Funding for DPhil/PhD in the UK?

[PDCU]

I'm a student in the US, but I am interested in applying for DPhil or PhD in the UK (hopefully Oxbridge! I know it's a long shot). I got into MA in CIR at UChicago, and I want to give it a shot since UK PhD/DPhil require MA from applicants. Oh and I hear they don't require GRE! My GRE wasn't so hot.

But as poor as I am, funding will ultimately determine if I go or not, assuming I get in. How does funding work? Is there TA/RA award like in the US? Are only EU and UK citizens considered for departmental funding? Is there a different system? I have no idea how it works over there. Any information will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Overtherainbow]

As far as I know, there aren't really TA/RA awards in the UK that would cover your tuition and living expenses. You can be a tutor, though, but I think this is arranged after you arrive at the university for your studies.

These isn't much departamental funding for tution and living expenses for grad students in Britain. PhD students in political science tend to be funded by ESRC, which is (I think) only for British nationals. In Oxford there are also university-wide Clarendon awards which are not dependent on nationality, but these are very competitive.

There are also Rhodes and Marshall scholarships available to Americans, but again, these are very competitive.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Overtherainbow

[AuldReekie]

I'm going the other way precisely because the funding is so awful.

A few things..

• You will need a well developed and implementable research proposal. More so than for a US program.
  
  
  • The above post is correct, ESRC and AHRC scholarships are UK/EU only. There are scholarships at other universities though. Look at jobs.ac.uk, here's an example http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AEC140/phd-studentship-in-political-science/
    
    
    • More funding is available if you are willing to write proposals to projects being undertaken by the university. Though the website is pretty sparse at the moment http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AEC140/phd-studentship-in-political-science/
      

    [*]You will probably less employable if you intend to teach and research in the US.

    Personally I'm going to apply to 10+ US programs and only a couple in the UK. I wish you all the best of luck!

[CooCooCachoo]

I agree with everything RLemkin said. I'm currently in Oxford and can assure you that departmental funding is well-nigh impossible to get. The college system is partly why Oxbridge faculties do not have endowments like the leading US universities have. It's worth looking at fellowships that colleges offer, but these will seldom cover more than a small fraction of the costs + living expenses.

Aside from the cost factor, you should consider what you want to get out of a doctoral programme. Note that you will be assumed to have a lot of the research skills and foundational knowledge that PhD programmes in the US actually equip you with; Oxbridge DPhils are very heavy on the self-study side (actually, rather to my dismay, even Oxford MPhils are). This could be a pro or a con depending on your background as well as your research and career objectives.