Metadata
Title
Postgraduate research opportunities A-Z
Category
graduate
UUID
1e62d16e99b44ba7954f6ebd0518d952
Source URL
https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/politics/
Parent URL
https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/
Crawl Time
2026-03-11T05:57:23+00:00
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Postgraduate research opportunities A-Z

Source: https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/politics/ Parent: https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/

Postgraduate research

Politics & International Relations PhD

The UK funding councils assessed two thirds of our research outputs as world-leading or internationally excellent, in the Research Assessment Framework (REF) 2014

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Overview

Politics & International Relations at Glasgow produces innovative and influential research across five main subfields of the discipline:

We have an active and engaged international community of doctoral students and pride ourselves on our active co-supervision by staff with complementary expertise. We work to foster this community through our research seminars, research clusters, professional development sessions and regular staff-student social events.

We are part of the Economic and Social Research Council-funded Scottish Doctoral Training Centre (S-DTC).

Topics for supervision

Prospective students are encouraged to discuss their research ideas with members of staff who are specialists in their fields of interest before applying.

Comparative Politics

Broad expertise in comparative politics of China; Western, East and Central Europe; the European Union; United States; Russia and the post-Soviet region; Latin America; and the Middle East. For some topics we have research expertise also on Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

International Relations

Broad expertise in international relations in Europe (East, West and Central); Russia & the post-Soviet region; the European Union; North America; and the Middle East. For some topics we have research expertise also on Africa, the Caribbean, China, the Pacific and South Asia.

International Political Economy and Development

Political Theory

Area Studies

Study options

Final assessment involves the submission of a thesis of between 70,000 and 100,000 words and an oral examination (viva voce).

Entry requirements

Our research degree applicants will usually possess a good Master’s degree (or overseas equivalent), with a significant component in politics.

English language requirements

For applicants from non-English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

Common equivalent English language qualifications accepted for entry to this programme

TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)

Tests taken up to 20 January 2026

Tests taken from 21 January 2026

Pearsons PTE Academic

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

Oxford ELLT

LanguageCert Academic SELT

Password Skills Plus

Trinity College Tests

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

Fees and funding

Fees

2026/27

Fees are based on the annual fee for full-time study. Tuition fees for part-time study will be charged at half the full-time annual fee.

Irish nationals who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Internationals with Indefinite Leave to remain status can also qualify for home fee status.

Alumni discount

We offer a 20% discount to our alumni on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Study Abroad programme, Exchange programme, International Summer School or Erasmus programme with us. This discount can be awarded alongside most University scholarships. No additional application is required.

Possible additional fees

Depending on the nature of the research project, some students will be expected to pay a bench fee (also known as research support costs) to cover additional costs. The exact amount will be provided in the offer letter.

Fully funded scholarships

Support

The College of Social Sciences Graduate School draws together internationally recognised scholars and respected practitioners to offer a range of research programmes.\

Our programmes are based on thorough training in research methods and we encourage you to take part in numerous exciting seminars, conferences and events. We offer modern library, IT services and a wide-range of support services. You will be living in one of Europe’s most exciting cities which has a vibrant cultural and social life.

Our Graduate School Researcher Development Programme will support you to plan your professional development over the course of your PhD and ensure your employability.

How to apply

Identify potential supervisors

All Postgraduate Research Students are allocated a supervisor who will act as the main source of academic support and research mentoring. You may want to identify a potential supervisor and contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply. Please note, even if you have spoken to an academic staff member about your proposal you still need to submit an online application form.

You can find relevant academic staff members with our staff research interests search.

Gather your documents

Before applying please make sure you gather the following supporting documentation:

  1. Final or current degree transcripts including grades (and an official translation, if needed) – scanned copy in colour of the original document.
  2. Degree certificates (and an official translation, if needed): scanned copy in colour of the original document.
  3. Two references on headed paper and signed by the referee. One must be academic, the other can be academic or professional. References may be uploadedas part of the application form or you may enter your referees contact details on the application form. We will then email your referee and notify you when we receive the reference.  We can also accept confidential references direct to rio-researchadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk, from the referee’s university or business email account.
  4. CV
  5. Name of potential supervisor
  6. Research proposal.  Candidates are required to provide a single page outline of the research subject proposed (approximately 1000 words). This need not be a final thesis proposal but should include:
  7. a straightforward, descriptive, and informative title
  8. the question that your research will address
  9. an account of why this question is important and worth investigating
  10. an assessment of how your own research will engage with recent study in the subject
  11. a brief account of the methodology and approach you will take
  12. a discussion of the primary sources that your research will draw upon, including printed books, manuscripts, archives, libraries, or museums
  13. an indicative bibliography of secondary sources that you have already consulted and/or are planning to consult

Apply now

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