Key information
Duration
- Full-time: 36 months (3–4 years)
- Part-time: 72 months (6–8 years)
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting October 2027 — Apply before April 2027
- Starting February 2028 — Apply before April 2027
Language
English — TOEFL iBT: 87
Delivered
On Campus
Campus Location
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Disciplines
- Educational Research
- STEM Education
Overview
About the programme
Research in STEM Education primarily focuses on understanding and improving the student experience, provision of online materials, practical skills and employment skills. Online delivery of teaching material is increasingly popular and offers a fertile ground for research.
Key themes of our research at The Open University UK include:
- Assessment, encompassing assessment praxis, policy, assessment design, and engagement with assessment processes
- Distance learning, distance teaching, including remote experimentation
- Graduate skills
- Widening participation
- Work-based learning, focusing on training in the workplace, working alongside employers to provide training, and vocational training.
Programme Structure
Current/recent research projects:
- Graduate skills in chemistry: online delivery and assessment
- The use of peer assessment/review in distance teaching via the Moodle VLE
- Online context-based learning activities to improve the engagement of international students
- Going with the (remote) flow – teaching practical chemistry at a distance
- Enabling access to the chemistry curriculum for visually impaired students
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
GPA: Upper Second Class
English requirements
TOEFL iBT: 87
Other requirements
General requirements
Entry requirements
- Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
- International (non-residents): 31,001 AUD / year ≈ 16,420 GBP / year
- Domestic (citizens or residents): 9,451 AUD / year ≈ 5,006 GBP / year
Living costs
Milton Keynes
United Kingdom — 1,601–2,539 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
Scholarships Information
Below you will find PhD scholarship opportunities for Research in STEM Education.
Available Scholarships
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program — Grant: Various benefits — Deadline: 07 Oct 2026 — Fulbright (U.S. government)
- ServiceScape Scholarship — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 30 Nov 2026 — ServiceScape
- ACES Scholarships — Grant: 3500 USD — Deadline: 15 Nov 2026 — ACES Education Fund
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility — Grant: Various benefits — Deadline: Not specified — OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation
- Scholarships for PhD Students — Grant: 19000 GBP — Deadline: Not specified — Junhua Li
- Boustany Astronomy PhD Scholarship — Grant: Various benefits — Deadline: 28 Feb 2027 — Boustany Foundation
- Amberscholar Scholarship — Grant: 6000 USD — Deadline: 31 Jan 2027 — Amber Scholar
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 31 Oct 2026 — IvyPanda
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 01 Mar 2027 — Voice Talent Online
- Dream Chaser Scholarship — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 13 Jan 2027 — Salvado Law
- Scholarship for students with disabilities — Grant: 3000 USD — Deadline: 31 Dec 2026 — Anonymous Hope Fund
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship – University Bids — Grant: 22500 GBP — Deadline: Not specified — UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship — Grant: 1500 USD — Deadline: Not specified — IELTS from 6 to 9
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — Grant: 12000 USD — Deadline: 11 Jan 2027 — The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme
