Funding for graduate study (2024)

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on social and economic issues. Oxford University, in collaboration with Brunel University and the Open University, hosts the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership - one of fourteen Doctoral Training Partnerships accredited by the ESRC as part of a Doctoral Training Network.

Award Structure

The DTP offers a variety of award structures and lengths, depending on prior training andcourse arrangements.A Masters qualification is not a prerequisite for studying with the Grand Union DTP; allpathways have options for students without a Masters, with training designed for individualsbased on an assessment of their prior learning and training needs.

The Sociology pathway offers 1+3 and 2+2 routes for students entering without a Masters qualificationthat meets the 2015 ERSC Training Guidelines:

• The 1+3 route is based on theMSc Sociologywhich, continuing the distinctive strengths of Oxford Sociology, has a focus on rigorous qualitative and quantitative methodology in contributing to both basic scientific research and informing evidence-based policy.
• The 2+2 route is based on theMPhil Sociology and Demographyand is for students who specifically want to undertake interdisciplinary work combining the strengths of sociology and demography.

The +3 route is for research students who have completed an MSc which meets the expectations of the 2015 ESRC Training Guidelines, who enter onto theDPhil Sociology.

Please note that the ESRC does not fund standalone Masters programmes, students must be intending to carry out doctoral research.

Scholarships

Students will receive a stipend to support living costs, set at the Research Council's annualrate. They will also have their fees covered for the period of the award.

Application Process

In order to be considered for a Grand Union DTP ESRC studentship, you must select ‘ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentships in Social Sciences’ in the University of Oxford scholarships section of the University's graduate application form. You must also complete a Grand Union DTP Application Form and upload it, together with your graduate application form, by the relevant deadline for your course.

To find out more:

Information about ESRC studentships at Oxford can be found on theGrand Union DTP website. Please ensure you have read all of the guidance available on the website before completing the Grand Union DTP Application Form. Questions can be directed to theGrand Union DTP Office.

The 1+1 programme is a unique, two-year postgraduate experience which offers you the opportunity tocombine the depth of our specialised, one-year MSc in Sociology with the breadth of Saïd Business School’s top-ranking, one-year MBA. As a result, you will embark from Oxford with the skills to translate specific domain knowledge into practical and innovative solutions to the many challenges facing our 21st Century world.

You will spend your first year completing your MSc before joining the MBA in your second year.

Application Process

To apply for the Oxford 1+1 MBA you will need to submit two separate applications, one to your chosen partnering programme and one to the Oxford MBA. Both programmes will have their own entry requirements, application deadlinesand admissions process - research both programmes to ensure you have everything you need to submit by the required deadlines.You must meet the entry requirements for both the MSc and the MBAindividually. More information is available here.

The Oxford Pershing Square Graduate Scholarship

TheOxford Pershing Square Graduate Scholarshipis available for up to six extraordinary 1+1 students who are committed to finding scalable and sustainable solutions toworld-scale social challenges. The Scholarship providesfull course fees for both the Master's degree and MBA programme, and a grant for living expenses for both years of study.

Visit the Saïd Business School website for more details

All graduate applicants to degree-bearing courses are eligible for this prestigious scholarship funding. Approximately 170 awards are made across the University every year. Scholarships are highly competitive, with recipientsselected for their outstanding academic merit and potential.

Scholarships

Clarendon offers fully-funded scholarships covering course fees, as well as a grant for living expenses for the period of fee liability. Awards providing partial funding may also be available.

Application Process

You willbe automatically considered for Clarendonif you apply by your course's relevant deadline. Youdo notneed to submit a separate application.

Visit the Clarendon website for more details

Some Oxford colleges make funds available to support graduate students in their studies; the amount and the conditions vary from college to college and in some cases from year to year.

TheOxford Fees, Funding and Scholarship Searchlists awards available from colleges and you should check individual college websites for information on eligibility and application procedures. Graduate studentships are also sometimes available to students once they have started their studies in Oxford, from some colleges – again, check individual college websites and theUniversity Gazettefor announcements.

St Antony's College

St Antony's College offers two scholarships open to Sociology students. When applying, interested students should complete aseparate application form found at the links belowby5pm on 4 March 2024.

Swire Scholarships:Four fully funded scholarships are available for applicants who are permanent residents of Japan, Chinese mainland or Hong Kong SAR and have completed the majority of their formal education in their country/region of permanent residency. For all those who will commence study on a course offered by St Antony's College in 2024/25. MSc, MPhil and DPhil applicants are eligible.

One scholarship for an applicant who is a Kenyan citizen to study for a one-year Master’s degree in the academic year 2024-25 at St Antony’s College. The scholarship will be for a value of up to £40k.

Nuffield College

Students who are admitted toNuffield Collegeto undertake one of the courses offered in Sociology will have their full funding underwritten by Nuffield for the duration of the fee liability of the course.

St Cross College

Prospective students can also apply for available scholarships offered bySt Cross College.

The AHRC provides public funding in support of research into the arts and humanities, for approximately one quarter of the UK's research population. Oxford University participates in the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership, providing a number of scholarships each year to students working in eligible subject areas across the Humanities and Social Sciences Divisions.

Scholarships

A full award by theOpen-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP includes payment of university fees throughout the funded period, atax-free maintenance grant at theUK Research and Innovation(UKRI) minimum rate,and the opportunity to apply for anextension to studentship funding on the basis of individual training and research needs or to support a professional placement.

Funding is adjusted on a pro-rata basis for part-time students. We also offer students training and researcher development opportunities, additional funding to support their individual research and training needs,and access to the resources and training offered by our consortium universities.

Application Process

Information about the application process can be found here. Please note, inorder to be considered for a studentship you must tick the relevant box in the studentships section of the Oxford application form. You will also need to complete theOOC DTP Application Formand upload it as an additional document when completing your application.

Visit the Open-Oxford-Cambridge website for more details

Occasionally, special sources of funds become available for graduate students in particular subjects. Any information that the Department receives about such schemes will be posted here.

Prospective graduate students from outside of the UK may be able to access other sources of funding including from their home state or other schemes.

There are also sources of funds available to students after they have begun studying at Oxford, including essay and thesis prizes, research assistance and other casual work for the Department and for colleges, and teaching for the Department and for colleges. Funding may also be available for specific parts of a course – e.g. to undertake fieldwork or to study in overseas institutions. Information about sources of support in the Department for current graduates is posted on the Department’s website.

Professional bodies such as the British Sociological Association can often also assist with funds for conferences or fieldwork, so they may be worth joining. They can also be valuable resources when it comes to finding a job after finishing graduate study.