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What is a PhD studentship?

What is a PhD studentship

A PhD or a Doctorate of Philosophy is the highest level of qualification in higher education and it’s awarded to a student who completes independent research over the course of 3 years (full time), which is approved by submission of a thesis and viva at the end of the PhD.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), just over 36,000 people enrolled on a PhD programme in the 2020/2021 academic year, and if you are one of the many thousands looking to apply in a forthcoming academic year, then understanding the funding and application process of the PhD is crucial. Here, we explore the PhD studentship, how it differs from other PhDs and some advice for making an application to a studentship.

Is a PhD studentship the same as a PhD?

Ordinarily, a PhD idea is developed by the candidate with approval from a supervisor; this requires the candidate to take the lead in creating their doctoral research proposal, finding the right supervisor and then applying through the admissions process for a PhD at that university. Funding might be available through the university or others in the form of scholarships or bursaries but is not typically attached to the PhD itself (note, a scholarship is typically awarded to the individual based on their scholarly or academic merit and are sometimes available to support particular groups of the population to do a PhD).

A PhD studentship, however, is different for several reasons.  Firstly, there is financial support attached to a particular PhD project. This typically covers fees (a minimum of £4596 per year in the 21/22 academic year on a UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) funded studentship), a ‘stipend’ (or maintenance allowance, a minimum of circa £16,000 per year on a UKRI studentship and possibly more if you’re based in London) and sometimes there is additional support for other activities, which might include, for example, attending conferences or training to support your PhD research.

Another key feature of a studentship is that they will include a specific project as part of that PhD or they will have specific themes under which PhD proposals should be developed (this is often the case when you are applying to a PhD on a Centre for Doctoral Training or Doctoral Training Pathway; there’s more on that below). The PhD with a studentship is driven by the priorities of the funder. Do remember also, that a studentship may be part of a larger grant, which means you will be researching a specific area which is also part of a wider project, working alongside your supervisor, potentially other PhDs and post-docs, depending on the size of the group/grant.

Support for this type of PhD comes from several funders; however, the largest single provider of studentships is UKRI, through one of its 7 Research Councils which cover separate thematic areas from medical research to arts and humanities)  Of the 105,000 doctoral students in the UK, around 1 in 5 of these are funded by UKRI and its research councils.  This funding is commonly referred to as a PhD Studentship. Charities, universities, companies or other industry representatives, are also funders who may provide studentships.

It’s important to note that funding is attributed to universities or a partnership of universities and industry, commonly known as ‘Centres for Doctoral Training’ (CDT) or ‘Doctoral Training Pathways’ (DTP), which means that applications for PhD Studentships are made directly to universities, a CDT or a DTP advertising the studentship which may have a centralised application process (i.e. not through a university).

In summary, a PhD studentship:

  1. is funded (fees, maintenance grants and often more), most commonly by UKRI
  2. is likely to have a specific project attached to it or have a theme under which proposals should be written
  3. may have a different application process than applying for a PhD without a studentship

How do you get a PhD studentship?

PhD studentships are very competitive.  They require excellent academic achievements and often have specific eligibility criteria.  There will be a lot for prospective studentship candidates to research, so it’s important that you start this process as early as possible.  Here are some tips to get you started:

  • When preparing for any PhD application, you need to be very clear on your area of research interest. You’ll be encouraged to try to be specific about what you’re interested in, and where you deem current gaps in the research to be – after all a PhD is about novel research.  Yet, when applying for studentships in particular, a degree of flexibility might be required; remember the project idea will already be written, so you’ll need to think about how your research interests align and can be adapted towards a particular studentship.
  • One helpful way to better understand studentships and their application processes is to speak to a current PhD studentship holder. If you’re currently studying for a bachelor’s or a master’s at a university with PhD studentships in place, then reaching out to them, is a great way to get to know more about studentships.
  • Think about who else can help you too; if you are based in a university whilst applying for a PhD, speak with your personal tutor about your plans (of course, this is especially helpful if they are connected to the area you wish to research).
  • Useful places to start looking for advertised PhD Studentships include, FindaPhD,com [www.findaphd.com], , jobs.ac.uk {https://www.jobs.ac.uk/phd] and individual university websites.
  • If you’re applying to a CDT or DTP, there is likely to be a centralised application process, however, this varies widely and it’s very important that you fully research and understand the application instructions for any given studentship.
  • Often the advert will include details of a particular person (an academic/a programme manager). If you have specific questions in mind, then why not use the opportunity to make contact and learn more about the studentship before writing your application?
  • PhD studentship applications will often ask for a CV (or academic/employment history), a personal statement or covering letter demonstrating your suitability for the specific project, academic transcripts and 2 academic references. Make an appointment with the careers service at your current university so they can review your application documents.

The following resources contain useful advice and information about making a PhD application:

  • 7 top tips when applying for a PhD is a really thorough guide to making a PhD application
  • Listen to Mohammed on the Careers in Your Ears podcast on how he approached choosing which PhD to do and tips for applying
  • How and when to apply for a doctorate

Share this article

Vicki Tipton

Vicki Tipton, Careers Consultant for Researchers
Vicki works specifically with PGR students and post-doctoral staff at King’s College London where she offers specialist, impartial and confidential careers guidance, bespoke workshops and also produces Careers in Your Ears, a podcast for researchers reflecting on their careers. Before joining the Careers & Employability team at King’s, Vicki worked at Queen Mary, University of London, where she worked as a Careers Consultant with PhD students amongst other cohorts. Her previous career focussed on the research and design of education & skills projects, creating partnerships between the UK and South East Europe for the British Council.

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