PhD, MPhil Social work & social policy

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Research opportunities

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

In Social Policy, we offer supervision across each of the School’s main research areas (see below). We cover both historical and contemporary issues, and welcome enquiries from students with interests in Scotland, the UK and globally. We're currently supervising students on a wide range of topics from volunteering and associational life in contemporary Scotland to assessing the impacts of social policies on Human Development in Sierra Leone.

Our Social Work staff also offer supervision across all of our research areas. Current work includes studies of the provision of support for disabled children and their families, various aspects of criminal justice social work, and the experiences of looked-after children and care-leavers. Many of our current students benefit from the opportunity to work with colleagues in the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS) and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ).

Our PhD programme in Criminology draws on the expertise of colleagues in both Social Work and Social Policy and the School of Law. We offer supervision across a range of topics, including youth and criminal justice, criminalisation, punishment and sentencing, the promotion of desistance, prison health services, and prisoners’ relationships with their families and the wider community. We also have close links with the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) and the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR).

The School also manages a dedicated PhD programme in Public Health and Health Policy. This programme also draws on the expertise of colleagues in the Centre for Health Policy and other parts of the Faculty and University. We're currently supervising students who 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.

View our current research opportunities

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:

Funding:

unfunded

Saint Andrew's Society Scholarships

For the academic year 2025-2026, the St Andrew's Society for the State of New York is offering two scholarships to Scottish students wishing to study for a postgraduate Masters in the United States. Each studentship will have a maximum value of $45,000 USD.

Preference will be given to candidates who have no previous experience of the United States and for whom a period of study there can be expected to be a life-changing experience. Selection will be based on an all-around assessment, including character, experience academic achievement, and need.

The selection process is conducted by the Scholarship Committee of the Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York.

Deadline:

28 February 2025

Funding:

Funded

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.

Academics/Supervisors make the applications for this scheme and there are various deadlines across Departments and Faculties, therefore, in the first instance, all interested students should contact the Department where they would like to carry out their research.

Deadline:

Funding:

Funded

THE Awards 2019: UK University of the Year Winner

Fees & funding

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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.

All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.

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.

2024/25

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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. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process.
International	£18,050
Funding	Take a look at our funding your postgraduate research web page for funding information. You can also view our scholarships search for further funding opportunities.
Postgraduate research opportunities	Search for all funded and non-funded postgraduate research opportunities.
Additional costs	International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information.

Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.

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.

As a postgraduate researcher, you will automatically become a member of the Strathclyde Doctoral School.

Find out more about the Doctoral School

Supervisors

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Supervisors

Research expertise

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:

Research cluster	Areas of expertise
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. We work with a range of funders and partners, including the Scottish Government, local authorities and related voluntary sector organisations and international partners. Many of our team are based within the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) and the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS).
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. Our work also encompasses research in the fields of older age, the medicalisation of everyday life, and mental health and disability. We have close links with CELCIS, CYCJ and the Centre for the Social History of Health and Healthcare. We also play a key role in the University-wide Centre for Health Policy and collaborate with a number of external partners, including the Scottish Government, the World Health Organisation and New York and Yale Universities.
Criminal & Social Justice	Our researchers undertake applied research on issues of criminal and social justice, penal and social policy and practice. We have strong links with the Scottish Government, Scottish Prison Service, Criminal and Youth Justice Social Work Services, and related voluntary sector and penal reform organisations. We're affiliated to the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR), which is a consortium of the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Strathclyde. Research topics include crime and desistance; risk, regulation and reintegration; prisons, imprisonment and re-entry; Repunishment and penal practices; co-production in community justice; and children, young people and crime and justice.
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. Our interests include the history of mutual aid and philanthropy, social investment and inclusive growth, the enhancement of citizenship rights and social cohesion, the development of welfare-to-work programmes, the impact of devolution on UK social policy, the relationship between migration and resettlement and culture and identity, ‘smart cities’, and the future of city centres.

International students

We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.

Visit our international students' section

Support & development

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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.

Find out more about the PgCert RPD programme.

Careers

The University Careers Service can help you with everything from writing your CV to interview preparation. Take a look at our Careers Service pages to get more information.

Student support

From financial advice to our IT facilities, we have a wide range of support for all students here at Strathclyde. Get all the information you need at Strathlife.

Apply

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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

By filling these details out as fully as possible, you'll avoid any delay to your application being processed by the University.

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

Contact us

Social Work

Telephone: +44 (0)141 444 8400

Email: hass-pgr-applications@strath.ac.uk

Lord Hope Building, 141 St James Road, Glasgow, G4 0LT

Chat with us

Professor Marion Henderson

PGR Director

Email: hass-swsp-phdenquiries@strath.ac.uk