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The University of Edinburgh: Politics
| Institution | The University of Edinburgh View institution profile |
|---|---|
| Department | School of Social and Political Science |
| Web | https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying |
| Study type | Research |
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Summary
The Politics and International Relations (PIR) department has an international reputation for research, with its academic staff having won numerous teaching, research and advising awards.
PIR staff scholarship covers a diverse range of research areas on Scotland, Europe, and the world, and is published in highly-rated journals and books.
The department has a strong tradition of advising, informing and debating policy with key decision-makers at Scottish, UK, European and international levels, and has a notable concentration of political theorists.
Research in Politics and International Relations explores the theory, practice, and ethics of politics and governance.
We cover a broad area of expertise, from local politics and policy to global governance, political theory to empirical studies, constructivism to rational choice approaches. Our staff also use a wide range of methods to gather and analyse data for a better understanding of various topics.
**Interdisciplinary research focus**
Our Politics & International Relations group has close links with cross-disciplinary and internationally recognised research centres.
Major focuses of research include:
* sub-state and supranational dimensions of politics and public policy
* British and territorial politics and the impact of devolution in the UK and elsewhere
* the constitution and governance of the European Union
* nationalism, democratic transition, civil society, and institution-building
* health, welfare, environment, competition, migrations and citizenship, and equal opportunities policies
* political theory, especially war ethics, environmental ethics, and theories of freedom
* conflict, peacebuilding, and security
* international politics, including:
* changing relations
* the new security agenda
* transatlantic relations
* political economy
* migration politics
* feminist foreign policymaking
* global governance
and
* gender and politics, including:
* feminist approaches to institutionalism, political economy, policymaking and political theory
* women’s movements
* gender-based violence
* intersectionality
**Our intellectual community**
PhD research in Politics and International Relations at Edinburgh is located in the School of Social and Political Science. The School benefits from the broader University of Edinburgh community of world-class researchers. A flourishing programme of events, seminars, and research groups complements our postgraduate courses and doctoral supervision.
We have a large, vibrant, diverse, and international community of postgraduate students. We direct active research institutes, including:
* Europa Institute
* Centre on Constitutional Change
* Centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy (SKAPE)
* Centre for Security Research (CeSeR)
* Centre for Ethics and Critical Thought (CRITIQUE)
Politics and International Relations postgraduate researchers significantly contribute to our academic community, productivity and acclaim. Our PhD students are involved in a range of initiatives within the University and beyond, including government and non-profit programmes.
Past and current cohorts of postgraduates have actively sought to publish their innovative research, drawn from their PhD studies, related work, and collaborative work with other academics and organisations. Our PhD students also attend workshops and conferences at universities and other events.
**Our dedication to students**
We are deeply committed to our students at all levels and offer individualised supervision, mentoring, and support at all stages of the doctoral programme. We warmly welcome postgraduate students to participate in our research, our working groups and centres and in the daily life of the department.
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
Summary
The Politics and International Relations (PIR) department has an international reputation for research, with its academic staff having won numerous teaching, research and advising awards.
PIR staff scholarship covers a diverse range of research areas on Scotland, Europe, and the world, and is published in highly-rated journals and books.
The department has a strong tradition of advising, informing and debating policy with key decision-makers at Scottish, UK, European and international levels, and has a notable concentration of political theorists.
Research in Politics and International Relations explores the theory, practice, and ethics of politics and governance.
We cover a broad area of expertise, from local politics and policy to global governance, political theory to empirical studies, constructivism to rational choice approaches. Our staff also use a wide range of methods to gather and analyse data for a better understanding of various topics.
**Interdisciplinary research focus**
Our Politics & International Relations group has close links with cross-disciplinary and internationally recognised research centres.
Major focuses of research include:
* sub-state and supranational dimensions of politics and public policy
* British and territorial politics and the impact of devolution in the UK and elsewhere
* the constitution and governance of the European Union
* nationalism, democratic transition, civil society, and institution-building
* health, welfare, environment, competition, migrations and citizenship, and equal opportunities policies
* political theory, especially war ethics, environmental ethics, and theories of freedom
* conflict, peacebuilding, and security
* international politics, including:
* changing relations
* the new security agenda
* transatlantic relations
* political economy
* migration politics
* feminist foreign policymaking
* global governance
and
* gender and politics, including:
* feminist approaches to institutionalism, political economy, policymaking and political theory
* women’s movements
* gender-based violence
* intersectionality
**Our intellectual community**
PhD research in Politics and International Relations at Edinburgh is located in the School of Social and Political Science. The School benefits from the broader University of Edinburgh community of world-class researchers. A flourishing programme of events, seminars, and research groups complements our postgraduate courses and doctoral supervision.
We have a large, vibrant, diverse, and international community of postgraduate students. We direct active research institutes, including:
* Europa Institute
* Centre on Constitutional Change
* Centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy (SKAPE)
* Centre for Security Research (CeSeR)
* Centre for Ethics and Critical Thought (CRITIQUE)
Politics and International Relations postgraduate researchers significantly contribute to our academic community, productivity and acclaim. Our PhD students are involved in a range of initiatives within the University and beyond, including government and non-profit programmes.
Past and current cohorts of postgraduates have actively sought to publish their innovative research, drawn from their PhD studies, related work, and collaborative work with other academics and organisations. Our PhD students also attend workshops and conferences at universities and other events.
**Our dedication to students**
We are deeply committed to our students at all levels and offer individualised supervision, mentoring, and support at all stages of the doctoral programme. We warmly welcome postgraduate students to participate in our research, our working groups and centres and in the daily life of the department.
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
Summary
Approximately 60 members of PIR academic staff enjoy international reputations for their research and have won numerous teaching, research and advising awards. Their scholarship covers a diverse range of research areas on Scotland, Europe, and the world, and is published in highly-rated journals and books.
The department has a strong tradition of advising, informing and debating policy with key decision-makers at Scottish, UK, European and international levels, and has a notable concentration of political theorists.
Research in Politics and International Relations explores the theory, practice and ethics of politics and governance.
We cover a broad area of expertise, from local policy to global governance, political theory to empirical studies, constructivism to rational choice approaches.
Our Politics & International Relations group has close links with cross-disciplinary and internationally recognised research centres.
Major research focuses include:
- sub-state and supranational dimensions of politics and public policy
- the impact of devolution in the UK and elsewhere, and the constitution and governance of the European Union
- international politics: changing relations, the new security agenda, transatlantic relations, political economy, migration politics and global governance
- nationalism, democratic transition, civil society and institution-building
- health, welfare, environment, competition, migrations and citizenship, and equal opportunities policies
- political theory, especially war ethics, environmental ethics and theories of freedom
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
Summary
Approximately 60 members of PIR academic staff enjoy international reputations for their research and have won numerous teaching, research and advising awards. Their scholarship covers a diverse range of research areas on Scotland, Europe, and the world, and is published in highly-rated journals and books.
The department has a strong tradition of advising, informing and debating policy with key decision-makers at Scottish, UK, European and international levels, and has a notable concentration of political theorists.
Research in Politics and International Relations explores the theory, practice and ethics of politics and governance.
We cover a broad area of expertise, from local policy to global governance, political theory to empirical studies, constructivism to rational choice approaches.
Our Politics & International Relations group has close links with cross-disciplinary and internationally recognised research centres.
Major research focuses include:
- sub-state and supranational dimensions of politics and public policy
- the impact of devolution in the UK and elsewhere, and the constitution and governance of the European Union
- international politics: changing relations, the new security agenda, transatlantic relations, political economy, migration politics and global governance
- nationalism, democratic transition, civil society and institution-building
- health, welfare, environment, competition, migrations and citizenship, and equal opportunities policies
- political theory, especially war ethics, environmental ethics and theories of freedom
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.
The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 27th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.
Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
Our …
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