Research fees and funding
You may want to think about options for funding your PhD and any associated living costs while you study. Below are some examples of the kinds of PhD studentship packages that are available. Our supervisors and support staff can help you develop and refine your proposal to match your chosen funding call.
Postgraduate research degree fees
Research degree fees (PhD and MPhil)
If you’re interested in a postgraduate research course, you can find our tuition fee rates below. Postgraduate fees are subject to change, so please check back regularly.
Studying a PhD
If you’re studying a PhD full time, fees will be payable for your first three years. For subsequent years you’ll only pay an annual 'registration-only' fee. Part-time PhD fees are payable over six years, followed by the annual 'registration-only' fee.
Studying an MPhil
If you’re studying an MPhil full-time, fees are payable for your first two years, followed by an annual 'registration-only' fee. Part-time MPhil fees are payable over four years, followed by the annual 'registration-only' fee.
Fees are charged each year and are also subject to change each year. Overseas PhD fees for 2022/23 onwards will be fixed at the point of entry, so you will be charged the same fee each year, based on when you started your programme.
The cost of the registration-only fee is displayed in the table below.
| 2022/2023 fees | 2023/2024 fees | |||
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | |
| All subjects and departments | £4,596 | £2,298 | £4,712 | £2,356 |
| Registration-only fee | £460 | £460 | £470 | £470 |
| 2022/23 fees | 2023/24 fees | |||
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | |
| Institute of Aquaculture | £23,200 | £11,600 | £24,400 | £12,200 |
| Biological and Environmental Sciences | £20,400 | £10,200 | £21,400 | £10,700 |
| Computing Science | £20,400 | £10,200 | £21,400 | £10,700 |
| Other subjects and departments | £16,500 | £8,250 | £17,300 | £8,650 |
| Registration-only fee | £460 | £460 | £470 | £470 |
Professional Doctorate fees
Fees for our Professional Doctorates can be found on the relevant course pages:
Research Council Studentships
Are you a UK resident? The UK Research Councils offer a range of studentship awards which cover tuition fees and associated living costs for 3 to 4 years.
If you’re an EU resident you can also apply for Research Council awards, but usually you will be eligible for awards covering tuition fees only and not associated living costs.
To find out if your research course is eligible for funding, contact the Research Council relevant to your chosen course:
- Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH)
- Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS)
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
PhD loans for students from England and Wales
If you're domiciled in England or Wales you may be eligible to apply for a doctoral loan from your regional body:
- English students can apply for a loan of up to £28,673 from Student Finance England.
- Welsh students can apply for a loan of up to £28,395 from Student Finance Wales.
Loans can be combined with funding from your university or other sources, but not with Research Council funding, NHS funding or other direct Government funding. More information is available via FindaPhD.
Teaching assistantships
Some of our faculties offer teaching assistantships for research students, in return for undertaking part-time teaching duties.
If you take up this opportunity, you’ll receive a stipend to support you in your studies, and the amount of teaching will not normally exceed six hours per week. To find out more, you should contact your Faculty.
Employer sponsorship
If your degree is directly relevant to your work, you should think about speaking with your employer. They may give you paid leave for study, or even pay for part of your tuition fees and associated costs.
Contact us
If you have any questions about Postgraduate Research at Stirling, please contact us.