Course summary
The University of Warwick's Politics and International Studies department (PAIS) offers the PhD in Politics and International Studies. Gain a unique opportunity to undertake a research project in one of the UK's largest Politics and International Studies departments. PAIS has a vibrant PhD community and our doctoral research covers a broad range of interests. The programme is structured around achieving distinct milestones in order to support your progress. In your first year, you will be required to attend the PAIS first-year training module PO961: Doctoral Thesis Writing in Politics and International Studies, which will help you to prepare for the upgrade process at the end of the first year. As you progress through the course, you are also expected to attend advanced training workshops. Additional research training and personal and professional development are available through the department, the Doctoral College and IT Services. PAIS has a keen interest in fostering networking between doctoral researchers of all stages as well as between PhD students and staff, and we therefore hold regular academic events. Application Closing Date Applications for the programme will close on 31 May 2025 for an Autumn 2025 start. Teaching and learning
- PO961: Doctoral Thesis Writing in Politics and International Studies
- Advanced Training Workshops
- The proposed start and end dates of your visit
- The name of the academic staff member who will oversee your visit in the department
- A reference from your current supervisor which confirms your current student status and suitability for undertaking research at Warwick as a visiting student
- A brief outline of the research you intend to undertake while you are with us.
Modules
Our research Areas for PhD supervision By research groups:
- International Political Economy
- International Relations and Security
- Comparative Politics and Democratisation
- Political Theory.
- Development
- Gender
- Cyber Security
- Climate Change
- Intelligence
- Justice
- Democratic Theory
- US/EU/UK Foreign Policy
- East Asia
- South Asia
- Europe
- Africa
- Middle East
- Latin America
- US
- Democratisation
- Elections
- Political Institutions
- Environmental Policy
- Ethics
- International Finance
- Global Governance
- Trade
- Borders and Migration
- Terrorism and Counter-terrorism
- War Studies
- Conflict studies
- Peace keeping
Assessment method
The research proposal is arguably the most important element of your PhD application. You need to submit a fully specified research proposal when you submit your application form. While we fully acknowledge that your project will evolve as you conduct your research, you must submit a convincing proposal, worked up in full, which is sufficiently rigorous and of sufficient quality before you will be allowed entry onto our programme. The type of robust research proposal that is required to attract supervisory commitment and an offer will address the points outlined in our Department Guidance. Typical proposals are 2,000-3,000 words long; however, this is only a guideline. The emphasis will be on the quality of the proposal and whether or not it fits with a particular supervisor’s research interests, not on the word count.
Entry requirements
Minimum requirements A Master’s degree (or equivalent) with a minimum degree classification of Merit/2:1 in a relevant subject area; a strong research proposal; explicit support from at least one potential PAIS supervisor. Read our department specific advice on applying to ensure your application has the best chance for success. **English language requirements** You can find out more about our English language requirements. This course requires the following: - Band B - IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above. **International qualifications** We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Please visit the University of Warwick website for the tuition fees for postgraduate courses:
https://warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/funding/fees
Sponsorship information
We offer a variety of postgraduate funding options for study at the University of Warwick, from postgraduate loans, university scholarships, fee awards, to academic department bursaries. It's important that you apply for your postgraduate course first before you apply for a University of Warwick scholarship. Please visit the University's scholarship webpages.