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Career
Studying a PhD can pave the way for a diverse range of career paths, as well as nurture skills that are in demand and advanced. It offers you the opportunity to push the boundaries of knowledge, become an expert in a specialised area and provide you with opportunities to work in a range of careers. You will also enhance your interpersonal skills, such as networking and building professional relationships, which will be highly important for your future.
A PhD will elevate your skills as a researcher and our extensive training provision is also supported by the Doctoral College. Our vibrant research atmosphere, as well as regular workshops, visits from international experts in their fields and informative seminars where you'll be asked to present, provides invaluable experience for a researcher to become a significant thinker in their field.
Recent graduate destinations include:
- Trinity College Dublin, Research Assistant
- National Citizens Advice, Policy Researcher
- Nottingham Trent University, Lecturer
- IB School Teacher, Costeas Geitonas IB World School, Greece
Programme Structure
Research topics include:
- War, Peace and Security
- Engaged Political Theory
- History of Political Culture
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Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
GPA: Upper Second Class
English Requirements
Duolingo English Test: 120
TOEFL iBT: 88
PTE Academic: 65
IELTS: 6.5
Other Requirements
General requirements
- A 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent international qualification) in a relevant discipline.
- Applicants without a postgraduate qualification will be required to complete research training in tandem with their doctoral programme.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
International
Non-residents: 44,000 AUD / year (≈ 23,100 GBP / year)
Domestic
Citizens or residents: 9,977 AUD / year (≈ 5,238 GBP / year)
Living Costs
Loughborough, United Kingdom: 1,143-1,905 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Scholarships
Below you will find PhD scholarship opportunities for International Relations, Politics and History.
Available Scholarships
- Student Experience Access and Participation Support Fund — Provided by university, Grant 2000 GBP, Deadline Not specified (Loughborough University)
- Loughborough Sports Scholarship — Provided by university, Grant 5000 GBP, Deadline Not specified (Loughborough University)
- Excellence Scholarships — Provided by university, Grant 6000 GBP, Deadline Anytime (Loughborough University)
- Hardship support — Provided by university, Grant 2500 GBP, Deadline Not specified, Need-based (Loughborough University)
- Performance Programme Bursary — Provided by university, Grant 1000 GBP, Deadline Anytime (Loughborough University)
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program — Independent provider, Grant Various benefits, Deadline 07 Oct 2026 (U.S. government)
- ServiceScape Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 30 Nov 2026 (ServiceScape)
- ACES Scholarships — Independent provider, Grant 3500 USD, Deadline 15 Nov 2026 (ACES Education Fund)
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility — Independent provider, Grant Various benefits, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based (OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation)
- Scholarships for PhD Students — Independent provider, Grant 19000 GBP, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based (Junhua Li)
- Boustany Astronomy PhD Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant Various benefits, Deadline 28 Feb 2027, Merit-based (Boustany Foundation)
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 31 Oct 2026, Merit-based (IvyPanda)
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 01 Mar 2027 (Voice Talent Online)
- Women Scholarship for International Students — Independent provider, Grant 5000 USD, Deadline 28 Aug 2026, Merit-based (educations.com)
- The PhD Prep Fellowship — Independent provider, Grant 10000 USD, Deadline 01 Sep 2026, Merit-based (Admit Lab)
- Dream Chaser Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 13 Jan 2027, Merit-based (Salvado Law)
- Scholarship for students with disabilities — Independent provider, Grant 3000 USD, Deadline 31 Dec 2026, Need-based (Anonymous Hope Fund)
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship – University Bids — Independent provider, Grant 22500 GBP, Deadline Not specified (UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO))
- CIAPS Commonwealth Scholarships for Postgraduate Professional Studies — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline Not specified (CIAPS)
- Grants of the Leopold Figl Foundation for students with residence in Lower Austria — Independent provider, Grant Various benefits, Deadline 31 Dec 2026, Need-based (Leopold Figl Foundation)
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1500 USD, Deadline Not specified (IELTS from 6 to 9)
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — Independent provider, Grant 12000 USD, Deadline 11 Jan 2027 (The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme)
