Program Overview

Postgraduate Study - PhD and Research Degrees

Strategy and Security

Overview

PhD students at the SSI have access to:

• A professional mentor from our group of prestigious honorary appointments and Advisory Board, in addition to a supervisor.
• Training in research methods
• Opportunities to give papers at major conferences
• Assistance in the publication of their work
• A lively seminar series with past speakers including leading academics from around the world and senior practitioners such as the Director General of MI5.
• Teaching opportunities

Contact

For general enquiries about the Strategy and Security Institute please contact

Research Overview

The Strategy and Security Institute's vibrant, collaborative and interdisciplinary research culture incorporates people working across the whole spectrum of contemporary security issues. The international community of researchers and practitioners has an excellent record of winning external funding, and promoting collaboration and impact.

Key Research Areas

• Strategic decision-making
  • The cognitive drivers of leaders' behaviour during international crises
  • Rational choice and decision-making
  • The psychology of coercion and deterrence
  • The management and allocation of defence resources
  • Military decision-making in history
  • Classical theories of strategic choice
  • The leadership and planning of complex modern military forces and operations
• Contemporary strategic problems
  • Military interventions and global order
  • The return of great power competition
  • The evolving character of warfare
• A legal and normative framework of warfare
  • International law of military operations
  • Ethical implications of remotely-piloted and autonomous military technologies

Research Degrees

• Security, Conflict and Human Rights (MPhil/PhD)
  • The Security, Conflict and Human Rights programme is an interdisciplinary pathway, which recognises that traditional approaches to security studies must now be complemented with new perspectives of issues such as human (in)security more widely, including domestic insecurity and violence, in order to develop better strategies for resolving conflicts and securing social justice.
• Strategy and Security (MPhil/PhD and MA by Research)
  • We offer research supervision on a range of topics. These include:
    • Integrated approaches to conflict prevention and management
    • The changing character of contemporary conflict including counter-insurgency and cyber security
    • Current challenges in the strategic and security world
    • International efforts to stabilise failed, failing or fragile states
    • Middle East and North African security
    • Decision-making and leadership in strategy
    • Strategy and security in the contemporary world
    • Strategic understanding
    • Defence reform and strategy in the context of wider public policy with particular reference to the UK, US, NATO and the Middle East
    • Science, technology and security policy
    • Strategy in application
    • Humanitarian intervention and the laws of armed conflict
    • Civil-military relations, strategic culture and security sector governance
    • Arms control and non-proliferation including sensitive technology and arms export controls
    • US-European security and defence relations and the role and future of NATO
    • Domestic security, public resilience and counter-terrorism
    • The politics of defence industrial consolidation in Europe and the US
    • Ethics of the use of armed force

How to Apply

• Pinpoint your PhD research area
• Investigate whether this area is available at Exeter
• Ensure that you meet our English language entry requirements (international students only)
• Construct and refine your PhD research proposal
• Approach your potential supervisor(s)
• Apply online

Fees and Funding

• Fees 2025/26
  • Home: £5,006 full-time; £pro-rata part-time
  • International: £23,500 full-time
• Fees 2024/25
  • Home: £4,786 full-time; £pro-rata part-time
  • International: £22,600 full-time
• Current funding opportunities
  • Our Postgraduate Funding webpage provides links to further information. If you are considering a PhD in the future, in addition to University of Exeter funding, we have been successful at securing postgraduate funding for PhD research through our Funded centres.
• Current available funding
  • Award: University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship 2025/26
    • Value: 20% reduction in the first year tuition fee
    • Application deadline: There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered.
    • Description: A tuition fee discount for University of Exeter alumni who start a postgraduate degree with us in 2025/26
  • Award: University of Exeter Class of 2025 Progression Scholarship
    • Value: 20% reduction in the first year tuition fees
    • Application deadline: There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered.
    • Description: A tuition fee discount for current University of Exeter students completing a degree in 2025 and progressing directly to a standalone postgraduate programme with us in 2025/26
  • Award: PhD Studentship in Cultural Histories of Eco-Ableism, CAHRT, UKRI-funded through the Centre for Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions
    • Value: £20,780 per year (2025/26 rate)
    • Application deadline: Mon 8th Sep 2025
    • Description: This funded Humanities PhD draws on environmental humanities and disability studies to consider cultural histories of eco-ableism within the new Centre for Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions.

Supervision

• Our research degrees provide opportunities to study with leading academics and practitioners who are specialists in strategy and security. We particularly welcome enquiries from students seeking to undertake research in our key research areas. However we offer research supervision on a range of topics.
• Please visit our staff profiles to find out more about our individual research interests. Please contact our Graduate Research School for information about eligibility before contacting the staff member closest to your interests for an initial discussion about potential research topics.