Postgraduate Research
Political & International Studies offers three distinct PhD programmes:
- PhD in Central & East European Studies
- PhD in Economic & Social History
- PhD in Politics & International Relations
Postgraduate Research Convenor [Political & International Studies]: Dr Patrick Shea - patrick.shea@glasgow.ac.uk
Join our vibrant research environment where innovative ideas thrive. Our PhD programmes stand out through:
- World-class supervision teams with expertise across disciplines, giving you access to diverse perspectives and methodological approaches
- Rich intellectual life including specialist research seminars, themed workshops, and development sessions that connect you with leading scholars worldwide
- Strong track record of PhD students presenting at major international conferences and publishing in top journals
- Dedicated funding for research activities and conference attendance
- Regular feedback through our structured review system
- Inclusive, supportive atmosphere fostered through regular research group meetings and writing retreats
Each full-time student is entitled to:
- A computer and full IT support
- Telephone and photocopying facilities
- Access to our unrivalled library facilities
- Access to our exclusive Postgraduate Research Hub with hot-desk facilities and collaborative working space
Our staff provide supervision in a wide range of subjects across Political & International Studies. We are active supporters of interdisciplinary research and most staff are involved in providing supervision to students alongside colleagues from other disciplines.
Please explore our subject groups to identify a potential supervisior and you can learn more about our staff and their research interests.
Identify a potential supervisor
Topics for supervision
- Central & East European Studies: China's foreign policy; Cold War communism in Central and Eastern Europe; comparative authoritarianism in Eastern Europe and Eurasia; contentious politics in Russia and Eurasia; de facto states in Eurasia; energy transition in Eurasia; geopolitics of Eurasian energy; international history of the Cold War and its legacies; media and political communication; migration and diaspora studies; nationalism in the USSR; political integration in Eurasia; political transformations and European integrations; politics and international relations of post-Soviet Central Asia; post/declonial perspectives of the Caucasus and Central Asia; rising powers in the international order; Russia-Europe relations; Russia's foreign policy and security policy; security studies in Eastern Europe and Eurasia; Soviet nationality politics; the European left and social movements; the workings of the Soviet Communist Party; urban transformation and industrial change in Eurasia; Yugoslav and Balkan history.
- Economic & Social History: business and financial history; history of banking and financial markets; corporate governance and business organisation; international business development; industrial history and technological change; history of medicine and healthcare; public health policy and practice; medical institutions and professions; health inequalities across time; colonial and global health history; social and gender history; work and labour history; family and household structures; gender roles and relationships; social movements and protest; class formation and social mobility; economic history; economic development and growth; trade and markets; living standards and consumption; urban and regional development; global and comparative history; colonial and post-colonial economic systems; international trade networks; migration and population chnages; cross-cultural economic interactions.
- International Political Economy & Development: global finance, trade and investment flowers; economic development and inequality, with a particular focus on post-colonial states; environmental and resource politics, including energy, climate change and natural resource governance; political economy of health systems and social policy; corporate power and regulatory politics; economic dimensions of conflict, social movements, and resistance; historical evolution of economic ideas and institutions.
- 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 development; international organisations; international security; migration and refugee politics; post-colonial and decolonial international relations; securitisation theory; transnational politics (non-state actors); causes and origins of war; strategic studies and war.
- Politics: business and politics; climate change ethics; democracy and democratisation; distributive justice; egalitarianism; elections and voting, including referenda; energy policy; environmental policy; history of political economy; history of political thought; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) politics; liberal and conservative political thought; methods in political theory; political communication; political economy; political parties; political philosophy; political pyschology; political theory; political trust, participation and democratic support; politics of education; politics of migration; public opinion, especially elections; social movements and political activism; the Scottish Enlightenment; welfare policy.
Please nore that for International Political Economy & Development, International Relations and Politics we have area-specific expertise in: China; Western, Eastern and Central Europe; the European Union; the United States; Russia and Eurasia; Latin America and the Middle East. For some topics we also have expertise in Africa; the Caribbean; Australia and New Zealand.
Initial approaches and guidance for the first stage of the application process
We welcome inquiries from prospective PhD students and offer multiple pathways to begin your application process:
Initial consultation
Contact our Postgraduate Research (PGR) Convenor, Dr Patrick Shea - patrick.shea@glasgow.ac.uk - for guidance on the application process.
Or if you have developed a proposal, find a potential supervisior through our Subject Group pages:
- Central & East European Studies
- Economic & Social History
- International Political Economy & Development
- International Relations
- Politics
Research proposal development
Your research proposal is the key document in your application. We recommend 1200 words plus bibiography with content including:
- Clear research questions and objectives
- Literature review
- Theoretical framework
- Research design and methodology (for empirical research)
- Timeline and feasibility
We welcome both empirical and theoretical based proposals. Use our detailed Writing a PhD Research Proposal Guidance to develop and self-evaluate your proposal.
When contacting supervisors, you should include:
- Your research proposal (1200 words plus bibliography)
- A brief CV (one page is sufficient at this stage)
- Any questions or specific areas where you would like guidance
Whilst we strongly recommend this initial consultation process, all prospective students have the right to submit a formal application through the online application system at any time. Formal applications require additional documentation, including references, and will be processed by the College of Social Sciences Graduate School.
Funding opportunities
We support postgraduate research students studying both full-time and part-time. Our current students are funded through diverse sources.
How to apply
To apply to do a PhD with us in Political & International Studies, please refer to the College of Social Sciences Graduate School for information on the application process and how to get started.