Funding
Funding your studies will be a crucial factor in your decision to apply for a postgraduate degree, so the earlier you consider your funding options, the better.
You can choose to pay your own tuition fees and living costs, or you can seek whole or partial funding from various sources. You may also want to consider applying for a funded studentship or scholarship.
For further information concerning the funding opportunities listed below, please contact Stephen Wadsworth from The School of Law's Postgraduate Office.
It is crucial to note that to be eligible for any source of funding listed below, you must FIRST have been made an offer of a place on the MPhil/PhD degree programme. You should make an application for a place on the MPhil/PhD programme at the earliest possible time, and at least two weeks prior to the application deadline of the funding opportunity you are interested in.
Details of the major funding opportunities that the School can offer or facilitate follow. All funding opportunities have closed now for academic year 2009-2010. Information will be updated on this page for 2010-2011 in the early months of 2010. The information below can be used as a guide in the meantime.
Applicants for study in 2009-2010 however can still take advantage of the School's Alumni Bursary Scheme. In this scheme, graduates of the Manchester School of Law who will be self-funding their postgraduate study will be eligible to receive a discount of 20% on their annual tuition fees when they register on a programme of further study in the School.
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) studentships
The competition for these studentships is now closed for 2009.
The School of Law is pleased to be able to offer two ESRC 1+3 or +3 'Quota Studentships' to commence in October 2009 for those wishing to undertake doctoral research in criminology or socio-legal studies.
The awards cover the costs of University tuition fees, along with a full annual stipend (approximately £13,000 for 2009-2010, which is not subject to income tax or National Insurance deductions). Students wishing to undertake research involving advanced quantitative methods may be eligible for an advanced stipend.
These studentships are for UK and EU applicants who fulfil residency requirements and who have a first class or upper second class degree or equivalent, as a minimum academic requirement. Please refer to the ESRC website for further details of eligibility criteria.
A 1+3 studentship is divided into two connected parts: the undertaking of the Master of Research (MRes) programme in Criminology & Socio-Legal Studies in the first year, immediately followed by a three year doctoral research programme in the School.
+3 studentships are available to prospective doctoral students who have already completed an ESRC-recognised Masters programme.
Applicants should express an interest as early as possible in the admissions process. Informal enquiries can be made to Judith Aldridge (Director of Doctoral Studies in Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies).
To make an application initially you just need to notify Mr. Stephen Wadsworth by e-mail that you will be doing so. Your application for consideration in the School will then be made up from the application form you will have submitted for your programme of study, along with the supporting documents for that (CV, references, transcripts, certificates).
The deadline for applications to be received is Thursday, 19th March 2009. Full applications for a place on the PhD programme should have been made and received by the School at least two weeks prior to this deadline.
Candidates will be informed of the outcome of their studentship application by the end of March. Successful candidates will be required to complete online application forms for the ESRC, and will be given advice on how to do that.
Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) studentships
The competition for these studentships is now closed for 2009.
The University is able to offer one Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) doctoral studentship to a prospective or current postgraduate research student of The School of Law, applications for which will need to be received in The School of Law by 1st April 2009 (at 5.00pm) .
These studentships are for UK and EU applicants who fulfil residency requirements and who have a first class or upper second class degree or equivalent, as a minimum academic requirement. Please refer to the AHRC website for further details of eligibility criteria.
For UK students (or students who fulfil UK residency criteria), the studentship covers the costs of University tuition fees, along with a full annual stipend of approximately £13,000 for 2009-2010 which is not subject to income tax or National Insurance deductions. EU students who do not fulfill UK residency criteria will be eligible for fees-only awards.
Prospective students who wish to be considered for the studentship must first make an application for a place on the School's PhD programme, and should do this before 1st April 2009. Applicants must then also complete a University of Manchester AHRC application form (below). Applicants must read the application guidance notes (also below) before submitting an application.
AHRC application guidance notes
Note: Although the application form is able to be word-processed, it cannot be saved once completed. Applicants should therefore work on the text in a separate word file, and then copy and paste into the application form, as appropriate.
Complete and signed application forms should be posted to the following address (for the attention of Mr. Stephen Wadsworth):
The School of Law, Postgraduate Office, Room 4.41b, Williamson Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
Application forms must be returned in hard copy. Any form of electronic application will not be accepted. Five copies of the AHRC application form are required. Applications must not be submitted directly to the AHRC.
Please direct any enquiries concerning these studentships and the application process to Stephen Wadsworth.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Scholarships
The competition for these scholarships is now closed for 2009.
GTA Scholarships provide an opportunity for applicants with an offer to undertake a postgraduate research programme in the School to combine studying for a higher degree with the acquisition of teaching experience.
For 2009-2010, the stipend award for newly-appointed GTAs will be £12,925 pa with the School additionally paying student tuition fees up to a maximum of the current home/EU student rate.
Awards will be made for one year in the first instance but may be renewed for three further years, subject to satisfactory progress with the PhD degree.
Applications will need to be received in The School of Law by 24th April 2009, with decisions made and conveyed to applicants in May 2009. Selection will involve an interview, to be arranged for May 2009.
Graduate Teaching Assistant application form
Graduate Teaching Assistant terms and conditions
School of Law Scholarships
The competition for these scholarships is now closed for 2009.
The School of Law offers a limited number of scholarships which are advertised annually in spring for research degrees beginning or continuing in the following academic year.
For academic year 2009-2010, the value of scholarship will vary but will first be used to pay tuition fees, with any balance awarded as a contribution to maintenance.
These scholarships are available to both overseas and home/EU students. Competition is intense, but we welcome applications from well-qualified graduates.
Applications will need to be received in The School of Law by 24th April 2009, with decisions made and conveyed to applicants in May 2009.
School of Law scholarship application form
School of Law scholarship conditions
Wellcome Trust Studentships
The competition for these studentships is now closed for 2009.
These Studentships are funded by the new ‘Wellcome Strategic Programme in the Human Body, its Scope, Limits and Future’ at the Institute for Science, Ethics and innovation (iSEI) within The School of Law. Fully-funded Studentships are available for Doctoral (PhD) and Masters (MPhil/MA/MSc) students commencing in the academic year 2009-10.
An award will cover the costs of home/EU tuition fees, along with a full annual stipend (£18,053 in the first year, rising to £21,321 in the third for PhDs), which is not subject to income tax or National Insurance deductions. UK and EU applicants should fulfil residency requirements and have a first class or upper second class degree or equivalent, as a minimum academic requirement. International applicants are also welcome and top-up bursaries may be available to cover overseas tuition fees.
Applicants should express an interest as early as possible in the admissions process. Informal enquiries can be made to Catherine Spanswick (Institute Administrator for iSEI).
These studentships are available to prospective doctoral students whose research will be undertaken within the scope of the School's Centre for Social Ethics & Policy, and prospective students of the structured PhD in Bioethics & Medical Jurisprudence.
Further details of how to apply for these studentships can be found on the website of the Institute for Science, Ethics and innovation (iSEI).
Applications should be sent to Mr. Stephen Wadsworth at the address below, and must be received by 28th April 2009.
The School of Law, Postgraduate Office, Room 4.41b, Williamson Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
Selection will involve a short-listing process and then an interview for short-listed candidates, to be arranged for May 2009 with decisions conveyed to applicants as soon as they are available.
Wellcome Trust Studentship application form
Faculty of Humanities Endowment Scholarship Fund
The competition for these studentships is now closed for 2009.
The Faculty of Humanities offers studentships for PhD students, which are available to both Home/EU and overseas students. The studentships will pay Home/EU tuition fees, plus a maintenance stipend of approximately £13,000 for academic year 2009-2010.
Each year, the Faculty publishes two priority research themes to form the basis of that year's competition. The research themes for academic year 2009-2010 will be:
- Culture, Identity and Change
- Sustainable Socieities
To make an application initially you just need to notify Mr. Stephen Wadsworth by e-mail that you will be doing so. Your application for consideration in the School will then be made up from the application form you will have submitted for your programme of study, along with the supporting documents for that (CV, references, transcripts, certificates).
The deadline for applications to be received in the School is 15th May 2009.
The School will be selecting up to two applications to forward to the competition in the Faculty of Humanities. Candidates will be informed by the end of May as to whether or not their application has been forwarded to the next stage of the process.
Other sources of funding
Some postgraduate research students are able to supplement their funds whilst studying by teaching undergraduate seminar classes in the School, provided that they have appropriate skills and undergo necessary training in the University. Postgraduate research students interested in this opportunity may consult the School of Law's Finance, Staff Services & Estates Office. Further information is available on the Teaching Assistants page.
The sources of funding available vary for UK/EU and international students. Visit the main University website to find out more about the various sources of funding you may be eligible for.