Overview

You’ll care about young people and families, conflict and social change, social inequality, disability, ageing and health, criminal justice, drugs and alcohol, trauma, violence and abuse and the effect these have on society.

Staff in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work publish world-class research which has local and global impact.

Features

Our funders and partners include research councils, government departments, the EU, the Council of Europe and large foundations.

Our Social Work research at Queen's University Belfast informs the development of policies in many areas, including education, criminal justice, teaching and learning, the well-being of children, social cohesion and justice, mental health and trauma informed practice.

Career Prospects

Many of our PhD graduates have moved into academic and research roles in Higher Education while others go on to play leading roles in the public sector, such as Public Health Authority or Health and Social Care Boards or within NGOs. Queen's University postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability.

Programme Structure

Curriculum:

You are expected to take research training modules that are provided by the School.

These modules focus on quantitative and qualitative research methods, and include participatory action research, arts-based research methods and multimodal interaction analysis, for example.

Students will be provided with the SSESW PhD student training and engagement programme at the start of the academic year.

You are also expected to carry out your research under the guidance of your supervisor.

Over the course of study, you are also encouraged to attend postgraduate skills training organised by the Graduate School.

This training contributes to your training record which may be discussed at your annual progress reviews (APR).

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 72 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-21 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

More details

We accept applications for PhD study throughout the year and we can offer varied start dates.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

90

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IELTS

6.5

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4.9/5 student rating

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Belfast, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Social Work View 59 other PhDs in Social Work in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

90

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

The minimum academic requirement for admission to a research degree programme is normally an Upper Second Class Honours degree from a UK or ROI HE provider, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information can be obtained by contacting the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

22500 GBP / year

≈ 22500 GBP / year

Living costs

Belfast

United Kingdom

561 - 887 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Social Work.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Features

Career Prospects

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Living costs

Belfast

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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