Applied Public Policy PhD/MPhil

Program Overview

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Applied Public Policy PhD/MPhil

Key information

Award:

• PhD
• MPhil

Study mode:

• Full time
• Part time

Campus:

• Strand Campus

Duration:

• Expected to be three years full-time, four – six years part-time.

Overview

The Policy Institute works to solve society’s challenges with evidence and expertise, combining the rigour of an academic department with the agility of a consultancy and the connectedness of a think tank.

The institute has a reputation for conducting impactful research that shapes media and public debate and the policy environment. This PhD Programme in Applied Public Policy will train the next generation of researchers to conduct this kind of impact-focused public policy research. The programme offers you the opportunity to study public policy as it is happening in the real world. It will offer opportunities to explore how policy can be influenced, and whether interventions in public policy are effective.

The Policy Institute is based in the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy (SSPP), which seeks to understand global, social, technological, and economic transformations changes and to inform these through education and research.

Applied Public Policy doctoral students are supervised by academic staff in the Policy Institute. We recommend that prospective students read through the PI webpages to find their preferred research area and potential supervisors.

Course detail

The PhD in Applied Public Policy focuses on training researchers to study public policy as it is happening in the real world. It offers opportunities to explore how policy can be influenced, and whether interventions in public policy are effective.

PhD students will learn the use of causal methods in statistics and econometrics, including randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs, to study social policy questions, including in education, child and adult safeguarding, health and social care, youth employment, criminology and justice, mental health and wellbeing, and behavioural economics.

Alongside this, doctoral students will receive comprehensive training and supervision in the underlying theories in public policy, economics, sociology, and other relevant fields to their domain(s) of study.

This kind of research has clear policy impacts, but is also increasingly valuable from an academic perspective, with randomised trials, quasi-experimental methods, multi-methods studies, and behavioural economics being increasingly utilised across a wide range of fields, and increasingly being published in high-impact journals in economics, psychology, public policy, social policy, health and care research, and political science. Doctoral students will be equipped to critically examine the use and appropriateness of these methods.

Alongside quantitative methods, doctoral students will also use qualitative methods including interviews, focus groups, and ethnography, and the use of deliberative methods (such as citizens’ assemblies) both as a method of research to study public policy and their use as a tool for designing and conducting it.

Head of group/division

Professor Michael Sanders

How to apply

1. Application Procedure

1. First identify a potential supervisor who will be able to support the application, by searching our Institute webpages.
2. After you have applied Your application will be considered carefully. Applicants may be invited for an interview (either in person or via phone/skype).

We strongly encourage you to apply well in advance of the time when you would like to begin your study. Starting an MPhil/PhD can involve a lot of organisations, arranging accommodation, financial support etc.

2. Personal Statement and Supporting Information

PhD in Applied Public Policy Checklist

• Personal Statement | Yes | A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages).
• Research Proposal | Yes | This requires a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words covering the research aims or questions, the theoretical background to the proposed research and its relationship to previous work in the relevant field(s), the significance of the proposed research, the likely methodological approach and why it is appropriate to the aims of the project, the timescale of the project, and how your proposed research complements your previous experience and anticipates possible future research work.
• Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
• References | Yes | Two academic references are required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.
• Curriculum Vitae | Yes | Please include a CV (resume) as part of your application.

Course Intake

We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed. We may need to request further information from you during the application process.

The final application deadlines are detailed below; on these dates, the programme will close at 23:59 (UK time) and we will open for the corresponding intake in 2025 soon after the same intake has passed in 2024.

• February 2024 entry – 20 October 2023 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2023 for Home fee status
• June 2024 entry – 20 March 2024 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2024 for Home fee status
• October 2024 entry – 26 July 2024 for Overseas fee status and 26 August 2024 for Home fee status
• February 2025 entry – 20 October 2024 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2024 for Home fee status
• June 2025 entry – 20 March 2025 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2025 for Home fee status

Please note that funding deadlines may be earlier than the application deadlines listed above.

Fees or Funding

UK Tuition Fees 2024/25

• Full time tuition fees: £6,936 per year
• Part time tuition fees: £3,468 per year

International Tuition Fees 2024/25

• Full time tuition fees: £26,070 per year
• Part time tuition fees: £13,035 per year

UK Tuition Fees 2025/26

• Full time tuition fees: £7,500 per year
• Part time tuition fees: £3,750 per year

International Tuition Fees 2025/26

• Full time tuition fees: £28,000 per year
• Part time tuition fees: £14,000 per year

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions

Study environment

Base campus

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Study Environment

Each student has two supervisors and meets regularly with both, though typically more frequently with the primary supervisor. They are encouraged to attend relevant research seminars at King’s and elsewhere and to and to participate in the wide variety of conferences and events on offer at King’s.

The Policy Institute offers training opportunities for students, for example through the institute’s Methods Club, Evaluation seminars, training focused on analytical coding and a wide variety of research fora. They will also be able to participate in training from across the LISS Doctoral Training Partnership.

Impact will be at the centre of the students’ experience in the Policy Institute, and they be able to attend and be part of events featuring the Institute’s visiting faculty which include current and former ministers and senior officials including the current Cabinet Secretary.

Alongside this, students will benefit from the Institute’s close connections with other academic departments, being able to attend regular seminar series across King’s.

Student Destinations

Students graduating from this programme will be employable in a range of academic, research, and applied roles. Previous graduates of this programme’s predecessors have gone on to work in the civil service; to pursue academic careers including postdoctoral studies at the European University Institute and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; and to work in the government’s network of What Works Centres.

Entry requirements

UK requirements

Applicants are required to have an Undergraduate degree at 2:1 level (or international equivalent) and either a Master's degree with Merit or relevant professional qualification (such as social work, occupational therapy, teaching, counselling, medicine or psychology).

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a country

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Andorra
• Angola
• Anguilla
• Antigua & Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Aruba
• Australasia
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Benin
• Bermuda
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brazil
• British Virgin Islands
• Brunei
• Brunei Darussalam
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cape Verde
• Cayman Islands
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Comoros
• Cook Islands
• Costa Rica
• Cote d'Ivoire
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Cyprus
• Czechia (Czech Republic)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Denmark
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• East Timor
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Eswatini
• Ethiopia
• Falkland Islands
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• Gabon
• Georgia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Home Fee Status Students
• Honduras
• Hong Kong SAR
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• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mali
• Malta
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Namibia
• Nauru
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palau
• Palestine
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Republic of the Congo
• Romania
• Russia
• Rwanda
• Samoa
• San Marino
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St. Helena
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• The Gambia
• Togo
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Türkiye
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Wales
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

English language requirements

English language band: B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

• The program aims to train the next generation of researchers to conduct impact-focused public policy research.
• It emphasizes studying public policy as it happens in the real world and exploring how policy can be influenced and whether interventions are effective.
• The program is housed within the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy (SSPP), focusing on understanding global transformations and informing them through education and research.

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Outline:

• Students learn to use causal methods in statistics and econometrics, including randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs, to study social policy issues.
• Training in underlying theories from public policy, economics, sociology, and other relevant fields is provided.
• Methodological and theoretical knowledge is applied to study social issues in education, child and adult safeguarding, health and social care, youth employment, criminology and justice, mental health and wellbeing, and behavioral economics.
• Alongside quantitative methods, qualitative methods like interviews, focus groups, and ethnography are also used.

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Teaching:

• Students receive supervision from academic staff in the Policy Institute and are encouraged to attend relevant research seminars.
• The Policy Institute offers training opportunities through its Methods Club, Evaluation seminars, and other research forums.
• Students participate in events featuring the Institute's visiting faculty, including current and former ministers and senior officials.
• Opportunities to attend seminar series across King's are available.

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Careers:

• Graduates are equipped for academic, research, and applied roles.
• Past graduates work in civil service, academia (including post-doctoral studies at the European University Institute and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government), and government's network of What Works Centres.

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Other:

• Students have two supervisors and meet regularly with both.
• Emphasis is placed on impact-oriented research with the opportunity to attend events featuring prominent figures in the field.
• The program draws on research expertise from the Policy Institute and King's broader academic environment.
• Assessment
• Fees or Funding
• Entry requirements
• Application process

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Summary

The PhD in Applied Public Policy at King's College London aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to conduct impactful research on real-world public policy issues. The program combines rigorous academic training with a focus on practical application, preparing graduates for diverse career opportunities in research, government, and academia.

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UK Tuition Fees 2023/24 Full time tuition fees: £6,540 per year Part time tuition fees: £3,270 per year International Tuition Fees 2023/24 Full time tuition fees: £24,360 per year Part time tuition fees: £12,180 per year UK Tuition Fees 2024/25 Full time tuition fees: £6,936 per year Part time tuition fees: £3,468 per year International Tuition Fees 2024/25 Full time tuition fees: £26,070 per year Part time tuition fees: £13,035 per year