Health in Social Science PhD Level: Postgraduate research Subject: Health Year of entry: 2026 Study options Full-time PhD | 3 years | Start date: multiple dates Part-time PhD | 6 years | Start date: multiple dates Key facts School School of Health in Social Science College College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Programme website Health in Social Science PhD PhD by Distance Available School location Central Area Apply now 19 to 21 November 2025: Postgraduate Virtual Open Days Join us live to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply. Register now Overview About the degree programme A PhD in Health in Social Science offers a focus on innovative and cross-disciplinary health and social care research.We welcome projects using a range of research designs and have special interests in qualitative and collaborative research and innovative methods.We are keen to encourage research around the interface between social and cultural aspects of health, and the policy and practice contexts of healthcare delivery. Study options PhD by DistanceThe PhD by Distance is available to suitably qualified applicants in the same areas as our on-campus programmes: Clinical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Health in Social Science and Nursing Studies.The programme allows those who are unable to commit to basing themselves in Edinburgh full time to study for a PhD in a field of Health in Social Science from their home country or city - however this is not intended to be a fully online distance learning programme.If you are enrolled on this programme you will be expected to come to Edinburgh at least once per year of study to meet with your supervisors. The length and timing of these visits are negotiable but you should expect to spend at least two weeks at the University of Edinburgh during each year of study.More information on the Health in Social Science PhD by Distance Applying How to apply To apply for this programme you must submit the following:a completed research proposal form2 referencesan online application formAfter you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant. When to apply The School of Health in Social Science operates a gathered field approach to postgraduate research applications - this means that all complete applications which satisfy our minimum entry requirements will be held until the nearest deadline and an admissions panel will meet to consider all applications received together after that date.The application deadlines and dates for decision are listed below. In order to ensure full consideration of your application we ask that you submit your complete application including all supporting documentation by these dates. More information about what will be considered a complete application and how to apply can be found on our School website:School of Health in Social Science Postgraduate ResearchApplicants planning to apply for the University of Edinburgh's funding opportunities must apply by the first deadline.RoundApplication deadlinePlaces awarded110 November 2025mid-January220 April 2026mid-June Application fee There is no fee to apply to this programme. What you need to apply As part of your online application, you will need to provide: a personal statementrelevant knowledge/training skillsand, if applicable:your research topicdetails of any published workYou will also need to provide some or all of the following supporting information and documents:a research proposalname of supervisor (if known)research project (if applying to an advertised project)copies of your degree certificates and academic transcripts that confirm your current or final marksreferencesevidence you meet the English language requirementscertified translations if your original documents are not in EnglishWhen you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide. Research proposalAll applicants must submit the Health in Social Science research proposal form as part of their application:HISS research proposal form (Word document)Before submitting your application, we strongly recommend that you discuss a draft version of your research proposal form with your proposed supervisor and/or with the Programme Director. You should indicate your proposed supervisor when submitting your application.Read the ‘Discuss and develop your idea’ section in the research proposal guidance document for more information.Read our research proposal guidanceReferencesYour references must be specific to your application, on headed paper, signed by the referee, and dated within the last 6 months. Your references can be uploaded directly by your referee, or you can upload it yourself.Guidance on uploading a reference to the Applicant HubIncomplete applicationsWe must receive all the information before the deadline for your application to be considered.If your online application is not ‘complete’ by the application deadline it will be rejected. If this happens, you can submit another application for a later application deadline. Apply Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for. Select programme - Select a programme -PhD Health in Social Science by Distance (3 years)PhD Health in Social Science (3 years)PhD Health in Social Science by Distance (6 years)PhD Health in Social Science (6 years) After you apply After you apply, we will evaluate your application. If we are able to progress your application beyond the online stage, you will be invited to participate in an interview with your prospective first supervisor. Funding, fees and costs Funding Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:borrowing moneytaking out a loanfamily supportpersonal savingsincome from workemployer sponsorshipscholarshipsExplore sources of funding for postgraduate study Featured fundingHealth and social sciences scholarships and funding Search for other funding opportunities You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.Postgraduate funding opportunities Tuition fees Tuition fees by award and duration Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year. Full-time PhD Health in Social Science by Distance (3 years) tuition fees PhD Health in Social Science (3 years) tuition fees Part-time PhD Health in Social Science by Distance (6 years) tuition fees PhD Health in Social Science (6 years) tuition fees Graduate discount If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.Find out how to receive your graduate discount Costs Accommodation and living costs You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.Living costs include:foodutility billstravel, clothes, books and stationeryrecreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)Living costsAccommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.University postgraduate accommodation options and costs Entry requirements These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026. Qualifications A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject area. International qualifications To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list. Where you studied - Select a country or region -AfghanistanAlbaniaAngolaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCôte d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of CongoDenmarkDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFinlandFranceGabonThe GambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGuatemalaGuineaHaitiHondurasHong Kong-SAR ChinaHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKorea, Republic ofKuwaitLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLithuaniaLuxembourgMacau-SAR ChinaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMauritiusMexicoMoldovaMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlands, TheNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPacific IslandsPakistanPalestinian TerritoriesPanamaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTajikistanTaiwanTanzaniaThailandTogoTrinidad and TobagoTurkeyTurkmenistanUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVenezuelaVietnamWest Indies and CaribbeanZambiaZimbabweMy country or region is not listed English language requirements You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:an English language testa degree that was taught and assessed in Englishcertain professional qualifications English language tests we accept We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher: IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component. Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components. Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 7 in each component. Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 145 in each component. How old your English language tests can be Tests no more than two years oldThe following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:IELTS AcademicTOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)Trinity ISEOxford ELLTOxford Test of English AdvancedTests no more than three and a half years oldAll other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality. Degrees taught and assessed in English We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.UKVI list of majority English speaking countriesWe also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).Approved universities in non-MESCHow old your degree can beIf you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country. Find out more about our English language requirements Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.English language requirements Programme details Research profile Our staff embrace a range of academic disciplines, including:sociologygeographysocial anthropologysocial policyhealthcare studiesFrom these perspectives we examine the overlapping concerns of research, policy and practice in health and social care. Broad themes in our research portfolio within health and social care include:ageingdementiaintellectual disabilitiesdisabilitycarecritical carepainemotionservice improvement Our research community You will be encouraged to take part in the varied activities of our postgraduate research student community, including presenting your work at internal and external conferences and publishing your findings. Find out the aims and structure for each year of study on this programme. Full-time PhD Health in Social Science by Distance (3 years) (2025-2026) PhD Health in Social Science (3 years) (2025-2026) Part-time PhD Health in Social Science by Distance (6 years) (2025-2026) PhD Health in Social Science (6 years) (2025-2026) We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative. Support Our PhD students are supported through regular meetings with two supervisors able to provide expertise in relevant fields of interest.You will have access to the considerable resources available across the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in:research methods trainingprofessional skills developmentseminarsworkshops Facilities The School of Health and Social Sciences is located on the central campus near the Main Library.More about our facilities Careers Careers Service Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. With the Careers Service, you can: access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengthstry different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you developget help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobsattend careers events and practice interviewsget information and advice to help you make informed decisions Visit the Careers Service website Life at Edinburgh Accommodation We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programmeaccept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 Julystudy at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in SeptemberUniversity accommodation websiteAccommodation guarantee criteriaWe also offer accommodation options for couples and families.Accommodation for couples and familiesIf you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place Societies and clubs Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.SocietiesSport Clubs The city of Edinburgh Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. Find out more about living in Edinburgh Exercise, leisure and support facilities Outside of your studies, we offer a range of facilities that you might find useful day-to-day, including:sport and exercise facilitiesUniversity cafes and cateringEdinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) venues and shopsa multi-faith chaplaincy for all faiths and nonea University nursery (based at King’s Buildings campus) Health and wellbeing support You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.The support services we offer include: a student counselling service a health centre (doctor's surgery) support if you're living in University accommodation dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustmentsHealth and wellbeing support services Disability and Learning Support Contact General enquiries Contact our Postgraduate Research Admissions Administrator about your eligibility or how to apply. PGRAdmissions.Health@ed.ac.uk Phone:+44 (0)131 651 5144
