Undertake research that has real-world benefits with our Mental Health research degree. You’ll explore clinically relevant topics in collaboration with academics, clinicians and experts by experience.
The Institute of Population Health conducts internationally acclaimed research into many aspects of psychology and human behaviour. Our research focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of health services, the social origins of health and social inequalities in healthcare, and mental health and well-being, including the evaluation of a wide range of psychosocial interventions and therapies.
Postgraduate researchers in mental health are based within the Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, whose goal is to enhance mental health and wellbeing support, as well as primary healthcare provision. Academics within the department engage in scholarly activity to develop theories, models and interventions for primary healthcare and to promote mental health and wellbeing.
Research and teaching activities are designed to enhance excellence in primary, community, mental health and social care at a local and global level. Our underlying principles include inclusion and diversity, multi-disciplinarity and co-production, and we adhere to robust governance and standards of professional and research ethics.
We particularly welcome enquiries from prospective postgraduate researchers interested in:
Other areas of research within the department include:
Our research is supported by colleagues working in health and social care, experts by experience and members of the public. We have a long and successful history of research links with NHS services and are extremely well placed to help develop your clinical research expertise across a range of settings in mental and physical health care.
We have several key partnerships that provide excellent research and educational opportunities for our postgraduate researchers. These partners include the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast and Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC). Clinical academic links such as these mean we’re well placed to support and host PhD studentships provided by UK Clinical Research Network (UKCRN) partners, such as the Medical Research Council (MRC), NIHR and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Our researchers collaborate with academic colleagues in public health, policy and systems, psychology, health data sciences, nursing and allied health professions, and other departments across the University. This provides a rich inter-disciplinary environment for our postgraduate researchers.
It’s useful to contact potential supervisors before you begin your application. Explore our staff lists for the Institute of Population Health for details of potential supervisors.
You may need the following documents to complete your online application:
Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Full-time place, per year - £5,006
Part-time place, per year - £2,503
Full-time place, per year - £31,250
Part-time place, per year - £15,650
Fees stated are for the 2025-26 academic year.
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this degree.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan worth up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs.
There’s also a variety of alternative sources of funding. These include funded research opportunities and financial support from UK research councils, charities and trusts. Your supervisor may be able to help you secure funding.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition fees and living expenses.
If you’re awarded this prestigious scholarship, you’ll receive significant funding to support your postgraduate research. This includes full payment of your PhD fees and a cash bursary of £17,000 per year while you study. One award is available in each academic year.
If you’re a UK student, either born in or with strong family connections to Merseyside, you could be eligible to apply for financial support worth up to £12,000 per year for up to three years of full-time postgraduate research (or up to five years part-time pro-rata).
Apply to receive tailored training support to enhance your sporting performance. Our athlete support package includes a range of benefits, from bespoke strength and conditioning training to physiotherapy sessions and one-to-one nutritional advice.
The Institute of Population Health is situated in several buildings across the University campus, including the Waterhouse Building, Whelan Building, Thompson-Yates Building, and Eleanor Rathbone Building. Postgraduate researchers have access to dedicated research facilities, applicable to their specific PhD projects, along with a range of meeting and social spaces.
These are the trailblazers, the leaders, the true originals. Our postgraduate researchers are shaping their future, and the future of the world we live in, advancing knowledge with each discovery.
Want to find out more about studying a PhD with us? Chat with our postgraduate research student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
Discover the qualifications you'll need to apply for this course.
You’ll normally be expected to hold both:
You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country.
We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications.
International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.
| Qualification | Details |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 overall with minimum scores of listening 21, writing 21, reading 21 and speaking 23. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted. |
| Pearson PTE Academic | 69 overall, with no component below 61 |
Do you need to complete a Pre-sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?
The length of Pre-sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.
If you don’t meet our English language requirements, we can use your most recent IELTS score, or the equivalent score in selected other English language tests, to determine the length of Pre-sessional English course you require.
Our Pre-sessional English courses vary from 6, 10, 12, 20, 30 or 40 weeks.
You can email us at elc@liverpool.ac.uk for advice on the length of Pre-sessional English course you require. Please let us know your most recent score in one of the following English languages tests so we can assess your current English language ability:
We’ll be in touch to let you know the length of Pre-sessional English course you require. We’ll also confirm whether you can study Pre-Sessional English on campus or online.
Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.