phd sociology europe

• Schools & departments

Sociology PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Sociology

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Research profile

Edinburgh is one of the leading international centres of excellence for postgraduate study in sociology.

Our PhD degree is eligible for Economic and Social Research Council funding and our postgraduate research students come from all over the world and join our vibrant and diverse postgraduate student community, which plays a full role in the life of the department.

Many of our students have non-sociology backgrounds and bring with them experience and expertise from other disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Whatever your background, you will thrive at Edinburgh.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the Postgraduate Admissions Advisor (Research) to discuss their research proposals and the availability of appropriate research supervision, using the email address on the right-hand side of the page.

Programme structure

The PhD in Sociology is a three-year research programme (six years for part-time students).

The PhD degree is awarded for a thesis which must draw on your own research and which makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the chosen field of study and contains material worthy of publication. The thesis must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the field of study and relevant literature, and the ability to look critically at both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.

The normal progression for a PhD is that the first year is partly spent on preparing to undertake a PhD thesis by reading and reflecting on relevant literature and taking courses of importance to the researcher's work. A fully elaborated research proposal should be developed by the end of the first year.

Provided the proposal receives approval from a panel of members of staff with expertise relevant to the research project, the student will be registered as a PhD student at the beginning of year two.

The second year is typically spent on fieldwork and data collection, with the remaining time devoted to data analysis and write-up of the thesis.

Training and support

You will work with a supervisor on an original research dissertation and participate in advanced sociology research-training workshops, work-in-progress seminars and a writing workshop.

A wide range of training facilities will be available to you. The Graduate School provides a range of ESRC-recognised research training courses for social science students across the University.

You are encouraged to participate in taught Masters level courses to assist your intellectual development and support you research.

The University’s Institute for Academic Development provides a range of courses and events to assist with methodological training and career development.

• Institute for Academic Development

Research library and archive facilities in Edinburgh are outstanding.

You will be a member of the Graduate School of Social & Political Science, with full access to the Graduate School’s facilities in the Chrystal Macmillan Building.

Other library and archive facilities include the:

• University’s Main Library
• National Library of Scotland
• Scottish Records Office

Proximity to the Scottish Parliament and other institutions of national government provides further research opportunities.

PhD Sociology student story: “I never considered a PhD was within my realm of possibilities”

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, and a UK masters degree with an overall mark of 65% or its international equivalent.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 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 20 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 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also 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 countries

We 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-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding, featured funding.

School of Social and Political Science Scholarships

UK Research Council Awards

For specialised guidance on submitting a competitive scholarship application, please follow the requirements and recommendations and how to contact relevant academic staff as advised here:

• Important information and recommendations

(Revised 10 November 2023 to update featured funding opportunities.)

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Postgraduate Admissions Team
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
• Contact: [email protected]
• Programme Advisor, Dr Julie Brownlie
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 8260
• Contact: [email protected]
• Graduate School of Social & Political Science
• Chrystal Macmillan Building
• 15A George Square
• Central Campus
• Programme: Sociology
• School: Social & Political Science
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Awards: PhD (36 mth FT, 72 mth PT)

Application deadlines

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit a research proposal demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research, which will be closely scrutinised as part of the decision-making process. We request that PhD research proposals are no more than four A4 typed pages in Times New Roman, 12pt font. This includes charts and figures but does not include references or a bibliography.

We require PhD applicants in particular to contact potential supervisors before applying to discuss their research proposal so we can ensure there is adequate supervision.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Home > Academics > PhD Programmes > Doctorate in Sociology

Doctorate in Sociology

Three-Year PhD Programme

Programme in French & English

Presentation

The doctoral program in sociology, with substantial support from two major Sciences Po laboratories (the Centre for the Sociology of Organizations (CSO) and the Centre for Research on social InequalitieS (CRIS, ex : OSC)) , and et The Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) , is designed to provide:

• the theoretical foundations and most recent developments in international sociological analysis;
• opportunities to specialize in fields of sociology: public policy, consumption, culture, education, employment, exclusion, markets, risks and health, segregation, stratification, social uses of time, cities, etc.;
• deep, high-level quantitative and qualitative methodological work  based on fieldwork and data, with the support of leading experts;
• an international and comparative scope of training;
• tailored support at the research centers from a strongly committed and internationally recognized academic team.

The doctoral program in sociology trains excellent sociologists for both academic and university careers, as well as careers as experts in major public and private organizations and NGOs.

Skills targeted

The program provides both theoretical and practical sociological research and analytical skills, as well as high-level expertise in various methodological tools.

Research centre support

The programme draws on support from Sciences Po's two sociology research centres, which host PhD students:

• Centre for the Sociology of Organisations (CSO) : the centre is key to the French school of sociology of organisations, developing creative thought on private, public, market and non-market regulations from research on organisations, markets and occupational groups.  The centre was founded by Michel Crozier and is headed by Christine Musselin, research director at CNRS.  
• Centre for Research on social InequalitieS (CRIS, ex : OSC) : researchers here study transformations in contemporary societies, such as social stratification, intergenerational relations, migrations, the spatial dimension of inequalities, lifestyles, socialisation and deviance, and educational policies and dynamics.  The centre was founded by Henri Mendras and is headed by Alain Chenu, Professor at Sciences Po.

PhD students interested in political sociology or public policies can also join the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) , a Sciences Po research centre that uses a multidisciplinary approach to explore political issues such as European integration and the relationships between policy and politics.  The centre is headed by Renaud Dehousse, Professor at Sciences Po.

Programme structure

The PhD in sociology is open to students from Sciences Po Masters in Sociology as other students with a master's level degree (for more details, see admission conditions ).

See the programme catalogue

The three thesis years

During the next three years PhD students are mentored and included in the research centres, where they take part in the research, and participate in three seminars:

• "Current trends in sociology research" provides a thematic overview of contemporary sociology research with prominent contemporary authors;
• a specialty seminar organised by the research centre allows students to regularly present work;
• workshops on advanced methods.

Thesis writing takes place at the research centres or international partner universities.  Partners include the Max Planck Institute Cologne, the Stockholm Centre for Organizational Research, Northwestern University (Chicago), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, and Oxford.

Beyond these partnerships, students may seek invitations from renowned institutions at foreign universities in Europe, North America (Harvard, Columbia, etc.), Brazil (IUPERJ: Instituto Universitário de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro), China (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing), etc.

Students may also earn a dual PhD Joint PhD en Sociologie Sciences Po/Northwestern .

The PhD in sociology is awarded after completing these three years.

See Admission to a PhD

Tuition fees

Des aides à la mobilité sont proposées aux doctorants pour participer à des colloques et pour effectuer des travaux de terrain et des séjours d'études à l'étranger.

See Tuition Fees

Teaching staff

The teaching staff made up of internationally recognized sociologists. While teaching benefits from outside Sciences Po, the core of the teaching team comes primarily from Sciences Po research centers.

List of possible supervisors in the Sociology Department

PhD Students

• Consult the list of CSO doctoral students
• Consult the list of CRIS (ex : OSC) doctoral students
• Consult the list of CEE doctoral students
• Consult the list of Medialab students
• Consult the list of CERI students
• Jérôme Pélisse ,  Head of doctoral studies in Sociology, Full Professor at Sciences Po, Researcher at the CSO
• Carine Boutillier Administrative Officer Ph.: +33 (0)1 45 49 59 82

Submit an application

Admissions report

Application Guide

Tuition Fess & Scholarships

Careers Services Guide

Applicants guide

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Phone: +33 (0)1 45 49 50 50 | +33 (0)1 42 22 31 26

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Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences

The doctoral programme offers high-quality doctoral training in the areas of media and communication studies, social and cultural anthropology, social psychology, social and public policy, social work, sociology, social data science and criminology.

50 new doctoral students are admitted each year. We're an international community, and the programme is multilingual: you can complete a degree in either Finnish, Swedish or English.

Want to know more? Visit our profile & activities page to learn more about the key research areas and activities in the programme.