Program Overview

---

PhD, MPhil Social work & social policy

The School of Social Work & Social Policy offers MPhil and PhD programmes in:

• Criminology
  • Youth and criminal justice
  • Criminalisation
  • Punishment and sentencing
  • The promotion of desistance
  • Prison health services
  • Prisoners' relationships with their families and the wider community
• Public health & health policy
  • Historical studies of health and morbidity
  • The conceptualisation of health and wellbeing
  • The role played by information technology in the provision of health services
  • The interface between health and social care
  • Older age
  • The medicalisation of everyday life
  • Mental health and disability
• Social policy
  • Historical and contemporary issues
  • Volunteering and associational life in contemporary Scotland
  • Assessing the impacts of social policies on Human Development in Sierra Leone
• Social work
  • Provision of support for disabled children and their families
  • Various aspects of criminal justice social work
  • The experiences of looked-after children and care-leavers

Research opportunities

The School manages a dedicated PhD programme in Public Health and Health Policy, drawing on the expertise of colleagues in the Centre for Health Policy and other parts of the Faculty and University. Current students are working on a variety of different topics, ranging from the impact of mental health problems on women experiencing poverty to the relationship between mental health, homelessness, and recovery.

Life on Mars: reconstructing the welfare of boys admitted to the TS Mars, 1869 to 1929

This project is based on the records of the TS Mars. It will address questions including:

• What light can data shed on the welfare of children on the TS Mars?
• What light do these records shed on child & adolescent growth patterns since the mid-19th century?
• What light does the Mars shed on the relationship between the statutory & voluntary sectors in the management of welfare institutions?
• What role did the Mars play in the history of care & reformation in 19th and early 20th century Scotland?

Deadline:

open-ended

Funding:

unfunded

John Anderson Research Studentship Scheme (JARSS)

John Anderson Research Studentship Scheme (JARSS) doctoral studentships are available annually for excellent students and excellent research projects. There are two main sources of funding:

• Central University funding
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - Doctoral Landscape Award (EPSRC - DLA) funding

The JARSS 2025/26 competition will open in October 2024, and students successful in this competition will commence studies in October 2025. Faculties will set their own internal deadlines for the competition.

Deadline:

open-ended

Funding:

Funded

Fees & funding

All fees quoted are per academic year unless otherwise stated. Entrants may be subject to a small fee during the writing-up period. Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.

Annual revision of fees

Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually. The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs, and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study, and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year.

• Scotland: £4,786
• England, Wales & Northern Ireland: £4,786
• Republic of Ireland: If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status.
• International: £18,050

Postgraduate research at the Strathclyde Doctoral School

The Strathclyde Doctoral School offers a vibrant, student-centred research and training environment, dedicated to supporting both current and future research talent. Bringing together all four of our faculties, it is committed to enhancing the student experience, increasing research outputs and opportunities, and ensuring that training is delivered at the highest standard.

Supervisors

We encourage colleagues to work across disciplinary boundaries, and this is reflected in the construction of our four, interdisciplinary Research Clusters. To identify potential supervisors for your project, please explore areas of individual staff expertise within each cluster:

• Children, Young People & Families: Research topics include improvement in services for children and young people; marginalised youth and social inequalities; children and young people’s rights; migrant children; evidence-based practice and sustainable change in policy and practice.
• Health & Wellbeing: Research ranges from historical studies of health and morbidity and the conceptualisation of health and wellbeing to the role played by information technology in the provision of health services and the interface between health and social care.
• Criminal & Social Justice: Our researchers undertake applied research on issues of criminal and social justice, penal and social policy and practice.
• Citizenship & Communities: Research in this area covers a range of historical and contemporary topics associated with the study of citizenship and communities in Scotland and the UK, and across the world.

Support & development

The Graduate School

The Graduate School is a friendly, supportive study environment for all our research students studying subjects within Humanities & Social Sciences. Our staff will support you through your studies, and you'll become part of a community of students who get involved with our workshops, seminars, and competitions.

Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PgCert RPD)

Our PgCert RPD programme aims to ensure you get the most out of your current research activities at Strathclyde and help you prepare for your future career as a researcher. We'll help you recognise and develop your transferable skills that'll have a positive impact on your research, now and in the future.

Apply

Entry requirements

Applicants are generally required to have a first-class or a strong upper second-class UK Honours degree, or overseas equivalent, in a relevant discipline (though there is some flexibility within this, e.g., for students who have a relevant Masters degree with merit/distinction).

The application

During the application, you'll be asked for the following:

• Your full contact details
• Transcripts and certificates of all degrees
• Proof of English language proficiency if English isn't your first language
• Two references, one of which must be academic
• Funding or scholarship information
• Research proposal of 1,500 to 2,000 words in length, detailing the subject area and topic to be investigated

Supervisors

If you're thinking about applying to undertake a PhD/MPhil with us, you'll need to identify two research supervisors before you finalise your application, at least one of whom must be based in the School of Social Work & Social Policy (see the research interests of individual staff in the School). If you already have a clear idea of who you would like to supervise your PhD/MPhil, drop them an email to introduce yourself. If you aren’t yet sure about this, get in touch with the PGR Director. In either case, please include a draft research proposal and a copy of your CV.

Accepting an offer

When you've accepted our offer, we'll need you to fulfil any academic, administrative, or financial conditions that we ask.

Start between: Oct 2024 - Sep 2025

• Social Policy: PhD (full-time)
• Social Work: PhD (full-time)
• Social Policy: PhD (part-time)
• Social Work: PhD (part-time)

Start between: Oct 2025 - Sep 2026

• Social Policy: PhD (full-time)
• Social Work: PhD (full-time)
• Social Policy: PhD (part-time)
• Social Work: PhD (part-time)

Start between: Oct 2026 - Sep 2027

• Social Policy: PhD (full-time)
• Social Work: PhD (full-time)
• Social Policy: PhD (part-time)
• Social Work: PhD (part-time)