Study a PhD in Politics at Liverpool and you’ll be joining a vibrant and international department, offering PhD supervision in subjects across British politics, political science, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory.
Staff in the Department of Politics are world-leading experts in their respective research fields and are happy to share and impart their knowledge through training and mentoring PhD researchers. They publish in high-impact academic journals, publish and edit books and collections, engage with national and international decisionmakers and policymakers in national governments and international organisations, and disseminate their views and analysis of current events through national and international media outlets.
Join us as a PhD researcher in politics and you’ll be mentored to join this international and vibrant world of research, analysis, networking and knowledge exchange. Through regular events, workshops, training and conferences, you’ll be part of this community and learn to navigate and contribute to its production of knowledge.
All Politics PhD researchers are assigned two supervisors, a primary and a secondary supervisor, who will mentor, train and guide you through regular meetings, readings of draft chapters, and support for endeavours like attending conferences or preparing publications. In your first year, you’ll also attend training sessions in research methods and research design. This grounding in essential research skills will ensure you develop the tools needed to undertake independent research successfully.
PhD researchers are encouraged to develop their own proposals but ideally, they reflect and fit with the expertise we can offer for supervision. The below list indicates the core areas of staff expertise, but the list is not exclusive.
The Department of Politics is a thriving community of academic staff that boast a wide range of specialisms mapped against four research clusters. Each member of staff and each PhD researcher is associated with at least one of these clusters:
The department also hosts a research centre and two research networks, which further support and focus our research. As with our clusters, staff and PhD researchers are encouraged to join and participate:
Staff research covers many aspects and themes of political life and most areas of the globe, ranging from China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, to Africa, the Caucasus, and Balkans. Closer to home, we also have expertise in local studies focused on scouse identity, Liverpool and Merseyside.
View the staff list for the Department of Politics for details of potential supervisors in this area.
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 - £24,600
Part-time place, per year - £12,300
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.
Based in Abercromby Square, on the main University campus, the Institute has a dedicated space for postgraduate researchers and is close to the Sydney Jones Library and other University services, while being only around ten minutes’ walk from the city centre.
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.
We typically require a UK master’s degree and 2:1 undergraduate degree, in subjects relevant to the proposed field of research, or equivalent academic qualifications from non-UK institutions. Your master’s degree should preferably be a Pass at 65% or above, or equivalent.
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 | 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 88 overall, with minimum scores of listening 19, writing 19, reading 19 and speaking 20. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted. |
| Pearson PTE Academic | 61 overall, with no component below 59 |
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.
Use the table below to check the course length you're likely to require for your current English language ability and see whether the course is available on campus or online.
| Your most recent IELTS score | Pre-sessional English course length | On campus or online |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 overall, with no component below 6.0 | 6 weeks | On campus |
| 6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5 | 10 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 6.0 overall, with no more than one component below 5.5, and no component below 5.0 | 12 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 5.5 overall, with no more than one component below 5.5, and no component below 5.0 | 20 weeks | On campus |
| 5.0 overall, with no more than one component below 5.0, and no component below 4.5 | 30 weeks | On campus |
| 4.5 overall, with no more than one component below 4.5, and no component below 4.0 | 40 weeks | On campus |
If you’ve completed an alternative English language test to IELTS, we may be able to use this to assess your English language ability and determine the Pre-sessional English course length you require.
Please see our guide to Pre-sessional English entry requirements for IELTS 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0, for further details.
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.