Entry requirements

An Honours degree at 2:1 or higher and a relevant Master's degree.

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

* IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum 5.5 in each component or equivalent

For more information check out our international entry requirements on our BU website

Months of entry

January, April, September

Course content

In the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, we conduct research in areas such as healthcare, midwifery, nursing, leadership or dementia, as well as radiography and medical imaging, nutrition, exercise, the social sciences, humanisation and social work.

We collaborate with colleagues from other faculties to draw on their expertise when needed and we work closely with BU's research institutes and centres, such as the Ageing & Dementia Research Centre, the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health, the National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work, the Nursing for Long Term Health Research Centre and the Institute of Medical Imaging & Visualisation, among others. We strongly encourage collaboration across specialisms, and a PhD provides an opportunity to work with supervisors from various backgrounds to deliver truly impactful research.

You will also be part of BU’s research community and have access to the suite of research, professional and personal training offered through the Doctoral College and your academic faculty.

Optional units to support learning: During your PhD you can make use of opportunities to undertake some of our MSc Health Research course units. These units have been designed to provide support developing the skills required to carry-out a research project. Content will be tailored to your research and activities can help towards developing your PhD project. Find out more in the 'Course details' section below.

Book onto a Postgraduate Open Day to meet us and find out more.

Department specialisms

Medical Sciences, Midwifery, Nursing, Nutrition, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Sport & Exercise Therapy, Radiography and Medical Imaging, Social Science, Leadership and Dementia, Humanisation and Social Work.

Information for international students

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

* IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum 5.5 in each component or equivalent

For more information check out our international entry requirements on our BU website

Fees and funding

UK students

£4,712

International students

£19,000 - £21,000

Government Doctoral Loans of up to £27,265 for 2021/22 entry are available for students from England who are looking to study a PhD or equivalent postgraduate research programme.

Eligibility criteria:

You can get the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan if all of the following apply:

you’re a UK national, or have EU settled status or indefinite leave to remain, so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay
you normally live in England, and did not move there just to study
you’ll have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years before starting your course

You may also be eligible if you’re an EU national and both the following apply:

you’ve normally lived in the European Economic Area or Switzerland for the past 3 years (this is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’)
you’ll be studying at a university in England

You could also be eligible if you’re:

the child of a Swiss national
an EEA or Swiss migrant worker, or a relative of one
the child of a Turkish worker
a refugee or a relative of one
staying in the UK as a stateless person or relative of one
under humanitarian protection or a relative of someone who has been granted it
18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years or at least half your life
under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years
granted indefinite leave to remain following the Calais camp clearance in 2016 (known as 'Calais leave')
the child of someone with Calais leave.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

Hons Degree 2:1 or above
part time
48-84 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
full time
36-60 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification