Undertake research with real-world benefits to improve health and reduce inequalities with our research degree in Public Health. You’ll explore the application of the social model of health to key challenges in population health and discover how to enhance systems and policies to address inequalities and improve health and social care systems.
Our research in public health prioritises tackling existing and emerging population health issues, especially those that affect our community and lead to health inequalities. We are at the forefront of research into public health, policy and systems, in particular addressing health inequalities through action on the social determinants of health, both locally and globally. Underpinning our research, teaching and service work is the social model of health and how that can be applied to address health inequalities and inequalities within health and social care systems.
Our research challenges include:
This research degree covers a broad range of potential topics for investigation. We welcome research proposals that match the research areas of our researchers in topics including:
You can read more about our current research projects, methodological interests and expertise in public health on the Institute of Population Health’s pages.
The University of Liverpool’s Institute of Population Health is dedicated to globally important and locally impactful population health scholarship through programmes or research and civic partnerships.
The Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems is one of the largest in the UK and has a world-leading status for its excellence in research and education, offering the ideal environment to become a recognised specialist in the field of public health.
We have significant leadership roles in initiatives including:
We are a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Policy Research on Determinants of Health Equity.
Civic collaboration is a cornerstone of our research, working with a range of partners including Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Wirral Council, Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, N8, Health Equity North and the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), NHS Secure Data Environment for the NorthWest and UNICEF Child Friendly Cities.
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 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.