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Politics

MPhil/PhD

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
January 2027 | April 2027
Study route:

  • Four years full-time, on campus

  • Seven years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Key information for 2027-28

Start date:
October 2027 | January 2028 | April 2028
Study route:

  • Four years full-time, on campus

  • Seven years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Course Overview

An MPhil/PhD is an advanced postgraduate research degree that requires original research and the submission of a substantial dissertation of 60,000 to 100,000 words. At Birkbeck, you are initially registered on an MPhil and you upgrade to a PhD after satisfactory progress in the first year or two. You need to find a suitable academic supervisor at Birkbeck, who can offer the requisite expertise to guide and support you through your research. Find out more about undertaking a research degree at Birkbeck.

The MPhil/PhD in Politics is an opportunity to undertake a major piece of research under the supervision of someone with academic expertise in your field. We offer supervision for a wide range of research projects, from the study of public policy to social and political theory. On completing your MPhil/PhD you will have developed advanced skills in research and scholarly writing, and will be able to use these to embark on, or further, a career in research. If, like many of our students, you choose to study part time, you may have the opportunity to apply your developing research skills in your current career.

Current research spans the broad areas of: social and political theory; modern British politics and society; comparative public policy; civil society and the state; gender; public policy; nationalism and ethnicity; religion and politics; international relations, international security and terrorism; European politics; politics of development; theoretical approaches to armed conflict and international politics; and politics and society in Russia, North America and the Middle East. 

Attendance

Regular meetings with your supervisor(s).

More Highlights

  • We provide a supportive and stimulating environment for full- and part-time research students. At any one time, between 25 and 30 research students are registered in the various sub-fields of politics, political science, political and social theory and international relations.
  • Find out more about undertaking MPhil/PhD research in politics. 
  • Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework with 83% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

Entry Requirements

The entry requirement for this MPhil/PhD Politics is a good first degree in a relevant subject and the successful completion of a taught master's degree.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study  (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

School of Social Sciences

The school offers an invigorating and enriching educational experience, and students are taught by internationally renowned researchers with an exciting range of expertise. 

Visit the school

Fees

MPhil/PhD: Four years full-time or seven years part-time, on campus, starting in January 2027

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £2,780 per year
Full-time home students: £5,238 per year
Part-time international students: £8,230 per year
Full-time international students: £16,285 per year

MPhil/PhD: Four years full-time or seven years part-time, on campus, starting in April 2027

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £2,780 per year
Full-time home students: £5,238 per year
Part-time international students: £8,230 per year
Full-time international students: £16,285 per year

MPhil/PhD: Four years full-time or seven years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2027

Academic year 2027-28

To be confirmed

MPhil/PhD: Four years full-time or seven years part-time, on campus, starting in January 2028

Academic year 2027-28

To be confirmed

MPhil/PhD: Four years full-time or seven years part-time, on campus, starting in April 2028

Academic year 2027-28

To be confirmed

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy.

Lifelong Learning Guarantee

If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.

Fees and finance

PhD students resident in England can apply for government loans of over £30,000 to cover the cost of tuition fees, maintenance and other study-related costs.

Flexible finance: pay your fees in monthly instalments at no extra cost. Enrol early to spread your costs and reduce your monthly payments.

We offer a range of studentships and funding options to support your research.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Do you offer international scholarships?

We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Our Research Culture

Study resources include regular graduate research seminars, courses on research methodology and the opportunity to attend a wide variety of taught MSc classes, both at Birkbeck and the University of London, and to participate in national and international research conferences and seminars. Additionally, we organise regular seminars and conferences and act as a centre for the discussion of public policy and research in this field.

We run regular events with leading academics and policy-makers from the UK and beyond and host Birkbeck’s Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life and Population, Environment and Resources Working Group.

Birkbeck Library has an extensive teaching collection of books and journals in politics and sociology. It also has an impressive range of electronic resources, including bibliographic databases and over 17,000 electronic journals. Most of these resources can be accessed online 24 hours a day. It is worth spending some time on the library website to familiarise yourself with its collections and services.

You can also take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including those of the Senate House Library, the British Library of Political and Economic Science (LSE Library) and the British Library.

Read more about our vibrant research culture.

  • Recent research topics
    • Kurdish politics in Syria
    • Westminster guarded: party nomination processes and women candidates in Canada and Britain
    • Impact of user involvement on NHS governance
    • Evaluating the impact of interorganisational networks in urban regeneration on unemployment policy outcomes
    • The relevance of cosmopolitan democracy as a possible framework for understanding political transformations in East Africa
    • Discipline and process: new phases in the rational modernisation of political organisation
    • Revolution, myth and the origins of Fascism.

  • Training and teaching opportunities

    From the application form and interview we ascertain the level of training you have already received and indicate if the school requires further training to occur. We provide a range of skills training, and you will also be directed to appropriate advanced training outside of Birkbeck.

    Some research students have the opportunity to teach for one to two hours a week on Birkbeck's undergraduate and master's programmes; where this is the case, you receive close supervision from full-time staff and are required to attend the school part-time teachers' training sessions.

    We also encourage you to attend lecturer-training courses provided through Birkbeck.

Finding a Supervisor

A critical factor when applying for postgraduate study in politics is the correlation between the applicant’s intellectual and research interests and those of one or more potential supervisors.

Find out more about the research interests of our academic staff.

How to Apply

Follow these steps to apply to an MPhil/PhD research degree at Birkbeck:

  1. Check that you meet the entry requirements, including English language requirements, as described on this page.
  2. Find a potential supervisor for your MPhil/PhD research. Check the ‘Find a Supervisor’ area on this page or search our staff directory.
  3. Contact the academic member of staff - or the school they teach in - for an informal discussion about your research interests and to establish  if they are willing and able to supervise your research. (Please note: finding a potential supervisor does not guarantee admission to the research degree, as this decision is made using your whole application.) Find out more about the supervisory relationship and how your supervisor will support your research.
  4. Draft a research proposal. This needs to demonstrate your knowledge of the field, the specific research questions you wish to pursue, and how your ideas will lead to the creation of new knowledge and understanding.
  5. Apply directly to Birkbeck, using the 'Apply Now' link on this page. All research students are initially registered on an MPhil and then upgrade to a PhD after making sufficient progress.

Find out more about the application process, writing a research proposal and the timeframe.

What are the application deadlines and interviews?

You must submit a detailed outline of your research proposal, together with a supporting statement as to its importance and originality. You will also be asked to supply examples of your written work. There is a pre-application procedure.

You can apply at any time during the year. Entry months for the programme are October, January and April of each year.

If you wish to apply for funding, you will need to apply by certain deadlines. Consult the websites of relevant bodies for details.

Related courses

Study routes for Politics (MPhil/PhD)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in January 2027

Full-time

Part-time

Starting in April 2027

Full-time

Part-time

Starting in October 2027

Full-time

Part-time

Starting in January 2028

Full-time

Part-time

Starting in April 2028

Full-time

Part-time