Social Work
- PhD
Overview
A PhD in Social Work equips students with the skills and experience to apply social research methods and tools to critically examine some of the most pressing contemporary issues in social work practice, policy and education. Students are encouraged to develop a topic of interest that directly relates to their own practice experiences or is of wider interest and relevance to the delivery of social work services and support to disadvantaged individuals and groups, either in the UK or overseas.
Students will be supported to develop research questions and design a study that enables them to rigorously research their topic of interest and make an original contribution to the knowledge base of social work. Topics may directly explore practice issues or contribute more broadly to social work knowledge, working with specific groups and communities and addressing systems of inequality and social disadvantage. Where appropriate, students are encouraged to work in collaboration with relevant organisations and user and interest groups to ensure their research outputs and key findings can directly inform social work practice and service delivery.
We are a multidisciplinary, research-intensive school which brings together theory, policy and practice. Our research engages with and influences national and international policy. Our policy experts come from a wide variety of backgrounds in social policy research, social work, sociology, gender violence, childhood studies, disability studies, health and social care, history, human geography, economics, psychology, physical activity, nutrition and health sciences, urban studies, and poverty, based within seven specialist research centres.
Supervisors in social work bring diverse interests across child and family social work (for example, looked after children; adoption and fostering; supporting parents with substance misuse or learning disabilities; domestic violence responses and interventions) and adult social care (for example, disabled adults' social care needs; housing and homelessness; mental health social work; social work with older people and carers; inclusive service provision for LGBTQ+ individuals).
The school is an exciting environment for postgraduate studies; we welcome students from the UK and abroad to join our diverse and highly-rated research team. We particularly welcome applications on topics with direct relevance to national and international social work and policy concerns.
Entry requirements
An upper second-class honours degree and a merit at MSc/MA level (or equivalent experience/qualification).
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
This admission statement is for 2026 entry. The 2027 entry admission statement will be available in the Autumn.
Go to admissions statementIf English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level B.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £5,343 per year
- Home: part-time
- £2,672 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £22,500 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
Applicants may apply for an SWDTP studentship and/or a University of Bristol scholarship. Eligible applicants can also apply for a China Scholarship Council scholarship. Programme application deadlines for scholarship applicants will be published in early autumn 2026. These deadlines apply to applicants seeking a scholarship from the South-West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP), University of Bristol or China Scholarship Council (CSC).
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
Studying social work will equip you with a wide range of skills across a broad spectrum of interests and fields. The skills in analysis and research you will develop are relevant to vocational or non-vocational work in many different settings.
Previous graduates have gone on to have careers in higher education, policy-related fields, local government, other public sector bodies and third sector organisations. Careers have included those related to health and welfare, social work practice, academic posts, community work, the criminal justice system, management and research consultancy.
Meet our supervisors
The following list shows potential supervisors for this programme. Visit their profiles for details of their research and expertise.
Research groups
The School houses a number of research centres and groups to foster collaboration and support our researchers and postgraduate community. Our interdisciplinary Research Centres are:
The Governance and Public Policy Research Centre is at the forefront of multidisciplinary research into governance and policy processes, focusing on how these drive and can be leveraged to bring about positive social change. Centre members come from a variety of disciplines, including economics, social policy, sociology, public policy, and political science. We combine interests in these disciplines with practical involvement in current issues of policy in Bristol, the UK, and across the world.
Inequalities and Social Welfare
The Inequalities and Social Welfare Research Centre brings together interdisciplinary research on how poverty, inequality and social exclusion shape people’s lives across local, national and global contexts. Using rigorous qualitative, quantitative, comparative and creative methods, we produce research that advances understanding and informs policy, practice and public debate.
Health, Social Care and Disability
The aim of the Centre is to conduct impactful local, national and international social research to address health and social care challenges, reduce inequalities, and inform more inclusive policy and practice for disabled people and other diverse groups. We provide research-led teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, engage in grant-funded research and commissioned consultancy, and we share our policy expertise in a range of advisory roles.
Social Harm, Crime and Violence
The Social Harm, Crime and Violence Research Centre is a leading centre for the study of social harm and crime in the UK and globally, combining pioneering research with
policy impact and activism. The centre builds on approaches to harm, crime, structural and gendered violence developed at Bristol since the early 1990s, which explore these issues beyond the confines of disciplines such as criminology or law. Centre members examine diverse forms of harms and crimes, perpetrated not only by individuals but by states, corporations and wider social structures.
Contact us
- Contact
- Postgraduate Research Admissions Team
- uob-pgradmissions@bristol.ac.uk