oxford phd programs

A-Z of courses

Use this A-Z and search tool to explore all of Oxford's graduate courses. 

Non-standard application processes

The instructions in our Application Guide are relevant to applications for all graduate courses at Oxford, except for :

• Biochemistry (Skaggs-Oxford Prog.) , DPhil
• Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam) , DPhil
• Clinical Psychology , DClinPsych
• EcoWild , NERC CDT
• Medicine (Graduate Entry)  eg BMBCh
• Saïd Business School courses

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Department of

Department of Education

Dphil in education, scholarships.

The DPhil in Education is a full-time programme which takes 3-4 years and is intended to provide graduates with a wide range of research skills as well as in-depth knowledge, understanding and expertise in their chosen field of educational research.

The DPhil in Education is an advanced research degree of a high standing and is awarded on the basis of a thesis and an oral examination.

A full-time programme takes 3-4 years to complete and is intended to provide graduates with a wide range of research skills as well as in-depth knowledge, understanding and expertise in their chosen field of research.

About 80 DPhil students are attached to the Department, researching a wide range of topics, normally linked to one or more of the Department’s Research Groups. Students come from over 40 different countries and are supported by a variety of scholarships and grants. Entry is highly competitive, and applicants are required to have a strong academic background and are required to submit a research proposal.

It is also possible to study part-time for a DPhil in the department. For more information, visit our part-time DPhil page .

The Department offers some part and full scholarships to attract the very strongest students who would otherwise not be able to come and study in Oxford.

It is committed to developing the number of fully-funded studentships it can offer to DPhil students, given their importance to the Department’s research culture. The funding deadline for all graduate courses in the Department of Education is January application deadline. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered for funding offered by Oxford. Funding deadlines for other University courses can be found on the relevant course page on the Graduate Admissions website . These are all highly competitive, and require high-quality, well-crafted research proposals.

All eligible applicants for graduate study are automatically considered for the University’s prestigious Clarendon Scholarships and the departmental scholarships. You will be notified around the beginning of March if you are being considered for any of these funding opportunities.

Reparative Futures of Education Scholarship

The Reparative Futures of Education (REPAIR-ED) research project is awarding two fully-funded doctoral scholarships based within Oxford University’s Department of Education.

The REPAIR-ED project involves working with primary school communities in the city of Bristol to examine the features and mechanisms of structural inequities in education. The project will use its empirical findings to facilitate dialogues with stakeholders (schools, their communities, policy-actors and the broader public) to explore how reparative justice in education might be conceptualised and enacted.

More information about the REPAIR-ED scholarships and how to apply.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on social and economic issues. The University, in collaboration with Brunel University and the Open University, hosts the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership – one of 14 Doctoral Training Partnerships accredited by the ESRC as part of a Doctoral Training Network.

In order to be considered for a Grand Union DTP ESRC studentship, you must select ‘ ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentships in Social Sciences ’ in the University of Oxford scholarships section of the University’s graduate application form. You must also complete a  Grand Union DTP Application Form and upload it, together with your graduate application form, by the funding deadline for your course.

Information about ESRC studentships at Oxford can be found here . Please ensure you have read all of the guidance available on the website before you complete the Grand Union DTP Application Form . If you have any questions, get in touch with the Grand Union DTP Office .

Talbot Scholarships

This scholarship fund is the result of a bequest to the Department in honour of Ms Elfrida Talbot, who ran the first women’s hostel for Education students in the University in the early years of the twentieth century. It is normally used to part-fund a UK/EU doctoral student for three years who was seen as strong contender for an ESRC doctoral studentship. Strong contenders for ESRC studentships will be automatically considered for this scholarship: no separate application process is needed. This scholarship is usually offered once every three years.

Clarendon scholarships

The very strongest applicants for all our MSc and DPhil programmes are automatically considered for University Clarendon scholarships. There is no separate application process. These are highly competitive and each year only one or two of our students are successful. During our initial admissions screening, supervisors nominate applicants with outstanding academic records to be considered. These supervisors then prepare a supporting statement.  A departmental panel ranks these candidates and the Director of Doctoral Research puts forward a shortlist of the strongest applicants to the divisional committee.

Departmental studentships

The Department is keen to attract the very strongest MSc students and encourage them to stay on for doctoral study. The shortlist will normally be made up of those students shortlisted for the ESRC and Clarendon scholarships. Interviews and decisions will be made once the ESRC and Clarendon awards are announced.

Awards will vary in range, but will seek to make a significant contribution to the overall cost of fees. Successful candidates will be expected to make an active contribution to the academic and professional life of the doctoral students within the Department. These scholarships may not be offered every year.

Further information on graduate scholarships and awards offered by the University and external agencies can be found on the  Student Funding Services  website.

Self-Funding

Scholarships are awarded on entry to the doctoral programme, not at any later point. If you are not awarded a scholarship in your first year, but elect to self-fund, you will be asked by the University to sign a declaration that you have the money to cover your fees and your living expenses for the first year. It should be noted that although you are only asked about the first year, it is extremely unlikely that you will acquire funding after that. There are no additional scholarships within the University for continuing doctoral students. The Department in general and individual staff members work hard to bring in funding for doctoral students, but we cannot fund everybody. It is worth carefully considering which colleges might have scholarships for which you are eligible when you apply.

Most colleges will offer some very small grants for fieldwork, travel or conference attendance. These are in the region of a couple of hundred pounds at most.

You can work part time during your doctorate, subject to the requirements of your visa, but you must obtain the support of your supervisor to do so, and it can have detrimental effects on your progress. There are occasionally some paid research assistant posts within the Department which are advertised to the doctoral cohort but these tend to be highly sought after. We do not have undergraduates so you are unlikely to be able to supervise as graduate students outside Education do.

There are some charitable trusts outside of the University to which you might be able to apply for some funding; we cannot keep track of all the potential requirements, so you should seek these out for yourself. However, they are not likely to be sufficient to cover fees and living expenses in their entirety.

Financial assistance run by colleges tends to be for ‘unexpected circumstances’; self-funders not getting any funding in second or subsequent years is not seen as unexpected. Both the University and the Department have some limited funds for those writing up the final stages of their doctorate. These are highly competitive and there are always more requests than there is money to fulfil them.

This advice is not intended to put you off, but it is important for self-funders to have a realistic view.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED TO APPLY?

For more specific details of our admission criteria please visit the DPhil in Education course page .

HOW MANY STUDENTS DO YOU RECRUIT TO THE DPHIL IN EDUCATION PROGRAMME?

Approximately 25-35 students are recruited to our DPhil in Education programme each year.

CAN I STUDY ONLINE OR THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING?

It is not possible to study at a distance or on-line on our DPhil programme.

What if I have already completed research training as part of a Masters degree?

All PRS students no matter what their previous training are required to undertake the Research Training Seminar course. This is the seminar specifically for PRS students, preparing you for the Oxford DPhil structure, creating a supportive cohort and enabling you to begin professional development for an academic or non-academic career. Other research training courses are: Beginners and Intermediate Quantitative Methods; Perspectives and Debates in Qualitative Research and Philosophy of Educational Research. The exact courses you will be required to take will depend on your previous training and experience, and the decision will be based on the evidence you provide in your application and in discussion with the Director of Doctoral Research on matriculation.

WHAT ARE THE BACKGROUNDS OF STUDENTS RECRUITED TO YOUR PROGRAMMES?

The Department offers a very wide range of courses. As well as a comprehensive Doctoral programme attracting students from all over the world, we offer full-time one year MSc in Education and in MSc Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (ALSLA) courses, as well as a range of part-time courses, some aimed primarily at UK teachers (e.g. MSc Learning & Teaching, MS Teacher Education) and some at distance learning (e.g., Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching). Consequently our courses cater to students from a diverse range of backgrounds.

For example in 2021/22, the Department had a total complement of 780 students of whom 414 were studying full-time and 366 were studying part-time. For 2021/22, across the MSc Education, MSc ALSLA, and DPhil programmes, approximately 29% of our students came from the UK, and the remaining 71% from the EU or overseas. The cohort from those programmes included students from Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, Germany, India, Malaysia, China, Mexico, Estonia, Australia, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States, among many others.

What our students share is exceptional academic achievement in their previous learning and an ambition to excel academically.

CAN I STUDY PART TIME?

Although doctoral research training programmes across the University tend to be structured around the needs of full-time students, we are able to offer a part-time DPhil option for students who reside and are employed locally.   See here for more information about studying for a part-time DPhil with us .

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO STUDY AND LIVE IN OXFORD?

To find out how much it will cost to undertake your studies at the University, please  visit the Fees and Living Costs webpage  for details.

CAN I APPLY FOR MORE THAN ONE COURSE?

We would strongly encourage you to focus your application on the course for which you have the most interest and experience.

CAN I APPLY FOR YOUR COURSES IF I AM IN THE PROCESS OF ACHIEVING MY QUALIFICATION TO GAIN ENTRY ONTO THE PROGRAMME?

Yes, you may apply for any of our courses whilst studying for another degree. If you are successful in achieving a place on one of our programmes, we would make a conditional offer which would include the condition of you achieving your qualification. You are required to submit an interim transcript at application. However, your final outcome would need to be available prior to you commencing the course at Oxford.

CAN SOMEONE CHECK IF MY RESEARCH PROPOSAL FITS INTO THE RESEARCH INTERESTS OF CURRENT MEMBERS OF STAFF BEFORE I SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?

Prospective DPhil applicants are expected to browse the online profiles of current members of staff to identify academics whose research interests overlap with theirs. If you can’t locate any academics with overlapping interests with yours, it is likely that your proposed area of research does not fit into the interests of current members of staff or the Department’s research centres.

ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE; WHICH HIGHER LEVEL LANGUAGE QUALIFICATION IS ACCEPTABLE? AND WHAT SCORE DO YOU REQUIRE?

If you do not have English as your first language, we would like you to have achieved the higher level competence in English Language proficiency i.e. IELTS 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each component, or TOEFL 110 (Internet-based).

We do not accept tests which are more than 2 years old. We encourage applicants to apply with a successful IELTS test. If evidence that you successfully meet the English language condition cannot be provided with your application, the language requirement will be set as a condition if an offer is made.

For further information, please  visit the Application Guide .

CAN I APPLY FOR A WAIVER OF PROOF OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH?

For information on applying for a waiver of the English test requirement, please  visit the application guide .

HOW DO I APPLY?

For information about applying, see the University Admission’s DPhil page . For a more detailed explanation of the process, please  click here for the application guide .

NOT ALL OF MY QUALIFICATIONS WILL FIT ON THE APPLICATION FORM, WHAT SHALL I DO?

If you require more space on the application form, please contact Graduate Admissions for advice.

I HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE OF AN ACADEMIC SETTING FOR SOME TIME NOW; WHO SHALL I HAVE TO ACT AS MY REFEREES?

We strongly recommend that you have at least one reference from your most recent academic tutor. If you are currently in employment, you would be expected to provide a reference from your employer as well as an academic referee who is able to comment on academic capability/suitability for Higher Degree study.

WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE FOR THE SAMPLES OF WRITTEN WORK?

Two essays, a maximum of 2,000 words each.

The written work should be related to the DPhil in Education and should be on separate topics. If you do not have any existing material that fits this requirement, you may wish to critique an article or write a book review based on the course subject.

You may submit written work previously completed for a prior course of study if the topic is relevant, eg an assignment or chapter of a dissertation etc, provided it meets the requirements. If your work is significantly longer than the guide length it should be edited to meet the requirements.

A list of relevant references is required for your written work and should be included in your word count. [If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.] This will be assessed for understanding of the subject area, an ability to construct and defend an argument, and proficiency in academic English.

WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE IN THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND PERSONAL STATEMENT?

If you are applying to the DPhil programme you need to submit a personal statement of a maximum of 1,000 words and a research proposal of a maximum of 2,500 words. Your statement and proposal should be submitted as a single, combined document with a clear subheading for each.

You should submit a convincing personal statement (statement of purpose) explaining your reasons for applying to the programme and highlighting your relevant academic and professional experience. The final line of your personal statement should indicate your future plans after a doctorate.

You should also submit a research proposal written in English. An indicative bibliography is required but you do not need to include this in your word count. Your proposal should include an indicative title and a short introduction/synopsis, a discussion of the most relevant scholarly literature, and a research question or hypothesis. This issue or question should emerge from your review of the literature. Please also provide a rationale for the importance of this research topic.

Your proposal should also indicate your proposed methodological approach. This will depend on the kind of research you envisage. If empirical research is planned, then please discuss the likely ‘data’ to be collected. At this stage these ideas are exploratory, and likely to develop and change once you are accepted.

This will be assessed for your potential to carry out doctoral research, the quality and coherence of the proposal and the originality of the project.

It will be normal for your ideas to subsequently change in some ways as you develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.

Your proposal should focus on your proposed research topic, rather than personal achievements, interests and aspirations.

HOW IS MY SUPERVISOR DECIDED?

Although supervisors will be allocated by the Department and it is not necessary for you to contact academic members of staff directly, prospective applicants are encouraged to approach academics whose research interests overlap with theirs to informally solicit their capacity and interest in supervising new DPhil students. You may also ask them to share with you specific publications that they have authored that you can’t access otherwise and that may help inform your research proposal. There is a section in the application form in which you can indicate your suggested supervisors. You are strongly encouraged to fill it in with two names of suggested supervisors when you apply.

AM I REQUIRED TO ATTEND FOR INTERVIEW?

Interviews are normally held with two interviewers using Microsoft Teams. Interviews will normally take place in February.

WHAT WILL THE INTERVIEW BE LIKE?

We are keen to find out more about you and your interests, and how these might tie in with the research specialisms of academic staff within the department.

For DPhil applicants, we will ask you to talk in detail about your research proposal, its design, your methodological choices and potential challenges you might face. For MSc applicants, we will ask you about your knowledge of the course, your reasons for wanting to study in this area, and initial ideas for their dissertation research.

Applicants may be asked to explain how their areas of interest link to those of the departments’ research groups, centres and academic staff.

WHEN WILL THE OUTCOME OF MY APPLICATION BE KNOWN?

Applications will be considered by the admissions panel within the Department and decisions will be made in accordance with the following deadlines:

January application deadline – mid March

You will be informed of our decision by email to ensure that you receive the outcome as soon as possible.

In the event that we are not able to offer you a place, we regret that it is not possible to provide you with feedback on your application.

CAN I DEFER ENTRY TO A COURSE?

The University will only consider requests for deferral of entry due to exceptional unforeseen circumstances, and only after all conditions set for the offer (both academic and financial) have been met.

Couldn’t find your answers under our FAQ section?

Please direct all enquiries to our Higher Degrees Office and a member of the administrative team will be happy to assist you.

Email: [email protected]

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Meet our DPhil Students

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• Graduate Courses in Psychology

DPhil (PhD) in Experimental Psychology

This is a full time 3 to 4 year research degree course. Students are required to submit a thesis of up to 100,000 words in their 3rd or 4th year. Successful applicants will be registered as students with the Department of Experimental Psychology.

Course Description

The DPhil in Experimental Psychology course is based upon independent research carried out under the supervision and guidance of principal investigators and researchers within the students' chosen research group or lab within this department.  Supervision and guidance may also include co-supervision from other collaborating groups or labs, both within the department or from other departments/faculties within the University or from another institution.

FINDING A POTENTIAL  SUPERVISOR

We require all applicants for the  DPhil (PhD) in Experimental Psychology courses  to contact a potential supervisor in the first instance.

This provides applicants with an opportunity to discuss the area of research they wish to conduct as a part of their DPhil (PhD) studies and whether the potential supervisor is able to supervise their proposed project. Details of staff who may be eligible to supervise DPhil students are listed on our Faculty and Research Fellows  page.

Applicants who do not approach a potential supervisor in the first instance and/or whose proposed Research Project falls outside the area of expertise of our  Research Themes  are unlikely to be successful with their application.

The department is not able to provide funding for all candidates who are successful in obtaining a place on the DPhil course.  However, candidates whose applications are ranked most highly may be eligible to be put forward to funding competitions run within the University, that allocate Research Councils funds (e.g. MRC, ESRC) on a competitive basis. Successful applicants are also welcome to seek their own funding from other sources, e.g. charitable bodies or international scholarships.

Please see the funding page for more detailed information.

Course Structure

First Year of Study

Successful applicants are initially registered as Probationary Research Students (PRS Status). During the first year, students are expected to attend various courses, lectures and seminars which will enable them to gain the most out of their time here at Oxford and assist them with the design and analysis of their own area of research. These will typically include:

• Graduate Statistical Workshops
• Skills Training Courses e.g. MatLab and fMRI methods
• Analysis of Research Methods

The Medical Science Division also offers a large number of courses on transferable skills such as teaching and communicating scientific findings which all our students are encouraged to attend as a part of their DPhil studies.

Students are expected to be fully integrated within their own chosen group or lab and attend group or lab meetings as well as attending related seminars and conferences.

Second Year of Study

As a part of the department's Induction Programme, students will produce a poster and give a brief presentation based on their own research in the first term of their 2nd year on the course.

Third and Final Years of Study

Students submit a thesis of up to 100,000 words and attend an oral examination (the final viva).

Assessment of the Course

Assessment of students' progress on the course is monitored in three stages as well as via termly progression reports:

• Transfer of Status

By their 4 th  term, students submit a Transfer Report based on their research to date and attend a transfer viva.

• Confirmation of Status

By their 9 th  term, students are required to give a presentation and attend an interview to assess the progress of their research.

• Thesis Submission

By their 12 th  term, students will submit a thesis of up to 100,000 words and attend an oral examination, known as a viva.

Students will need to have successfully completed all stages to be awarded a DPhil in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford.

Course code

Our graduate courses.

MSc in Psychological Research (Taught Masters)

MSc by Research in Experimental Psychology (Research Course) - full-time

MSc by Research in Experimental Psychology (Research Course) - part-time

DPhil (PhD) in Experimental Psychology (Research Course) - full-time

DPhil (PhD) in Experimental Psychology (Research Course) - part-time

Graduate Admissions Information

Application Deadline: 12noon, Friday 1 December 2023

What makes a successful application

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Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil)

What is a dphil.

A DPhil is Oxford's name for a PhD - a higher research degree which allows you to make an original contribution to mathematics in the form of a thesis. A DPhil takes at least three years to complete, and around two thirds of our postgraduate leavers go on into academia (according to the latest destination data). During your DPhil, you will be supervised by at least one academic, although some students will have more than one supervisor (particularly if they are working across disciplines). Unlike CDT courses (and PhDs in other countries), you will begin to do research straight away and there is no prescribed taught component. However, you are very welcome to attend seminars and you can choose from a wide variety of taught courses and skills training to enhance your broader mathematical knowledge and develop your career. There may also be journal clubs or seminar series specific to your area of study. If you enjoy doing mathematics, and would like to be part of a lively and world-class research institute, then you should take a look at our research groups to see if they align with your own interests. 

All applications should be submitted online through the University's Graduate Application Form . To find out more about how to apply, see the how to apply page, or go to the   University of Oxford's graduate application guide .

For information about scholarships and funding , see the University of Oxford's fees, funding, and scholarship search .

Key Deadlines

Funding deadlines for students applying for EPSRC and Departmental awards

• 5th January 2024 (12:00 GMT)
• 1st March 2024 (12:00 GMT)

Please apply by the 5th January deadline if you would like to be considered for any centrally administered funds. Further information regarding these funds can be found here .

Fees and Funding

Information on University fees and funding can be found here .

Scholarships

Wang scholarship.

The Wang Scholarship is available to DPhil candidates and provides full fees and a stipend for four years.

Charles Coulson Scholarship in Mathematical Physics

This award is available to DPhil candidates in Mathematical Physics and provides full fees and a stipend for four years. 

Heilbronn Doctoral Partnership Scholarship

Oxford-Maryam Mirzakhani Scholarship

Research interests:  group theory, representation theory and algebraic aspects of geometry.

Who's who in Algebra

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Combinatorics

Research interests: extremal combinatorics, graph theory, and combinatorial number theory.

Who's who in Combinatorics

Functional Analysis

Research interests: operator theory, including unbounded operators, and abstract differential equations.

Who's who in functional analysis

Research interests: algebraic geometry,  geometric representation theory , and differential geometry.

Who's who in Geometry

History of Mathematics

Research interests: history of algebra (19th and 20th century), history of modern algebra, and Soviet mathematics. 

Research interests: analytic topology,  geometric stability theory, and the model theory of p-adic fields and diophantine geometry.

Who's who in Logic

Machine Learning and Data Science

Machine Learning and Data science are being developed using wide ranging mathematical techniques. Our particular research expertise include: applied and computational harmonic analysis, networks, optimisation, random matrix theory, rough paths, topological data analysis, and the application of these methods.

Who's who in machine learning and data science

Mathematical & Computational Finance

Research interests: behavioural finance, financial big data, high dimensional numerical methods, stochastic analysis.

Who's who in Mathematical and Computational Finance

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Research interests:  cancer modelling, collective behaviour, gene regulatory networks, multiscale modelling, pattern formation, and sperm dynamics.

Who's who in Mathematical Biology

Mathematical Physics

Research interests: gauge and gravity theories (quantum field theories), string theory, twistor theory, Calabi-Yau manifolds, quantum computation and cryptography.

Who's who in Mathematical Physics

Number Theory

Research interests: analytic number theory, arithmetic geometry, prime number distribution, and Diophantine geometry.

Who's who in Number Theory

Numerical Analysis

Research interests: complexity in optimisation, symmetric cone programming, numerical solutions of PDEs. 

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Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

Research interests: energy, industry, geoscience, networks, finance, methodologies.

Who's who in OCIAM

Oxford Centre for Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations

Research interests: geometric analysis, inverse problems, nonlinear hyperbolic systems, specific PDE systems.

Who's who in OxPDE

Stochastic Analysis

Research interests:  rough path theory, Schramm-Loewner evolution, mathematical population genetics, financial mathematics, self-interacting random processes.

Research interests: geometric group theory, 3-manifold topology and knot theory, K-theory, algebraic topology.

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Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)

• OII >  

DPhil in Social Data Science

Page Contents

Key information, student experience, supervisors, fees and funding.

The DPhil in Social Data Science provides an opportunity for students to formulate and address novel research questions at the intersection of the computational and social sciences, supported by the multidisciplinary faculty at the OII, Engineering Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science and other departments across the University of Oxford.

Students are expected to pioneer new approaches to study the design and use of technology, exploiting fast expanding possibilities in large-scale data collection, artificial intelligence, and statistical modelling. This degree will train students to develop and adapt techniques such as network science, machine learning, experimental studies, and algorithm auditing to inform the deployment and regulation of technology, and understand its impact on individuals and society.

Beyond the technical skills, the programme will also provide students with a solid grounding in social science theory and research design, and critical thinking about the impact and ethics of AI and technology. Ordinarily, students will be expected to have training similar to that offered within the MSc in Social Data Science , or from disciplines as applied mathematics, computer science, and human-computer interaction, but gaps may be filled with courses from the MSc curriculum as well as other existing courses at the University.

Our DPhil students’ research spans a wide range of topics, normally linked to the research of one or more of our faculty supervisors. Students will be supervised by at least one academic, although some students will have more than one supervisor—for instance one from the computational sciences and one from the social sciences.

This system allows doctoral students to dig deeply into research questions at the intersection of disciplines while also being able to place these questions within the broader disciplinary contexts.

Over the course the programme, you are expected to produce an important and original piece of scholarship that will make a significant contribution to the study, design, or regulation of computing and communication technology and information systems. On completion, you will have the qualities and transferable skills necessary to excel in teaching, research, policy-making or business.

Whilst every doctoral project will follow a unique path, broadly there are 3 stages:

• Formulating a research question: You will focus on developing your research questions, and research skills. All doctoral students take five foundation courses designed to give the necessary foundation for undertaking interdisciplinary research.
• Research and Analysis: You will outline the structure of your thesis, which includes data gathering, experiments, and other steps. Students will use this time to prepare conference and journal articles, present their work at seminars and conferences, in direct collaboration with their supervisor(s).
• Writing up your thesis and submitting:  You will concentrate on any final data gathering, analysis, experimentation and writing up the final chapters for submission of your thesis.

In addition to the formal requirements of the DPhil thesis, all doctoral students receive regular training in the key graduate skills necessary to support their research and future employment. These range from classes on specific tools or skills to more generic training such as presentation skills, academic writing and peer review.

We also provide opportunities for DPhil students to gain teaching experience through mentored assistantship roles in some of the MSc courses. There are also opportunities for taking part in organising the annual student-run  Connected Life conference  dedicated to sparking exchange between disciplines and showcasing emerging Internet research.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the DPhil programme, it is expected that you will:

• Demonstrate in-depth research experience in at least one of the social data science areas
• Be able to generate impact on the policy and design of socio-technical systems based on social data science research
• Have an in-depth knowledge of specific contemporary social and political science theories and data science approaches to tackling research questions related to these theories
• Have made an original contribution to the current state-of-the art for analysing large-scale human behavioural data and information systems, and either have developed new methods and approaches to better study human or algorithmic behaviours in socio-technical systems
• Design, execute, document, and disseminate research that applies tools and methods from computational science to address interdisciplinary research question about the use, design, and impact of technology and information systems
• Have the qualities and transferable skills necessary to excel in teaching, research, policy-making or business in your studied field, including abilities to design new technologies and to predict and analyse their impacts

How to Apply

All applications must be made through the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions site . Please ensure that you start the online application process as early as you can, to ensure plenty of time to complete your application. We particularly advise applicants to contact their referees as early as possible, and register their details in the draft application form well in advance of the deadline.

Both the full-time and part-time DPhil programmes have one application deadline in January. Only applications that are complete by the deadline, including receipt of references, can be considered by the admissions team.

The Oxford Internet Institute is part of the University of Oxford’s pilot on selection procedures which aims to explore actions aimed at better contextualising admissions procedures for graduate students while minimising conscious and unconscious bias. For all our courses, the socio-economic data you provide in the application form will be used to contextualise the shortlisting and decision-making processes. For details about the pilot and the actions we are taking, please see the University’s page on the Pilot selection procedure.

• Full-time: 3-4 Years
• Part-time: 6-8 Years

Start date:

• October 2024

12 noon UK time (midday) on:

• Friday 5 January 2024

Dr Luc Rocher

DPhil Programme Director (SDS), Lecturer

Luc is Course Director of the DPhil.

Laura Maynard

DPhil Coordinator

Laura is the DPhil Co-ordinator, and administrates the course.

Our induction programme is usually held in the first week of October, the week preceding the start of Michaelmas Term (also referred to as 0th week). During Induction Week students will be formally introduced to the OII’s Director, Director of Graduate Studies, Programme Directors, Graduate Studies Support team, as well as our faculty and administrative team. In addition students will be offered a full tour of the OII’s facilities and introduced to IT and library resources, followed by several informative DPhil induction sessions. There is also ample opportunity to get to know fellow students and staff through student-led social activities and an afternoon drinks reception. During October the Social Sciences Division also holds a welcome event for all new research students.

Work space and facilities

Our doctoral students are provided with hot-desk working space in the department. We are equipped with advanced video conferencing facilities and high-speed network access. OII students have access to IT infrastructure at both the departmental level and at the University level. This includes access to shared collaborative software, server space, and computing resources, including but not limited to ARC, Oxford’s high-performance computing cluster. The OII’s library specialises in the social sciences, technology and computing, and our students also have access to the Bodleian Libraries, the University’s main research library.

Opportunities for teaching and training

We provide opportunities for DPhil students to gain teaching experience through mentored assistantship roles in some of the MSc courses. Students will have the opportunity to attend the Introduction to Learning and Teaching at Oxford programme run by the Social Sciences Division, an interactive and discursive course in which attendees will explore common teaching formats (lectures, small groups, tutorials) and common experiences (for example, group management, preparation, presentation and delivery). Students must complete this programme if they wish to undertake a teaching assistant position at the Oxford Internet Institute.

Pastoral and Welfare Support

In addition to the pastoral support provided your college, as a department the OII seeks to support students by various means. Each degree programme has dedicated administrative support and the administrators in question will be able to help and advise students on a range of matters relating to their studies, or point them towards dedicated sources of support elsewhere in the University. Supervisors and the Director of Graduate Studies can also serve as a source of support, in addition to our dedicated disability lead and several Harassment Advisors who can assist with connecting students with the appropriate support.

Whilst every doctoral project will follow a unique path, there are common milestones that every DPhil student must pass. The information below gives a broad indication of the general milestones, but all students are advised to discuss the timeline with their supervisor.

During the programme you will move through three different stages:

• Probationer Research Student (PRS)
• DPhil Status
• Confirmed DPhil Status

DPhil Milestones

(You can find detailed information on scheduling in the OII DPhil handbook.)

Stage 1: Formulating a Research Question

Stage 1 usually occurs in Year 1 for full-time students and Years 1 and 2 for on the part-time programme.

All doctoral students are required to take courses which give the necessary foundation for undertaking research in this multi-disciplinary field. Courses must be passed in order to transfer from PRS to DPhil status.

Social Data Science students take five compulsory foundation papers, designed to provide students with core skills, methods, theories and concepts required to undertake the remainder of the degree. These include laboratory and practical exercises to ensure that students are competent with particular techniques.

DPhil students will also complete other training as agreed with their supervisors and the course providers. This may include content from the MSc in Social Data Science , the MSc in Social Science of the Internet , or partner departments involved in the Social Data Science programme.

In addition to these classes, students will be required to work on their thesis, and will meet regularly with their supervisor to this end. By the end of this stage, students will be expected to have formulated clear research questions and identified appropriate theoretical and methodological frameworks for addressing these questions.

Transfer of Status

As most students will enter the DPhil programme as Probationer Research Students (PRS), they will be expected to gather materials and draft a research proposal for transfer to DPhil Status between their third and fourth term in Oxford. Assuming the normal three-year programme, we expect students to complete the transfer interview by the end of their fourth term. Most students successfully transfer in the third term. Details of the Transfer of Status process can be found in the DPhil Graduate Studies Handbook.

Stage 2: Research and Analysis

Stage 2 usually occurs in Year 2 for full-time students and Years 3 and 4 for students on the part-time programme.

This stage of the DPhil will normally be devoted primarily to research, including for instance data gathering, method development, experiments, and mapping the outline structure of your thesis. However, students will also need to make significant progress in writing their thesis, drafting at least two chapters in preparation for the Confirmation of Status milestone. This may include a period of fieldwork and travel away from Oxford. During this time, students are expected to work on conference presentations and journal articles, learning scientific writing in direct collaboration with their supervisor(s).

Confirmation of Status

Confirmation of DPhil Status is an essential stage on the way to the doctorate and confirms that the student is capable of producing a thesis of the necessary standard and within an appropriate timescale. It is not possible to submit a thesis for examination until DPhil status has been confirmed: this applies to students who have transferred to the DPhil from an Oxford MLitt, MSc or MPhil as well as to those who enter as a PRS student.

The OII’s Graduate Studies Committee expects students to complete the confirmation interview by the end of the third year of study for full time students; and by the sixth year of study for part-time students.

Stage 3: Writing Up and Thesis submission

Stage 3 usually occurs in Year 3 for full-time students and Years 5 and 6 for students on the part-time programme.

Stage 3 will concentrate on any final empirical work, and on writing up the final chapters for submission of the thesis. The thesis must be submitted within four years (full-time) and eight years (part-time) from the date of admission as a graduate student. In special circumstances, you may apply for an extension of time through the Graduate Studies Committee. The maximum extension permitted is two years, making six years (full-time) or ten years (part-time) of study in all.

Once the thesis has been submitted, two examiners are appointed and the examination by viva voce (an oral defence of the thesis) is scheduled.

As a graduate student you will be assigned an academic supervisor, who is responsible for your academic well-being and progress. In addition to academic supervision, you will also have a college advisor who can help with issues of student support and welfare.

You should expect to meet with your supervisor at least four times a term. In the early stages of your doctoral studies, your supervisor will assist you in settling into the pace of academic life, narrowing down your research direction, as well as help you identify your training needs in order to fulfil your research and facilitate appropriate networking across the University. As your research progresses, your supervisor will advise you on research design, provide guidance on any data collection and experiments, and comment on your written drafts. In the final stages of your doctoral studies, your supervisor will provide comments on your thesis drafts and help you prepare for milestones and the final examination of the thesis. Your supervisor may also provide career guidance as you plan your future beyond your period of study.

The following faculty member s are eligible to supervise DPhil students. The supervision areas are intended as a guide only: we recommend to contact a faculty member directly if you would like to discuss their suitability to supervise you.

Dr Adam Mahdi

Dr Ana Valdivia

Professor Andrew Przybylski

Dr Bernie Hogan

Professor Brent Mittelstadt

Professor Carl-Benedikt Frey

Professor Chris Russell

Professor Ekaterina Hertog

Dr Gemma Newlands

Professor Gesine Reinert

Professor Greg Taylor

Professor Helen Margetts

Professor Janet Pierrehumbert

Dr Joss Wright

Professor Kathryn Eccles

Dr Keegan McBride

Professor Mark Graham

Professor Min Chen

Professor Philip Howard

Professor Ralph Schroeder

Professor Rebecca Eynon

Professor Renaud Lambiotte

Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo

Professor Sandra Wachter

Dr Scott A. Hale

Dr Stefan Zohren

Dr Varun Kanade

Professor Victoria Nash

Professor Viktor Mayer-Schönberger

Professor Vili Lehdonvirta

Dr Xiaowen Dong

There are a number of sources of funding for postgraduate students at Oxford. Details of all scholarships for which candidates may be eligible can be found on the University’s Fees and Funding website.  The scholarships are all highly competitive and are awarded on academic merit.

Common OII Funding Options

Clarendon scholarships, economic and social research council (esrc) funding, black academic futures scholarships, refugee academic futures, care-experienced academic futures, oii shirley scholarship.

Clarendon is one of the biggest of the University’s scholarship schemes, offering around 170 new scholarships each year to academically outstanding graduates. Clarendon scholarships are competitive, prestigious and highly sought-after. As well as providing for fees and living costs Clarendon aims to enhance the Oxford experience by offering students the chance to form lasting social, academic and professional networks. Students can apply by completing the funding sections of the graduate admissions form. As part of the admissions process, the Oxford Internet Institute Scholarship Committee will decide which applicants to nominate to the University for consideration. Further details of this scholarship can be found on the University’s Clarendon Scholarships page.

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on social and economic issues. The University, in collaboration with Brunel University and the Open University, hosts the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) – one of fourteen Doctoral Training Partnerships accredited by the ESRC as part of a new Doctoral Training Network.

The Oxford Internet Institute’s graduate degree programmes are a recognised doctoral training pathway in the partnership and our Digital Social Science pathway is provided through two routes, MSc-to-DPhil (known as 1+3) and DPhil-only (known as +3), and is available to students studying part-time as well as those studying full-time.

In order to be considered for a Grand Union DTP ESRC studentship, you must select ‘ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentships in Social Sciences’ in the University of Oxford scholarships section of the University’s graduate application form. You must complete a Grand Union DTP Application Form and upload it, together with your graduate application form, in order to be considered for nomination for the studentship.

Information about ESRC studentships at Oxford can be found on the Grand Union DTP website . Please ensure you have read all of the guidance available on the website before completing the ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentship Application Form . Questions can be directed to the Grand Union DTP Office at: [email protected]

ESRC studentships are open to both Home (UK) and International candidates, read more about the eligibility criteria here . 

The Black Academic Futures programme offer scholarships to UK Black and Mixed-Black students starting doctoral study at Oxford. A pplicants need to apply to an Oxford department by the relevant programme deadline to be considered for the scholarship and ensure they include the ethnicity information in their application.

The Refugee Academic Futures scheme offers financial support to pursue graduate study at Oxford to students who are refugees or other people with lived experience of displacement. The scholarships are open to all academic subjects. Each scholarship will cover your course fees and will provide you with a grant for living costs. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for your course. Scholars will be offered opportunities to receive mentoring and a bespoke programme of pre-arrival and on course support.

The Care-Experienced Academic Futures scholarships offers financial support to students who have experienced being in care in the UK to pursue graduate study at Oxford. The pilot will include the inaugural award of the Oxford-Rees Graduate Scholarship, which supports care-experienced Social Sciences candidates.

The OII awards a limited number of DPhil Scholarships covering course fees each academic year, supported by the Shirley Scholars Fund which was established in honour of OII founder donor Dame Stephanie Shirley. These scholarships are open to both full- and part-time students (from any country) and all applicants who are offered a place on our programme are automatically considered for an award. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit.

DPhil Handbook 2023-24

Download the handbook for study at the OII in the academic year 2023-2024

You can find general FAQs about applying to our courses, studying at the OII, and choosing a college on the study FAQs page .

How does the DPhil in Social Data Science differ from the DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences?

The DPhil in Social Data Science is designed for students with core quantitative and computational skills who wish to develop their skills further, using computational techniques (such as, e.g., machine learning, statistical learning, and network science) and large-scale data analysis for the study of information systems and technology.. Theses in Social Data Science might also develop new computational approaches for analysing human behavioural data online. The DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences is instead designed for students to dig deeply into disciplinary questions in, for instance, politics or sociology, while also being able to place these questions into a broader picture of how the Internet can be theorised and researched. Theses in this programme might include quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods applied to a broad range of social science questions about digital phenomena and could address questions about technology policy or practice.

Should I apply for the MSc or the DPhil in Social Data Science?

A substantial amount of training in our programmes happens at the MSc level. It is therefore expected that applicants to DPhil programmes already hold a taught masters or other advanced degree. For Social Data Science, applicants should examine the content covered in the  MSc in Social Data Science  and are advised to apply for the MSc if their current experience covers less than half of the content taught within the MSc programme. DPhil students will work with their supervisors and the Programme Director to identify any further areas of specialised training that is needed for their theses and opportunities to meet these needs from across the University. DPhil students will usually take the Foundation courses from the MSc Social Data Science programme unless they already have equivalent training.

When should I apply?

The DPhil programme has one deadline in January.

Please ensure that you start the online application process as early as you can, to ensure plenty of time to complete your application. Only applications that are complete by the deadline (including letters of reference) can be considered by the admissions team. All applications must be made through the  University of Oxford Graduate Admissions  site.

How do I choose a supervisor?

Our students are supervised by faculty from the OII and partner departments in the University. Please note that we will only admit students where appropriate supervision is available; please see the full list of  faculty members  eligible to supervise students on this programme. If having read these, you are still unsure who could supervise your proposed research (or if you are considering supervision by a faculty member from a different department within the University of Oxford) please contact us to discuss this at  [email protected] .

Please note that it is strongly advised that DPhil applicants should contact a potential supervisor before they submit an application to check that there is appropriate supervision for their research proposal. Once DPhil applicants have identified an appropriate supervisor they should email them directly with a brief overview of the proposed research topic. The faculty member will then indicate whether they would be suitable to supervise the proposed topic.

Is the 2,000 word limit on the written work a minimum or maximum?

2,000 words is a maximum. Many students who find that their best work exceeds this length choose to submit a 2,000-word extract from that longer piece of work. We recommend that your chosen piece: demonstrates your capacity for independent or original thought; is systematically analytical rather than purely descriptive; addresses a clear question or problem; where relevant, draws on data or literature sources to support its main arguments; expresses its arguments with clarity and precision.

If I need to submit English Language Test results, when are they due?

You can read more about the English language requirements for graduate study applications in the graduate application guide.   This course requires proficiency in English at the University’s higher level. If you already have English language test scores at the required level achieved within two years of the start of the course to which you are applying, please include them in your application. However, you are not required to provide test scores when you submit your application.   

What does a good DPhil application look like? Do you have any examples?

Here is some great advice from OII DPhil alumni Bertram Vidgen on how to write your DPhil application proposal .  You can also read OII Professor Vili Lehdonvirta’s advice about picking a research topic for a DPhil application.  

What fees do I have to pay?

Course fees cover your teaching, and other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. They do not cover your accommodation or other living costs. You may have seen separate figures in the past for tuition fees and college fees. We have now combined these into a single figure.

See the University’s  guidance on fee status  and fee liability for information on  Home/Republic of Ireland ,  Islands  and  Overseas  student classification. As well as covering University and College fees, students will also have to support their maintenance costs. As Oxford is a relatively expensive place to live, it is recommended that students consult the University’s  guidance on living costs  when planning their budget, to cover accommodation, meals and other living expenses.

Do you offer any intensive, online or distance-learning courses?

We do not normally offer any of our MSc or DPhil programmes in an intensive, online, or distance-learning modality. Although we do make use of virtual learning environments and various other online components of study, both full and part-time students are required to attend in person during term time due to the collaborative and multi-disciplinary nature of our programmes, and the principles that underpin Oxford education as a  collegiate university.  We strongly believe that the face-to-face element of the programme is vital in providing a multi-disciplinary peer network for students to engage in ideas, discussion and debate.

We do, however, offer this programme on a part-time basis. The part-time DPhil is substantively identical to the full-time degree, but distributes the workload over five to six years for those who must fit study around work, family, or other outside commitments.

What does the schedule look like for a part-time DPhil student?

Part-time students can typically expect to spend at least 30 days physically in Oxford each year, and will be expected to commit approximately 20 hours per week to their studies. Part-time DPhil students will be expected to take core courses in Michaelmas Term of Years 1 and 2. These courses have been scheduled to allow part-time students to take them on a single day, so students will need to be able to attend classes in Oxford one day a week for the eight consecutive weeks of Michaelmas Term, as a minimum. In addition, part-time students will need to be present in Oxford in their first year for the full Induction Week (normally held the first week of October).

There are provisions to attend DPhil seminars and supervision meetings via video conference, the latter at your supervisor’s discretion, particularly from Year 3 onwards. However, classes for the core courses and any corresponding examinations in Michaelmas Term of Years 1 and 2 can only be attended in person.

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DPhil Finance

Start date:

• 7 October 2024

Time commitment:

About the programme

Our doctoral training will immerse you in all aspects of academic life.

You will be both a student and a junior research colleague. We provide courses in a wide variety of research methods and you will work closely with your supervisors to define your research question and develop your thesis. You will also have opportunities to gain teaching and research assistant experience and become involved with the intellectual community within both Saïd Business School and the wider University. You will attend academic conferences, make presentations, organise lectures and seminars and contribute to management and academic decisions. Both of our doctoral programmes run in parallel, with only differences in taught courses and preparation for writing in relevant journals to your subject of choice. We have deliberately kept the programmes small which means that in the vast majority of cases, students are fully funded to allow them to devote their energies to research. The DPhil corresponds to a PhD degree offered at most other universities. Examples of previous research topics include asset-pricing and corporate finance, the design and regulation of securities markets, corporate financial policy, and the impact of financial markets on real economic activity.

Supervision

You will be assigned two initial supervisors who will guide you through your first year.

They will help you to identify your specialist area of interest and further suitable advisers in that field. You will work closely with them to define your research question and develop your thesis. It is an important relationship and also a very personal one: it is shaped by you, your supervisors and the ways you interact. You will have a minimum of nine meetings, or equivalent per year with your supervisor.

You do not need to contact any faculty in advance of making your application but you can review the  profiles of our faculty  to look for at the areas of research covered at the School. You can note within your application if you feel that you are interested in a particular research area and working with a specific faculty member. 

The allocation of a supervisor is the responsibility of Saïd Business School, it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the School.

Review some current research taking place around the school as well as from some of our alumni.

Review articles and podcasts written by our researchers at  Oxford Answers . 

Learn more about  becoming a researcher  from Andromachi Athanasopoulou, who graduated in 2007 and is now an Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour at Queen Mary University London and an Associate Fellow at Oxford Saïd.

View Professor Renée Adams' discussion on  Women on boards: The superheroes of tomorrow?  

View Dr Amir Amel-Zadeh discussion on  (Mis-)information in financial markets .

Assessment and programme milestones

Our DPhil offers students the opportunity to engage with internationally renowned faculty who are here to help you become an academic scholar.

You will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). During your first year, you will be required to attend taught causes where foundational economic and financial theory will be studied. Based on previous years, these may include, but are not limited to courses that cover topics such as:

• Asset pricing
• Corporate finance
• Financial econometrics

During second and third terms, you will select four elective courses offered for the second year of the MPhil in Economics, one of which must be either Financial Economics I or Financial Economics II. Following successful completion of all necessary courses and within a maximum of six terms as a PRS student (and normally by the fourth term) you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. A successful transfer of status is required to give a clear indication of whether it would be reasonable to consider submission within the course of a further three terms, if work on the thesis continues to develop satisfactorily. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status within nine terms of admission, to show that your work continues to be on track. Both milestones normally involve an interview with two assessors (other than your supervisor). This provides important experience for the final oral examination. You will be expected to submit a thesis, which provides a significant and substantial contribution to the field of learning in finance, which should not exceed 100,000 words after four years from the date of admission. It should be good enough to be published in book form or as a series of academic articles. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in Finance you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

Changes to this course and your supervision

We seek to deliver this course in accordance with this description. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the us to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. Also in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our pages on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

I think the most important issues in the supervisor relationship are communication and trust. You need a supervisor who can tell you the things you need to hear even if you don’t want to hear them, and who can nudge you back on to the right track. Alexander Montag Current DPhil in Finance student

Benefits and opportunities

• Engage with internationally renowned faculty
• Conference and research funding
• Training in principal research methods at both at Saïd Business School and wider University.

Opportunities

• Paid teaching and research assistant opportunities
• Contribute to management and academic programme decisions through student representation on committees
• Postgraduate careers resources

You will become a member of an Oxford college. Your college is both an academic and social community that will enrich your time at Oxford. It offers everything from formal dinners and balls to sports and lecture series.

The Oxford college system enables you to interact with students and faculty from other disciplines. Some colleges provide accommodation for students. 

Who can apply

Our candidates are passionately intellectual people who have a superlative academic record and are committed to a career in academia.

DPhil in Finance

You will require:

• a good undergraduate degree: 2.1 (GPA 3.5 or its equivalent)
• GMAT or GRE test results
• TOEFL or IELTS test results (If you are not from an English speaking majority country)
• three pieces of written work, including a well-developed research proposal
• three academic references

Application process

Applications are now closed for October 2024 entry.

The deadline for applying was 13 December 2023 at 23:59 GMT. 

Complete applications received by the deadline will be considered. You will be informed by late January if you have been shortlisted for interview.

Final decisions will be communicated by the end of February.

There are nine shared places available for the DPhil Finance and DPhil Management. The average number of applications for entry between 2021 and 2023 was 70. 

Fees and funding

The course fee in 2024-25 is £23,580 for both home and overseas students.

The programme is four years in duration. Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). Please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. 

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Additional cost information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of the expenses.

Scholarships and funding

Doctoral students admitted to our programme receive full funding over four years. This includes course fees and an annual living expenses stipend. To maximise the overall availability of funding for candidates, we will identify suitable alternative scholarships and may ask you to submit funding applications. We also ask that you identify and pursue any other funding opportunities, including external funding.   

For some scholarships you are required to submit a scholarship essay and/or tick the relevant box in the Funding section of the application form.

Cost of living

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course. Please view the University's  living expenses page for information about likely living costs for 2024-25.

Further information about fees

The Fees and Funding section of The University of Oxford's website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Alumni placements

• University of Michigan Ross School of Business – Assistant Professor of Finance
• Vanderbilt University – Assistant Professor of Finance
• Ivey Business School - Assistant Professor in Finance
• University of Warwick - Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• International Monetary Fund - Economist (Economist Program), Research Department
• Harvard Business School - Post-Doctoral Fellow
• University of Hong Kong - Assistant Professor of Finance
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Tinbergen Institute - Assistant Professor of Finance
• Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland – Research Economist
• Indiana University – Assistant Professor of Finance
• City University of Hong Kong - Assistant Professor
• Please contact us if you have any queries.
• [email protected]