- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Duration
- 3 or 4 years depending on point of entry
- Entry requirements
-
- Bachelor's (Honours) degree in Social Anthropology or a cognate subject with an overall average of 2:1 (UK 60%) or above (or overseas equivalent); and/or
- Master's degree in Social Anthropology or a relevant subject with a minimum of 65% in the dissertation and overall grade, with no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent);
- Candidates with only an Undergraduate degree will normally be considered for the 1+3 Programme (integrated MA in Anthropological Research + PhD) and those with a Master’s degree for the +3 (PhD only) Programme of study;
- Normally applicants will hold one or both degrees in Social Anthropology.
- How to apply
-
Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.
Application Deadlines
For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 1 December 2024.
If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.
- For September 2025 entry: 30 June 2025
Programme options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | Y | Y | N | N |
Programme overview
- Examine human behaviour and relationships under expert research supervision.
- Join a lively PhD community of students working in all of the world's continents and on a variety of topics.
- Work closely with an expert supervisor, with further guidance from at least one extra supervisor.
Open days
Our virtual week took place October 2024 – to find out about future sessions to explore postgraduate research opportunities across the university, please visit our study fairs and events page.
To stay up-to-date with future events and recorded sessions in the Faculty of Humanities, please join our postgraduate research email update list .
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
PhD (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £5,006
International, including EU, students (per annum): £22,000 -
PhD (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £2,503
International, including EU, students (per annum): £11,000
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
Scholarships/sponsorships
There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards available to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.
To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Social Sciences studentships is 1 December 2024.
All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting your funding application and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.
You will need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor for a number of our scholarships. Therefore, we highly recommend you discuss these funding opportunities with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and ensure you meet nomination deadlines.
For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.
- ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships 2025 Entry
- School of Social Sciences PhD Studentships 2025 Entry
- China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2025 Entry
- Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2025 Entry
- PhD Studentship with the Stuart Hall Foundation (Social Sciences) 2025 Entry
- Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
- Future of the Academy PhD Studentship (Politics) 2025 Entry
- Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States) - Competition Closed for 2025 Entry
- President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards 2025 Entry
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- Humanities Doctoral Academy Admissions
- Telephone
- +44(0)161 275 1200 OPTION 1
- hums.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/
- School/Faculty
-
See: School Subjects
Programmes in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.