On our PhD programme you will be supported through expert joint supervision. You will typically work with two supervisors who are themselves research active 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 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. You can find out more about supervision and progress on the supervision page.
View the programme specification for this course for 2018/19 entrants
View the programme specification for this course for 2019/20 entrants
To Apply
You apply through the University's online application form. Be aware that your application will not be processed until you have supplied all the required information which includes evidence of your qualifications and a research proposal. We will invite you for interview before making an offer. You can find more details on the How to apply page.
You will need to supply evidence of your qualifications and strong academic references. You will also need a research proposal (approximately 6-8 pages) stating the topic of your research, the research question(s) you are interesting in answering, and your reasons for undertaking this research (including some theoretical justification and review of relevant research that has been done in the field). You should include your initial ideas about the kinds of data you wish to collect and the proposed methods. The proposal should be referenced and provide evidence of prior reading around your topic of interest.
Download the guidelines for writing a proposal
Applications may be submitted at any time but we would recommend submitting by June for an October start. We will endeavour to make a decision within 6 weeks of submission. Please note that applications cannot be considered until we have received all supporting documents.
Contacts
Enquiries: PGRapply.FSHS@soton.ac.uk
Postgraduate office: +44 (0)23 8059 5699
Doctoral Programmes Director: Dr Michaela Brockmann
Admissions Selector/ Deputy Doctoral Programmes Director: Dr Michael Tomlinson
Fees and funding
Standard postgraduate fees for UK/EU and overseas students. This programme is eligible for funding from the University of Southampton's Postgraduate Scholarship Fund, plus Faculty and School scholarships as available.
Key facts
Start date: late September/early October each year (although other start dates may be possible by prior arrangement)
Duration: full-time 24–48 months; part-time 36–84 months
Intake: 5-10
Typical entry requirements
Please see our contact page to find out the entry requirements.
Selection process
Selection is through evaluation of your online application plus performance at interview.
This page contains specific entry requirements for this course. Find out about
equivalent
entry requirements and qualifications for your country.
Tuition fees
You will need to complete a series of progression milestones, including submission of annual progress reports and an interim thesis, examined by viva, for confirmation of your PhD candidature in order to arrive at the final thesis stage of your PhD.
Scholarships
PhD Studentship (ESRC South Coast DTP) - The contribution of academically effective primary schools to the educational progress of children with Specific Word Reading Difficulties (LEEP)
PhD Studentship (ESRC South Coast DTP) - Lifelong, informal and community learning in the lives of adults with learning disabilities (CRI)
PhD Studentship (ESRC South Coast DTP) - Exploring the learning trajectories of students in higher education: the role of individual and contextual variables in impacting student learning outcomes (CRI and LEEP?)
Presidential scholarship: Peer-to-Peer Review in Schools – a case study of collaborative school improvement in the face of local competition (LEEP)
Presidential scholarship: The Inclusion of Students with Severe Learning Difficulties in Early Childhood Settings (CRI)
Explore funding opportunities