PhD Educational Research (Independent Study) at Lancaster University

Programme overview

A strong research culture and supportive community are hallmarks of our Educational Research team, making Lancaster an excellent choice to deepen your insight into education and educational research. Develop yourself as a confident, competent researcher and contribute new ideas to this thriving and diverse field. As a PhD researcher, you’ll be welcomed into our community of highly regarded scholars.

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences | Department: School of Social Sciences | Duration: Full time 3 - 4 years, Part time 4 - 7 years | Study mode: full-time / part-time | Location: Lancaster, England, United Kingdom

Career pathways

Completing your PhD offers an opportunity to contribute to the field. Our doctoral community in the department is international and collegial, consisting of researchers who are established in their careers and those who have more recently completed their undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Academic requirements: 2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent). Usually a taught Master's degree, or its equivalent. Additional requirements: As part of your application you will also need to provide a viable research proposal. Guidance for writing a research proposal can be found on our writing a research proposal webpage. English language requirements: We require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in the reading and writing elements and 5.5 in the speaking and listening elements.

Domestic applicants: GBP 5,238 a year (2026/27). Home fee for 2026/27 (UK Research Councils standard fee level, full-time); the following year's fee is not yet set Source

Duration: Full time 3 - 4 years, Part time 4 - 7 years

Apply through the official page: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying-for-postgraduate-study/

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