PhD Social Work (4 years)

See full guidance on how to choose a project and submit an application on our websi te . You should then complete the online admissions application form to apply for this programme. Ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, or this may delay the processing of your application.

Application deadlines

You must submit your application for a postgraduate research programme before the relevant deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these deadlines have passed.

• January entry: 15 October (of the year prior entry)
• April entry: 15 January (year of entry)
• September entry: 15 June (year of entry)

• a research proposal (see below for more details);
• personal statement (see below for more details);
• evidence of assurances about study leave where appropriate;
• formal confirmation of funding status, e.g. a letter from your sponsor or documentary evidence of your ability to meet all fees and living costs;
• a current CV;
• transcripts of your academic qualifications, including the marks obtained for individual modules, as well as the overall grade.

We are not able to process applications until we receive the required documentation.

About the research proposal

Your proposal should be 2,500 words (+/- 10%) long and include the following sections.

• Title.
• Background (previous research in the area and own interest in the topic).
• Research problem and study aims/research questions.
• Relevance of the proposed study to Manchester's research priorities and strengths in midwifery.
• Proposed study design, with justification for choice.
• Overview of proposed data collection methods and analysis techniques, with justification for choice.
• Unique contribution of the study to knowledge (what new knowledge might your study provide).
• Brief consideration of practical and ethical issues.
• References (these are not included in the word limit).

About the personal statement  

Your personal statement should be approx. 1,000 words in length and must provide details on your:

• career development to date and why you wish to apply for PhD study;
• future career plans;
• research experience (emphasis on best project);
• research interests (area and methods);
• other supporting information: recent publications if any (indicate best publication) or other research training and experience.

Our PhD/MPhil Social Work programme enables you to undertake a research project that will improve understanding of Social Work.

This postgraduate research programme in social work gives you the opportunity to work with internationally renowned scholars engaged in innovative research that will make a difference in people's lives and in health and social care.

We particularly welcome students from all health and social care disciplines who have an interest in exploring related subject areas.

4-year PhD (full time and full time distance learning options only)

This is a four year PhD programme for students who:

• have not previously studied research methods
• have studied research methods but not in the UK
• have limited English language skills
• have not completed a master's degree.

In this programme, the first year is a foundation year designed to prepare you for the following three years of the PhD programme.

This will include completing taught research methods units from our MRes in Health & Social Care , developing a research proposal with your supervision team and English language tuition (if English is not your first language).

We also offer a standard three year PhD programme (as well as MPhil ) for students who do not need to do the foundation year.

Training and development

All of our postgraduate researchers attend the Doctoral Academy Training Programme delivered by the Researcher Development team . The programme provides key transferable skills and equips our postgraduate researchers with the tools to progress beyond their research degree into influential positions within academia, industry and consultancy. The emphasis is on enhancing skills critical to developing early-stage researchers and professionals, whether they relate to effective communication, disseminating research findings and project management skills.

Students must submit work at specific stages, review their progress, identify their learning and development needs, and meet with their supervisors throughout their course. Some meetings and evaluations are informal, while others are formal and documented.

4-year PhD  

In order to complete the foundation year and progress to year 2 all students must pass 4 MRes units with a mark of 50% or higher. Students will also write a proposal of about 2,000-2,500 words that will provide a platform for an end of year 1 meeting with supervisors and advisor; this is not formally assessed. Students will also be expected to complete English language tuition as required.

You will submit a continuation report at the end of 23 months. This will summarise your knowledge and skills in your topic of study and your ability to apply this to produce a robust research plan to complete your study. It is examined by two external examiners by a viva examination, and must be passed to progress to Year 3.

At the end of Year 3, you will submit a progress report via eProg for assessment by the supervisors and postgraduate research tutor. At the end of Year 4, the PhD thesis will be examined by an internal and external examiner.

The wider facilities of the University are of an excellent standard, with one of the best library collections and resources in Europe.