Part-time doctoral study changes the rhythm of research, not simply the number of hours on campus. Explore how the project will fit with your other commitments, which activities have fixed attendance requirements and how supervision will work. Availability, permitted duration and funding depend on the individual programme and award, so begin with the official course instructions.
An interdisciplinary four-year studentship joining two Loke Centre research groups to investigate placental biology, early development or maternal–fetal interactions.
Compare several Computing Science PhD funding schemes for October 2027 entry. Graduate School awards include fees and stipend, while other schemes offer Home-rate fees, partial international discounts or part-time teaching remuneration. These are different packages; a common award amount is not guaranteed.
ESRC doctoral training across multiple social-science pathways, with a three-month Research in Practice placement.
Competitive institutional AHRC funding for original arts and humanities projects, including interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
SGSAH-linked arts and humanities studentships with cohort training, placements and knowledge exchange.
Challenge-led social-science and health doctoral competition with internal interview and nomination before the final DTP submission.
Broad funded-project competition across Ulster faculties, with applicants selecting a project through the PhD Finder.
Open-topic ESRC route spanning medieval to modern economic and social history, including migration, gender, business, environment, war, memory and digital or oral history.
Cohort doctoral training combining AI with design, society, law and governance across public-interest challenges.
As a planning exercise, map the work into reading, data collection, analysis, writing and meetings. Ask which tasks require long uninterrupted periods, travel or access during working hours. Reserve time for learning unfamiliar methods as well as producing results. A timetable that includes only the final research tasks can underestimate the time needed to become ready to do them.
Part-time study can span changes in employment, caring responsibilities and research access. Discuss how the project will remain feasible if its setting changes or a key collaborator leaves. Check the university’s maximum registration period, progress assessments and any award duration separately. Cambridge and Warwick publish their own part-time doctoral durations; neither should be treated as a nationwide promise.
No universal rule follows from a qualification title. Read the programme’s stated study modes and ask whether your particular project can be undertaken part-time. A department may offer the mode while a specific studentship, laboratory schedule or research design imposes additional constraints.
UKRI guidance states that part-time students receive a pro-rated stipend. Requests to change study mode are considered through the provider; the provider does not have to accept every request. These rules describe UKRI-funded studentships, not all university scholarships or employer-sponsored projects.
Do not assume that it can. Meetings, participant access, fieldwork, training and laboratory work may happen at set times. Make a realistic weekly plan with the supervisor. Identify the commitments that can move and those that cannot, then decide whether the arrangement is practical.
Our research guide explains the decisions and links to official university and government guidance. Applications and funding decisions are handled by the offering institution.
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