university of york phd politics

Department of Politics and International Relations

University | A to Z | Departments

• Politics and International Relations

PhD in Politics

• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate taught degrees
• PhD in Politics Distance Learning
• PhD in Environment and Politics
• PhD in Global Development
• Fees and funding
• How to apply
• PhD research proposal
• Training and facilities
• Postgraduate Research studentships
• About our research
• Research - Information for Staff (login required)
• News & events
• Current students
• Careers and Student Employability
• International students
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Wellbeing, welfare and support

PhD details 3 to 4 years full-time 6 years part-time Start date October 2023 January 2024 (semester dates)

Research Research in the department takes place within four clusters: Comparative Politics and Public Policy International Studies Political Economy Political Theory Members of staff participate actively in interdisciplinary research. Examples include: Centre for Applied Human Rights Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies Research Centre for Social Sciences School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Fees 2023/24 UK fees 2023/24 international fees

PhD students benefit from: Dedicated study space Quality research training Teaching opportunities Financial support for conferences and fieldwork Interdisciplinary events

Find out more about some of our current PhD researchers .

Contact us Contact our Graduate Office +44 (0)1904 323542 [email protected]. uk

Apply for this course

The Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of York is at the heart of current thinking, research and debate, and home to a prestigious, lively and international community. Our students and academics are internationally recognized as being at the forefront of research. Our staff are committed to both research of the highest standards and to applying their knowledge to real-world problems. They advise governments and international organisations on a wide range of issues, and regularly contribute to the news media and current affairs programmes throughout the world. Current concentrations of research expertise include the history of political thought, contemporary political theory, comparative politics, public policy, peacebuilding, global development, international security, human rights, international political economy, environmental and gender politics. We welcome PhD   applications in any of these areas.

The focus of your work will be an independent research project. We provide training which will equip you with skills in a wide range of research skills, including qualitative and quantitative research methods, to support your growing expertise. The PhD requires a dissertation of 70,000- 80,000 words or (for the 'thesis by papers' doctorate) a series of papers making an original contribution to your thesis topic.

Postgraduate research provides opportunities to develop your academic, creative and practical skills. You'll work independently in a supportive academic environment where scholarship and creativity go hand-in-hand.

Department of Politics and International Relations University of York , York , YO10 5DD , UK Tel: work +44 (0) 1904 323542 | Fax: fax 01904 323563

Legal statements | Privacy | Cookies | Accessibility © University of York | Modify | Direct Edit

• Skip to Main
• Core Faculty
• Affiliated Faculty
• Ph.D. Students
• Administration
• B.A. in Politics
• B.A. in International Relations
• M.A. Program
• Admissions & Financial Support
• Program Overview
• Dual Degree Program in Juris Doctor (J.D.)
• Job Placement
• Research Workshop
• Admissions FAQ
• Spring 2024
• Visiting Scholar for Professors

Ph.D. Program

Ph.d. program in politics.

The Ph.D. program in Politics is an intellectually vibrant home for students interested in pursuing academic careers focused on the analytically rigorous study of politics. The program offers a wide range of opportunities to learn from and work with leading scholars in American Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Economy, International Relations, Political Theory, and Methodology, through substantive and methods seminars, research workshops, closely supervised research projects, and scholarly collaborations that often extend well past the end of graduate training.

Our program is unusual in its international diversity. Almost 70% of our current students come from places outside the U.S., including from countries as far-flung as Benin, Korea, Chile, China, Mexico, Russia, and Italy – just to take some examples.

Our job placement record is one of the most successful in the discipline. Recent placements include tenure-track appointments at Stanford, University of Chicago, University of Rochester, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Southern California, UCSD, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, ITAM, Texas 2 A&M, Emory, Vanderbilt and other leading research universities, and postdoctoral appointments at Princeton, LSE, the Harris School, UCSD, IAS-Toulouse, and others.

This Handbook , which was put together with invaluable help from our Ph.D. program staff, lays out some details of the expectations and requirements of the program and provides a guide for students and faculty to various logistical details related to the doctoral training in the Department.

Gwyneth McClendon Associate Professor of Politics Director of Graduate Studies

For Students and Faculty

The program is summarized by the Politics Doctoral Program Handbook . The Spring 2024 Course Schedule has now been published. Additional information for current students and faculty, including the workshop sign-up sheet and forms, can be found on the Ph.D. program Google site .

Contact Information

• Admissions and Financial Support
• Dual Degree Program in Juris Doctor

Useful Links

• Apply to the Program
• Application Requirements
• Fellowship and Grant Opportunities
• Diversity at NYU
• Visiting Scholar Research Affiliation

Our cookies

We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on PGS, to make sure the PGS ads you see on other sites are relevant , and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can’t be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by click on “Accept” below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies .You can manage your preferences now or at any time.

Privacy overview

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

Functional cookies

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

Performance cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

Marketing cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

PhD in Politics

University of york, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Course type.

The Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of York is at the heart of current thinking, research and debate, and home to a prestigious, lively and international community. Our students and academics are internationally recognized as being at the forefront of research. Our staff are committed to both research of the highest standards and to applying their knowledge to real-world problems. They advise governments and international organisations on a wide range of issues, and regularly contribute to the news media and current affairs programmes throughout the world. Current concentrations of research expertise include the history of political thought, contemporary political theory, comparative politics, public policy, peacebuilding, global development, international security, human rights, international political economy, environmental and gender politics. We welcome PhD applications in any of these areas.

The focus of your work will be an independent research project. We provide training which will equip you with skills in a wide range of research skills, including qualitative and quantitative research methods, to support your growing expertise. The PhD requires a dissertation of 70,000- 80,000 words or (for the 'thesis by papers' doctorate) a series of papers making an original contribution to your thesis topic.

Postgraduate research provides opportunities to develop your academic, creative and practical skills. You'll work independently in a supportive academic environment where scholarship and creativity go hand-in-hand.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

Typically you’ll need at least the equivalent to a UK upper second-class (2:1) honours degree and, in some cases, a Masters degree. Actual requirements vary by course.

PhD Postgraduate Research in Politics

University of east anglia uea, mres postgraduate research in politics, msc politics of the middle east, soas university of london, msc politics of asia, ma religion in global politics.

Welcome to the Department of Politics

Politics plays a part in almost every aspect of our lives, from the courtroom to the boardroom to the living room. Politics is not only about power and authority, but also about holding those in power accountable, exercising democratic rights and engaging in active citizenship.

Our program is relevant, dynamic and applicable in today’s world. Our location in one of the fastest growing and most diverse places in the globe enriches our unique learning environment, which combines scholarly work and hands-on experience. You’ll learn alongside a diversity of students with a wealth of experiences and world views.

Join our vibrant, internationally recognized community of educators, scholars, practitioners, activists and engaged citizens. Our instructors are leading in several research frontiers, offering the kind of depth and breadth few departments in the world can match. You’ll see them frequently in the public sphere and media, contributing to current debates. 

Quick Links

• Disruption Operations
• Our Faculty
• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs
• LA&PS Colleges
• Centre for Indigenous Student Services
• Student Counselling, Health and Well-being

Read our  Land Acknowledgment , which recognizes the unique and enduring relationship of Indigenous people and their traditional territory.

Studying politics is all about bringing the operation of power into the light. From a host of different perspectives our courses in the Department of Politics examine how social power is wielded, by whom, and for whose benefit, whether that be at the level of the state, civil society organizations, social movements, or people in their communities. If you think the study of politics is limited to elections, politicians, and government actions you’ll be in for a surprise in joining us in the York Department of Politics. In addition to these topics our large department of 45 full time faculty members offer courses on the politics of social inequality, capitalism, racialization, gender, the global south, indigeneity, and much more. With more than 150 undergraduate courses offered every year our programs in political science and global politics allow students to follow their interests while gaining relevant skills and experience that will help them both get a job and change the world. And we try to have some fun while doing it. 

— Dennis Pilon Chair, Department of Politics

December 9, 2021 87- year-old Sri Lankan-born teacher completes master's degree with research focus close to her heart - war and peace

December 8, 2021 Socialist Register 2021: Beyond Digital Capitalism: New Ways of Living

December 7, 2021 New book focuses on the Quilombolas of Brazil

Connect with the Department of Politics

• Home »
• University of York »
• PhD in Politics

find your perfect postgrad program Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

University of york: phd in politics.

Our PhD programmes allow students to explore an area of academic interest in substantial detail. The programmes are undertaken over three years, with a progression point at the end of year 1 and year 2. Throughout this time your supervisor(s) will guide you through the process of clarifying and completing your doctoral thesis. In addition, during the first year a range of subject-specific research training modules are available to support you through the exploratory phase.

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

Part-time, 6 years.

Not what you are looking for?

Scholarship Opportunity with Postgrad.com

Are you a PG student at this University or have you applied to study a postgraduate program at a university in Europe? Tell us your plans and qualify for a £500.00 PGS Scholarship.

Exclusive bursaries Open day alerts Funding advice Application tips Latest PG news

Sign up now!

Take 2 minutes to sign up to PGS student services and reap the benefits…

• The chance to apply for one of our 5 PGS Bursaries worth £2,000 each
• Fantastic scholarship updates
• Latest PG news sent directly to you.

Philosophy, Politics and Economics PhD The University of York

• On campus - h Main Site
• Apr 1, 2025 Full-time - 3 years
• Oct 1, 2024 Full-time - 3 years
• Jan 1, 2025 Full-time - 2 years
• Jul 1, 2025 Full-time - 3 years
• Jul 1, 2025 Full-time - 2 years
• Jan 1, 2025 Full-time - 3 years
• Apr 1, 2025 Full-time - 2 years
• Oct 1, 2024 Full-time - 2 years

Key Course Facts

• Admission advice for international students

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews for 20 graduates of Philosophy, Politics and Economics PhD at The University of York for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Business and Management (Non-Specific).

Salary of Graduates in Business and Management

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Business and Management (Non-Specific) at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students .

Course Description

As a research student within the School, you are affiliated to the department of your main supervisor, and will have access to the facilities and teaching opportunities from that department. You will usually follow a programme of study offered by your home department, in agreement with your supervisor. You will also normally (but not necessarily) have a 2nd supervisor in 1 of the other departments, depending on the interdisciplinary nature of your research. In addition, you can take modules from the other departments, as appropriate for your individual training needs and the needs of your project.

Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations through the Accredited degree accelerated route.

Accredited by the Association of International Accountants (AIA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

What graduates are doing after 15 months

Current jobs, job in line with future plans, utilise skills from studies, work is meaningful, required skill level of job after 15 months, % skilled jobs, jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation).

Example below based on all graduates of Philosophy, Politics and Economics PhD at The University of York

Grading & Study Time

Assessment methods, study time distribution, grading distribution.

Students of the course received the following grades

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Ucas tariff of accepted students for this course, requirements for international students / english requirements.

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

• Graduate Degrees
• Undergraduate Degrees

UCAS International Information

Ucas sponsorship information, tuition fees philosophy, politics and economics phd, additional fee information, average student cost of living in the uk.

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

University Rankings

Positions of the university of york in top uk and global rankings., about the university of york.

The University of York, usually abbreviated to Ebor, is a collegiate research university based in the historic and picturesque city of York, England. It has two main campuses, East and West, which are just a few minute’s walking distance apart. It also has another site known as King’s Manor just North-West of the city centre.

List of 287 Bachelor and Master Courses from The University of York - Course Catalogue

Student composition of The University of York

Where is this programme taught.

Similar courses

Advertisement

Johnson Calls to End Pro-Palestinian Protests, Including by Military Means

The Republican speaker appeared on Columbia University’s campus to condemn protesters as antisemitic and urge stronger action by the school’s president and President Biden.

• Share full article

Johnson Condemns Pro-Palestinian Protests at Columbia University

House speaker mike johnson delivered brief remarks at columbia university on wednesday, demanding white house action and invoking the possibility of bringing in the national guard to quell the pro-palestinian protests. students interrupted his speech with jeers..

“A growing number of students have chanted in support of terrorists. They have chased down Jewish students. They have mocked them and reviled them. They have shouted racial epithets. They have screamed at those who bear the Star of David.” [Crowd chanting] “We can’t hear you.” [clapping] We can’t hear you.” “Enjoy your free speech. My message to the students inside the encampment is get — go back to class and stop the nonsense. My intention is to call President Biden after we leave here and share with him what we have seen with our own two eyes and demand that he take action. There is executive authority that would be appropriate. If this is not contained quickly, and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there is an appropriate time for the National Guard. We have to bring order to these campuses. We cannot allow this to happen around the country.”

By Annie Karni

• April 24, 2024 Updated 7:32 p.m. ET

Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday said President Biden should take action, including potentially sending in the National Guard, to quell pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and on other campuses across the country that he said had grown violent and antisemitic.

“There is executive authority that would be appropriate,” Mr. Johnson said during a news conference on the steps of Columbia’s Low Library, where he was booed and heckled by some onlookers. “If these threats are not stopped, there is an appropriate time for the National Guard. We have to bring order to these campuses.”

A number of hard-right Republican lawmakers, including Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, have recently called for troops to be sent in to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Mr. Cotton did the same in 2020 when he said military force should be used to put down riots across the country amid the civil unrest that followed the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by the police in Minneapolis.

The United States has a grim history of employing the military to quell campus protests. In 1970, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on antiwar protesters at Kent State University , killing four students and wounding nine others.

Organizers of many of the campus groups leading protests around the country have said they denounce violence and antisemitism. But as tensions have risen in recent days, some demonstrators have used anti-Jewish and anti-Israel slurs and other threatening language, and some have expressed sympathy for Hamas. In one instance, a masked protester shouted, “We are Hamas. We’re all Hamas.” And according to the campus Chabad at Columbia, Jewish students have been verbally harassed with calls to “go back to Europe" and “stop killing children.”

Jewish students on many campuses have reported feeling unsafe, while many pro-Palestinian protesters have said they are being lumped with threatening actors in an attempt to silence them.

Mr. Johnson, who is battling a rebellion on his right, is the latest Republican to insert himself into the increasingly tense cultural moment unfolding on university campuses in response to the Israel-Gaza war in efforts to reap political advantage. Republicans have tried to use the conflict, which is dividing progressives and posing a political problem for Mr. Biden, to put the academic left on the spot and position themselves as the party more steadfast in its support for Israel and concerned with the safety of Jews.

Mr. Johnson’s visit to campus came days after the House approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan , a move that put Mr. Johnson’s job on the line as the hard right, opposed to backing Kyiv, revolted over the spending package.

On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson, who met with Jewish students privately before his news conference, appeared to be looking for an opportunity to reclaim some conservative credibility and spotlight an issue that unites his party. He said that Dr. Nemat Shafik, the university president whom he also met with briefly, should resign if she cannot immediately get the situation under control. He called her a “very weak and inept leader.”

And he accused progressives of stoking antisemitism in America.

“Powerful people have refused to condemn it, and some have even peddled it themselves,” he said. Mr. Johnson said that Congress needed to “revoke federal funding to these universities if they can’t keep control.”

Mr. Johnson’s brief remarks were interrupted by jeers from students, including one who called him “racist.”

“Don’t lie about what’s going on on campus!” another shouted at him.

A large crowd assembled as Mr. Johnson spoke, building to hundreds and at one point breaking into chant of “Free, Free Palestine!”

Mr. Johnson, looking perturbed by the interruptions, coolly responded: “Enjoy your free speech.”

He said he was there “to proclaim to all of those who gnash their teeth and demand to wipe the state of Israel off the map, and attack our innocent Jewish students, this simple truth: Neither Israel, nor these Jewish students on campus, will ever stand alone.”

The mounting unrest on campuses has splintered Democrats who were already divided over the conflict, with many on the left expressing sympathy with the pro-Palestinian protests, which include some Jews. Others in the party voice concern for Jewish students experiencing a hostile environment at their schools.

A group of House Democrats including Representatives Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Dan Goldman of New York, Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Kathy Manning of North Carolina toured the Columbia campus with Jewish students earlier this week and called on the university to take stronger action to protect them.

But Mr. Goldman also cautioned against calling for Dr. Shafik’s immediate resignation.

“It is very easy and very politically expedient to simply call for the resignation of anyone who does not do exactly right in every situation,” he told reporters.

Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota — whose daughter, a Barnard College student, was suspended last week for her involvement in a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia — appeared on Tuesday at the University of Minnesota to praise pro-Palestinian protesters there.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, called the protests at Columbia “peaceful” and denounced a decision by the university administration last week to call in the New York City police to arrest more than 100 student protesters who had organized the encampment on a school lawn and refused to leave.

The administration’s move came a day after Dr. Shafik assured Congress during a heated hearing that Columbia was committed to taking serious action against antisemitism on campus, including by suspending students and disciplining certain faculty members.

But the extraordinary step did not quell the calls from the right for her resignation. And it only enraged the students involved in the protests.

Some Columbia faculty members have called the university’s action an “unprecedented assault on student rights.”

Mr. Johnson on Wednesday said he had a simple message for the students involved in the pro-Palestinian protests: “Go back to class, and stop the nonsense,” he said. “Stop wasting your parents’ money.”

Liset Cruz contributed reporting.

Annie Karni is a congressional correspondent for The Times. She writes features and profiles, with a recent focus on House Republican leadership. More about Annie Karni