Politics & International Relations PhD

The UK funding councils assessed two thirds of our research outputs as world-leading or internationally excellent, in the Research Assessment Framework (REF) 2014

PhD: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time; Thesis of 70,000-100,000 words

Apply now

Overview

Politics & International Relations at Glasgow produces innovative and influential research across five main subfields of the discipline:

Comparative Politics
International Relations
International Political Economy and Development
Political Theory
Area Studies

We have an active and engaged international community of doctoral students and pride ourselves on our active co-supervision by staff with complementary expertise. We work to foster this community through our research seminars, research clusters, professional development sessions and regular staff-student social events.

We are part of the Economic and Social Research Council-funded Scottish Doctoral Training Centre (S-DTC).

Topics for supervision

Prospective students are encouraged to discuss their research ideas with members of staff who are specialists in their fields of interest before applying.

Comparative Politics

Authoritarianism
Business & politics
Democracy and democratisation
Elections and voting, including referenda
Energy policy
Environmental policy
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) politics
Political communication
Political economy
Political parties
Political psychology
Politics of education
Politics of migration
Public opinion [especially elections, political trust, participation and democratic support]
Social movements and political activism
Welfare policy

Broad expertise in comparative politics of China; Western, East and Central Europe; the European Union; United States; Russia and the post-Soviet region; Latin America; and the Middle East. For some topics we have research expertise also on Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

International Relations

Conflict and political violence
Critical security studies and approaches to peace
Development and foreign aid
Emotions and aesthetics in global politics
Foreign policy analysis
Gender and development
Humanitarianism
IR theory
International cooperation and international organisations
International security
Migration and refugee politics
Post-colonial and decolonial international relations
Securitisation theory
Transnational politics (non-state actors)
War: causes and origins
War: strategic studies

Broad expertise in international relations in Europe (East, West and Central); Russia & the post-Soviet region; the European Union; North America; and the Middle East. For some topics we have research expertise also on Africa, the Caribbean, China, the Pacific and South Asia.

International Political Economy and Development

Climate Politics
Corporations in politics
Energy Politics
Finance, industrial strategy, regional inequality
Feminist International Political Economy
Foreign aid
Global governance
Globalisation
Health, healthcare and global health
History of political economy and economic ideas
Industrial strategy
International development
International political economy
International organisation
International trade and investment
Market-making in social sectors
Natural Resource Governance
Political Economy of Conflict and Violence
Political Economy of Illicit Commodities
Political Economy of Social Movements
Politics of tax, debt, and international finance
Post-colonial State Development
Regulatory capitalism
Socio-environmental conflict

Political Theory

Climate change ethics
Distributive justice
Egalitarianism
History of political economy
History of political thought
Liberal and conservative political thought
Methods in political theory
Political philosophy
The Scottish Enlightenment

Area Studies

Chinese politics
Central & East European politics
Latin American politics
Russian & post-Soviet politics
Southern European politics

Study options

PhD: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time.

Final assessment involves the submission of a thesis of between 70,000 and 100,000 words and an oral examination (viva voce).

Entry requirements

Our research degree applicants will usually possess a good Master’s degree (or overseas equivalent), with a significant component in politics.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)

7.0 with no sub-test under 6.5
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test
IELTS One Skill Retake accepted.

Common equivalent English language qualifications

All stated English tests are acceptable for admission to this programme:

TOEFL (ibt, my best or athome)

94; with Reading 19; Listening 20; Speaking 20; Writing 21
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements , this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

66 with no subtest less than: Listening 59;Reading 60; Speaking 59; Writing 74
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

185 overall, no subtest less than 176
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

Oxford ELLT 8
R&L: OIDI level no less than 7 with Reading: 25-26 and Listening: 18-19
W&S: OIDI level no less than 8.

Trinity College Tests

Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Pass with Pass in all sub-tests.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have complete their degree in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years
Undergraduate 2+2 degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Fees and funding

Fees

2025/26

UK: To be confirmed [24/25 fee was £4,786]
International & EU: £26,580

Fees are based on the annual fee for full-time study. Tuition fees for part-time study will be charged at half the full-time annual fee.

Irish nationals who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Internationals with Indefinite Leave to remain status can also qualify for home fee status.

Fee status and policies

Alumni discount

We offer a 20% discount to our alumni on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Junior Year Abroad, Exchange programme or International Summer School with us. The discount is applied at registration for students who are not in receipt of another discount or scholarship funded by the University. No additional application is required.

Possible additional fees

Re-submission by a research student £540
Submission for a higher degree by published work £1,355
Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed £350
Submission by staff in receipt of staff scholarship £790

Depending on the nature of the research project, some students will be expected to pay a bench fee (also known as research support costs) to cover additional costs. The exact amount will be provided in the offer letter.

Funding

Postgraduate research scholarships

Support

The College of Social Sciences Graduate School draws together internationally recognised scholars and respected practitioners to offer a range of research programmes.

Our programmes are based on thorough training in research methods and we encourage you to take part in numerous exciting seminars, conferences and events. We offer modern library, IT services and a wide-range of support services. You will be living in one of Europe’s most exciting cities which has a vibrant cultural and social life.

Our Graduate School Researcher Development Programme will support you to plan your professional development over the course of your PhD and ensure your employability.

How to apply

Identify potential supervisors

All Postgraduate Research Students are allocated a supervisor who will act as the main source of academic support and research mentoring. You may want to identify a potential supervisor and contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply. Please note, even if you have spoken to an academic staff member about your proposal you still need to submit an online application form.

You can find relevant academic staff members with our staff research interests search.

Gather your documents

Before applying please make sure you gather the following supporting documentation:

Final or current degree transcripts including grades (and an official translation, if needed) – scanned copy in colour of the original document.
Degree certificates (and an official translation, if needed): scanned copy in colour of the original document.
Two references on headed paper and signed by the referee. One must be academic, the other can be academic or professional. References may be uploaded as part of the application form or you may enter your referees contact details on the application form. We will then email your referee and notify you when we receive the reference. We can also accept confidential references direct to rio-researchadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk, from the referee’s university or business email account.
CV
Name of potential supervisor
Research proposal. Candidates are required to provide a single page outline of the research subject proposed (approximately 1000 words). This need not be a final thesis proposal but should include:
- a straightforward, descriptive, and informative title
- the question that your research will address
- an account of why this question is important and worth investigating
- an assessment of how your own research will engage with recent study in the subject
- a brief account of the methodology and approach you will take
- a discussion of the primary sources that your research will draw upon, including printed books, manuscripts, archives, libraries, or museums
- an indicative bibliography of secondary sources that you have already consulted and/or are planning to consult