PhD Architecture

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 .

Apply online

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 19 January 2026.

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 deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after this date has passed.

• For September 2026 entry: 30 June 2026

Before you start your application, you must:

1. Develop your own research proposal and project title.
2. Find a supervisor by browsing our academics' profiles . We strongly encourage you to confirm that your chosen supervisor’s interests align with your proposed research and that they are willing to support your project.
3. Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor.

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents:

• A 1,500 word  PhD research proposal. Times New Roman, Font 12 (exclusive of references). Please state the word count on page 1 of the document. If over length, the submission will be returned to you.
• A copy of your Bachelor's academic transcript and certificate.
• A copy of your Master's academic transcript and certificate. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript.
• If you have completed more than one Bachelor's or Master's degree, please provide evidence for each. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, you must provide an official English translation. If your weighted average mark or GPA is not included on these documents, please also include an official document from your university verifying this information.
• An up-to-date academic CV summarising your academic record, employment history, publications and highlighting experience demonstrating your research potential.
• The names of two academic referees, including one from your most recent institution. Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following the submission of your application form. You may wish to notify your referees to submit their references promptly, as this is part of the review process.
• A certificate or evidence demonstrating your English language ability and proficiency. Applications can be considered without this evidence but any offer would be conditional on meeting minimum requirements.

PhD Architecture is based within the Manchester Architecture Research Group (MARG) , and looks beyond formal design to the complex processes and practices that run through the conception, representation, and use of built environments.

We traverse the disciplinary boundaries of architecture, the humanities, and social sciences to engage with new transdisciplinary fields of architectural research, create new methodological approaches of architectural studies, and craft new conceptual languages to inform and influence architectural policy.

Sitting within the School of Environment, Education and Development, and the Manchester Urban Institute, allows us to benefit from synergies with Education, Geography, Global Development and Planning, Property and Environmental Management, and several other disciplines.

Through these connections, we have developed a distinctive expertise based on conceptual development and experimentation, methodological rigour, empirical attention, and a hands-on study of architectural practice, history and theory across various scales.

We have specialist and research-active staff who provide a rich and stimulating environment for everyone. Colleagues have strong links with the architecture community in Manchester, nationally and internationally.

Although we welcome applications on any subject, we are particularly keen to receive research proposals on topics including:

• architecture, art, media and events;
• architecture and climate; material and energy transition;
• architecture and the implications of an aging society;
• architectural curation and exhibitions;
• British Empire and postcolonial histories;
• design studies, techniques and media;
• environmental histories and environmental justice;
• everyday use and users;
• history of the architectural discipline and profession;
• housing studies;
• institutions of higher education, science and technology;
• political economy of architecture and politics of design;
• social practices and material politics of infrastructure and urbanism;
• urban infrastructure and global transformations.

It is recommended that interested applicants contact potential supervisors in advance in order to develop project proposals.

Our research crosses disciplines to open new areas of architectural research. 

As a PhD candidate in the Manchester School of Architecture , you'll also be part of the School of Environment, Education and Development  (SEED), a unique interdisciplinary collaboration between the disciplines of Architecture, Education, Geography, International Development, and Planning, Property and Environmental Management. 

What unites us is a shared commitment to highlight and address the uneven relationships between societies, economies and the environment. We want to better understand the world in which we live, and to offer solutions to the problems within it. 

We acknowledge that a complex and interconnected world presents many challenges for analysts, but researchers in SEED are pioneering new evidence, measures, concepts and theories to address these challenges in practice. 

SEED's world-leading research is rooted in everyday life but international in relevance and scope, addressing social, economic and environmental concerns across the globe. 

Our PhD and professional doctorate research community, grouped around a range of dynamic Centres and themes, is central to the SEED research agenda across all our disciplines. 

To further this agenda, we need fresh input and clear thinking from a fully engaged, curious, critical, and socially aware PGR community. 

We're not here simply to 'supervise' - we seek to discover and co-produce new knowledge with students as our partners. 

You will become part of a talented, energetic, committed and supportive academic and postgraduate research community.

When you become a postgraduate researcher, you'll join a diverse and vibrant community of doctoral students from nearly 100 different countries, all studying within the Faculty of Humanities.  

You'll be assigned to a specific research grouping that complements your research interests and have access to a variety of interdisciplinary research institutes. 

Our working environments are often spacious and open plan, giving you plenty of opportunities to communicate with colleagues and staff within the School, you will have your own desk space as well as access to our fantastic range of libraries on campus. 

All our academic supervisors are research active and will support you to work on challenging research problems and develop rigorous, creative and original research. You can expect to meet with your supervisor at least once a month to discuss progress on your project. 

As a postgraduate researcher, you'll have access to a large and diverse community of internationally-recognised academic experts offering an environment that will stimulate intellectual debate and development. 

We provide additional financial support for activities related to your PhD, including: 

• presenting at international conferences;
• attending workshops that provide relevant professional opportunities;
• conducting fieldwork in the UK and overseas.

Discover what it's really like to conduct postgraduate research at The University of Manchester on our student spotlights page.

The University of Manchester Library

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

As a postgraduate researcher, you'll have access to a dedicated researcher development training to support your professional development throughout your PhD journey and beyond.

Our Researcher Development Programme will enable you to become more aware of your developing researcher identity, equipping you with the skills you need during your PhD and prepare you to integrate into the researcher community.

At every stage of your career, you'll receive relevant, effective and comprehensive professional development opportunities.

methods@manchester , meanwhile, is an initiative that gives you the chance to learn from the very best in research methods expertise at Manchester and beyond. Regular talks, workshops and other methods-related events are organised throughout the academic year, bringing in experts from across the University and externally.

Finally, taking a placement provides a great opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange and to develop professional networking opportunities for your future career development.

We have established Postgraduate Researcher Exchange programmes with a small number of institutions around the world, offering you the opportunity to visit another institution, access research resources and experience another academic culture as well as build professional networks.

Successful applicants will receive some funding towards travel expenses, accommodation, subsistence, education materials and/or other education-related costs for anything from two weeks to a three-month visit.

Careers support

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .