Foreign Policy, Defence and Security Studies

Award Award	Duration Duration	Start dates Start dates	Application Application
PhD (MPhil also available) PhD (MPhil also available)	Full-time: 2–4 years Part-time: 3–8 years Full-time: 2–4 years Part-time: 3–8 years	October October	January to March January to March

POLIS staff have an international reputation for producing world-leading research on key contemporary challenges in foreign policy, defence and security. Research outputs include work on leadership, decision-making, defence capabilities, security governance, threat perception, counter-terrorism, conflict resolution, disinformation and security competition. Notably, they have expertise in a range of national, regional and international contexts, including, the UK, EU, Russia, Iran, China, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

POLIS staff are keen to undertake supervision that has theoretical and practical importance. They have received funding for practical research on intelligence accountability and the PREVENT programme and adopt a range of approaches to the subject, from conventional historical analysis to critical and gendered perspectives.

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

We welcome enquiries about PhD study in the broad field of democratic politics, including:

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £5,006 per year Full-time: £5,006 per year	Full-time: £12,705 per year Full-time: £12,705 per year
Part-time: £2,503 per year Part-time: £2,503 per year	Part-time: £6,353 per year Part-time: £6,353 per year

Research students can apply for funding via the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership with Oxford and Brunel, or the Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP in collaboration with Oxford and Cambridge universities. The Citizenship Studies pathway of the Grand Union DTP is hosted within the Department. Alternatively, many of our students are self-funded.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

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