Health Research

PhD

  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Full time 3 - 4 years, Part time 4 - 7 years
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Overview

Applications are welcomed for PhD study, full-time (three years) or part-time (four to seven years), in any of our main research areas. These include ageing, dementia, health economics, mental health, organisation and health, palliative care, and inequalities in health.

As a research student, you will be directly involved in the research of Lancaster University’s Division of Health Research. You will receive specialised supervision and research training relevant to your research topic and methodology from world leading, research-active supervisors. You will enjoy the autonomy to pursue an independent research project whilst acquiring a substantial body of knowledge, placing yourself at the forefront of an academic discipline.

You will be encouraged to take part in a range of generic courses to introduce you to research methods but also choose courses which you identify as particularly relevant to your studies.

You will also be encouraged to attend and present at conferences both within the UK and overseas; recent students have attended conferences in the USA and Australia as well as mainland Europe.

We particularly encourage applications from students wishing to pursue Doctoral Fellowship applications from a variety of UK funders.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements are normally an upper second class honours degree (UK 2:1 or equivalent) or a good UK Master's or equivalent in an appropriate subject. Degrees should include a research methods module and a dissertation.

We may also consider non-standard applicants, please contact us for information.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional Requirements

As part of your application you will also need to provide a viable research proposal. Guidance can be found on our writing a research proposal webpage.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Fees and funding

The tuition fee for students with home fee status is set in line with the standard fee stipend provided by the UK Research Councils. The fee stipend for 2025/26 has not been set. For reference the fee stipend for 2024/25 was full-time £4,786, part-time £2,393.

The international fee for new entrants in 2025/26 is full-time £27,150, part-time £13,570.

Depending on the nature of the research project, an additional programme cost may be charged. This additional fee will contribute towards the costs incurred on specific research projects. These costs could include purchasing specialist consumables, equipment access charges, fieldwork expenses and payments for transcription/translation services. Normally any additional charge will not exceed a maximum of £9,720 but this could be increased in exceptional circumstances.

Applicants will be notified of any specific additional programme cost when the offer of a place is made.

General fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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