Career opportunities
Graduates from the School of Social Policy and Society are able to develop analytical skills and the ability to gather, assess and interpret data, all of which require clear and logical thinking, making them an attractive prospect for employers. Visit the programme website for more information
Birmingham's School of Social Policy and Society postgraduates enter a wide range of occupational sectors: the majority in the public sector but others including events, sales, administration and education. Graduates also opt to continue in academia.
Visit programme website
Programme Structure
Curriculum:
- There will be a combination of taught courses in the first year and careful supervision throughout your study, with the aim of helping you to produce a thesis that makes a significant and original contribution to the discipline.
- The PhD requires a thesis of 80,000 words in length.
- All research students have regular meetings with their supervisors. PhD students also have annual panel meetings to support and review progress. They encourage you to give conference papers and to publish your work.
Check out the full curriculum
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.
English requirements
- TOEFL iBT: 88 OR 4.5 (new TOEFL iBT 1-6 score, CEFR-aligned).
- PTE Academic: 67
- IELTS: 6.5
Other requirements
General requirements
- A Masters degree and a good 1st degree
- Relevant degrees include social policy, sociology, criminology.
- Post-qualification experience, including professional qualifications and experience, will also be taken into account when considering applicants.
Make sure you meet all requirements
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): 42,114 AUD / year ≈ 22,110 GBP / year
- Domestic (Citizens or residents): 9,977 AUD / year ≈ 5,238 GBP / year
Additional Details
- UK: £2,619 part-time
- International: £11,055 part-time
Living costs
Birmingham, United Kingdom: 1,457-2,160 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's scholarship opportunities for Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology.
Available Scholarships
You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.
- Tackling Health Inequalities in Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation (University of Birmingham) – Deadline: 07 Sep 2026, Merit-based
- Birmingham Marshall Scholarship (University of Birmingham) – Deadline: 24 Sep 2026
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program (U.S. government) – Deadline: 07 Oct 2026
- ServiceScape Scholarship (ServiceScape) – Deadline: 30 Nov 2026
- ACES Scholarships (ACES Education Fund) – Deadline: 15 Nov 2026
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility (OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation) – Deadline: Not specified, Merit-based
- Scholarships for PhD Students (Junhua Li) – Deadline: Not specified, Merit-based
- Boustany Astronomy PhD Scholarship (Boustany Foundation) – Deadline: 28 Feb 2027, Merit-based
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship (IvyPanda) – Deadline: 31 Oct 2026, Merit-based
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship (Voice Talent Online) – Deadline: 01 Mar 2027
- Women Scholarship for International Students – Deadline: 28 Aug 2026, Merit-based
- The PhD Prep Fellowship (Admit Lab) – Deadline: 01 Sep 2026, Merit-based
- Dream Chaser Scholarship (Salvado Law) – Deadline: 13 Jan 2027
- Scholarship for students with disabilities (Anonymous Hope Fund) – Deadline: 31 Dec 2026, Need-based
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship – University Bids (UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) – Deadline: Not specified
- Grants of the Leopold Figl Foundation for students with residence in Lower Austria (Leopold Figl Foundation) – Deadline: 31 Dec 2026, Need-based
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship (IELTS from 6 to 9) – Deadline: Not specified
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme (The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme) – Deadline: 11 Jan 2027
