47 PhD programmes offered by the university

The International Studies programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in international relations, global politics, security, political economy, and conflict studies, enabling students to investigate contemporary international issues through original and interdisciplinary research.

The Interpreting programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in interpreting theory, practice, ethics, language mediation, and intercultural communication, enabling students to investigate contemporary interpreting challenges across legal, social, professional, and multilingual settings.

The Finance programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced expertise in financial markets, institutions, investment analysis, and financial decision-making, preparing researchers to investigate contemporary challenges in finance using rigorous analytical and quantitative approaches.

The Pharmacy programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in pharmaceutical sciences, drug delivery, clinical pharmacy, and healthcare innovation, enabling students to address major health challenges through multidisciplinary research that improves patient outcomes and therapeutic practice.

The Irish and Celtic programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in Irish language, literature, history, linguistics, and cultural identity, enabling students to undertake original interdisciplinary research across modern and medieval Irish studies.

The Media and Broadcast programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in media cultures, broadcasting, digital media, communication, and creative practice, enabling students to produce original scholarly or practice-led contributions to contemporary media research.

The Nursing and Midwifery programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced expertise in healthcare research, innovation, and evidence-based practice, preparing researchers to improve health outcomes across the lifespan through the design, evaluation, and implementation of healthcare interventions.

The Electrical Engineering and Computer Science programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced expertise in intelligent technologies, digital communications, cyber-physical systems, and computational innovation, preparing researchers to create solutions for emerging technological and societal challenges.

The Film Studies programme offered by Queen's University Belfast enables doctoral researchers to pursue research through film, screen and media practice, or to investigate historical and broader theoretical issues in film, media and screen cultures. Researchers can follow either a Creative Practice or Critical Practice route.

Undertaking the Aerospace Engineering programme at Queen's University Belfast will enable you to make a real difference, positively impacting your career and through your research improving engineering methods and practice, and ultimately society.

The Mathematics programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in pure and applied mathematics, statistical modelling, data analytics, and operational research, enabling students to make original contributions to mathematical knowledge through rigorous theoretical and computational investigation.

The Cognition and Culture programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced expertise in the cognitive and evolutionary study of cultural phenomena, preparing researchers to investigate cultural transmission, belief systems, social reasoning, and human behaviour through scientific methods and cross-disciplinary perspectives.

The Criminology programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced expertise in the study of crime, harm, justice, and social responses to offending, preparing researchers to generate evidence that informs policy, professional practice, and societal improvement.

The Planning programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in spatial planning, sustainable development, governance, and place-making, enabling students to investigate complex social, environmental, and territorial challenges through interdisciplinary research.

The Social Policy programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in social welfare, inequality, wellbeing, public policy, and social change, enabling students to investigate complex societal challenges through multidisciplinary research with local and global impact.

The Physics programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced expertise in astrophysics, quantum technologies, and light-matter interactions, preparing researchers to investigate fundamental physical phenomena and contribute to scientific discovery through innovative experimental and theoretical research.

The Lusophone programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced research expertise in the cultures, literatures, histories, and societies of the Portuguese-speaking world, enabling students to undertake original interdisciplinary research focused on Brazil, Portuguese-speaking Africa, and related transnational contexts.

The Psychology programme offered by Queen's University Belfast develops advanced expertise in psychological theory, research design, and scientific investigation, preparing researchers to explore behaviour, cognition, development, health, and biological processes through original inquiry.

The Architecture (Practice-based) programme at Queen's University Belfast investigates architecture and urbanism through venturous design practice, examining sustainability, climate change, identity, heritage, craft and form, while exploring the motivations, potentials and methodologies that shape contemporary architectural work.

The Anthropological Studies programme at Queen's University Belfast examines human behaviour and relationships through advanced research training, supported by interdisciplinary expertise across topics including migration, human rights, environmentalism, ethnomusicology, political movements, and material culture.