June, to allow sufficient time for processing the application.
We try to make a decision within 6 weeks of submission.
You’ll need to have:
You'll need to have:
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.
Visit our English language proficiency pages to find out more about other qualifications we accept.
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 |
| Education PhD full time | 2 to 4 years |
| Education PhD part time | 3 to 7 years |
| Education iPhD full time | 4 to 5 years |
| Education iPhD part time | 6 to 8 years |
View the doctoral programme profile for the PhD Education" and link to the 2024/25 doctoral programme profile at https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~assets/doc/specs/2425-doctoral-programme-profile.odt
View the course description document for the iPhD Education" and link to the 2023/24 course descirption document at https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~assets/doc/specs/2324-7152-iphd-education.odt
