Education PhD

Enjoy a full programme of research training. You’ll be part of a vibrant research community, playing an active role in seminars featuring renowned speakers. 

With every piece of research tied to professional practice, your PhD will have a real-world impact, setting you up for a career in either industry or academia.

We collaborate nationally and globally with schools, colleges, local authorities and a range of professional bodies. You’ll also be encouraged to work with other researchers across different specialist areas.

• Join a long-established school ranked highly for research excellence
• Be part of a research community with an international reputation
• Take part in seminars featuring world-renowned speakers
• Gain the full range of PhD skills, under the guidance of active researchers

Let our reputation enhance yours

Our School of Education is home to over 100 academic staff and more than 2,500 students. Featuring a diverse range of departments and research centres, our school ranks consistently highly in global league tables.

Placing 3rd in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the UK, we’re ranked 101st in the top 100 in the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2024, 62nd in the World and 11th in the UK for Education (2023 QS World Rankings), and we also scored 3rd in the UK for 4* research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF).

Why are these rankings so important? Because the higher we place, the more your own reputation and development will benefit.

A PhD requires a minimum period of study as a registered student of normally three years full-time or six years part-time.

Supervision – you’ll enjoy support and guidance from a lead supervisor and a second supervisor or academic advisor. If you’re researching a similar area to other students, you might also have some group supervision.

Research support – with 24/7 access to a work space in our research suite, you can use the University’s libraries and computer facilities on campus. We also offer grants towards conferences, printing and photocopying.

Publishing your works – build your reputation and make your research public, by working with your supervisors to publish articles.

Memberships - as well as being part of our School of Education, you’ll be a member of our Graduate School and Graduate Social Centre. This is where you can meet other researchers from a wide range of fields. You can also join the College of Social Sciences Doctoral Training programme, which has ESRC recognition.

Doctoral Research Conference - once a year, we bring our entire research community together to explore key developments in educational research, theory, policy and practice. Our conference features expert panel debates, keynote presentations and many more exciting activities.

Assessment is based solely on an 80,000-word thesis and an oral exam. You will also complete a research training programme within your first two years.

Find an Advertised PhD

Find a PhD project that suits your interests by using our FindAPhD tool.

Find a supervisor

If you’d rather propose your own research, the first step is to find your supervisor. We encourage you to browse the biographies of faculty members to familiarise yourself with the research going on in your preferred areas. Each of these contains detailed information on research interests, current projects and recent publications.

When you apply, you can suggest one or two potential supervisors, who you think might be a good fit for you. However, this is not essential. If you know what you want to work on, but are unsure on supervisors, you can indicate this in your application and the PhD programme co-directors will study your proposal in detail, and judge who is best suited to be your supervisory team.

You can browse the biographies of academic members of staff in the School of Education to familiarise yourself with the research going on in your preferred areas. Each of these profiles detailed information on research interests, current projects and recent publications. 

We particularly welcome research degree applications in the following areas:

• Philosophy of Education
• Sociology of Education
• History of Education
• Character and Values Education
• Race and Education
• Inclusive Education and Disability
• Language Education
• Linguistic Diversity

Research proposal

If you are proposing your own research topic, you will need to submit a research proposal. It’s a key part of your application, so take your time. Your potential supervisors will use it to decide if your research is something they can support.

Your proposal should be a clear and concise summary of your research. It generally consists of an outline of your proposed research project, including your main research questions and the methods you intend to use.

You should also comment on the potential impact and importance of your intended research and on how your work would interact with current trends in your academic field. It should illustrate the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of the staff within your chosen department.

Funding options

Apply for a PhD that already has funding attached

These are most common in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine) subjects, but they can sometimes be available for pre-defined research projects in the arts, humanities or social sciences. These may be advertised as fully funded (with fees and a stipend) or competition funded, meaning the projects compete against other projects at each institution.

Self-fund, or search for funding or a studentship

You devise your own PhD topic, find and consult with a potential supervisor, explore funding opportunities, write a research proposal and apply to the relevant programme. Our Postgraduate Scholarships and Funding database lists all available funding.

A limited number of scholarships and studentships may be available to outstanding applicants. For further information, please explore our scholarships and funding database.

If you are applying to an ‘advertised PhD’, please check the details of the specific research project for application deadlines.

If you are submitting your own research proposal, applications are accepted all year round. However, if you wish to start in September, we would encourage you to apply by 1 June. Whilst you are still welcome to apply after this date, it is important to allow time for us to review your application.

If you are seeking funding, please be aware that the majority of funding opportunities have deadlines in early spring so we would encourage you to apply as early as possible.

We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Careers Network

At Birmingham, we prepare our researchers to make an impact across every sector of society. Our PhD graduates are global change-makers: advancing knowledge, shaping policy, leading industries, and educating future generations.

You'll benefit from dedicated careers support tailored to your unique paths. Our expert team of Careers Advisers, including a dedicated postgraduate research adviser, offer one-to-one guidance to help researchers navigate career decisions both within and beyond academia.

Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one to one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters.

We also offer subject specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.