Hi,

i was wondering if some people could explain there experience in applying for phd's, particularly in humanities/ social science subjects where they were expected to write there own proposals and find their own funding? Particularly how and at what point did you go about finding funding, did you apply to more than one uni and if so when and what made ur decision on where to study?

I am hoping to begin a phd in economics in sept, but am struggling with applying and knowing what to expect. I have written my proposal, which had been checked by a couple of tutors at my old Uni who have said it's fine. Basically I've identified a few places that I'd like to study, but require funding to study anywhere. All of these places have either Uni, department or esrc quota studentship comps, but having spoken to admissions I am aware the places for each are fairly restricted. My current plan is to submit an application to all the places I am considering and apply for all the studentships possible and see if I'm succesful with any. I would then study where I could get funding, or my preffered choice if I was offered funding by more than 1. If nowhere offered me any funding I would have to decline all offers and restart the proccess next year. I was hoping to find out if anybody else went about this a similiar way, or is it expected that if ur application is accepted at any one place u will definately study there? I don't like the idea of meeting with various potential supervisors only to decline offers come the summer either because I cannot get funding or get funding else where, however i would be grateful to know if this is any way common.

Any experience or advice would be greatly appreciated. This whole phd proccess appears to be incredibly complicated when not being able to self-fund and writing ur own proposal!

Thanks.

I would apply for anything and everything and hope something comes up. Don't worry about pulling out or not being able to take the place if you don't get funding - this is quite common as there are usually always more applicants than funding opportunities so people inevitably drop off the radar. Prospective supervisors will also generally help with proposals. Good luck!

Hey

It takes awhile, just be patient. I've just been accepted on a PhD in Social Sciences (Archaeology) but this is my second attempt. I applied for a studentship while I was finishing of my MA but got turned down due to lack of experience, but I talked to a lecturer I'd known in the department and who i help with excavations during holidays from work and he introduced me to a friend of his who lectures at UCL and who runs sites in Egypt. Between the 3 of us we managed to think up a new idea for me to try, and thankfully managed to convince another lecturer at my department to be my main supervisor (he seems shockingly enthusiastic about it now!). I haven't got funding for the PhD itself (yet) but you can apply for funds from the AHRC once you've started which I'm hoping to do, and I have funding for the site out in egypt from the Egyptian council. Also as a part time student I can apply for bursaries from the University (in the case of my uni anyhow). My advice is just keep looking around for funding and stay positive. If a potential supervisor can see that your enthusiastic and willing to put the work in, they will really help you out alot. I only really looked at one other uni for a PhD, and even the lecturer I talked to there was very enthusiastic!

Ratchit x

Thanks for the advice guys. I've started to put in some applications. My main problem is that while I am not to bothered about where I study I am really concerned about what I study. I know from past experience I struggle to motivate myself if im not really interested in a topic, so i see little point in starting a phd in a topic i dont know im interested in just to get funding. As such ive written a pretty detailed proposal, and im just going to apply to as many places as possible, hope theres someone interested in supervising, and then hope im succesful in winning a studentship somewhere.

In doing it this way ive also got the problem that my proposed supervisor at one of the places ive applied for is also my undergrad tutor and referree! So im not really to sure how to ask her to supply references for other uni's when ive already been accepted on a phd for her to supervise! Any advice on this, or should i just really outline that I couldnt study at all without funding?

Hi Bcc

I was in a similar position myself when I was finishing off my MSc and looking around for PhDs. The uni I did my MSc at kept talking about there being PhD funding coming up, maybe, and that I'd be ideal for it, maybe, but every time it looked like they might actually get around to advertising the studentship it would get delayed. So I saw a studentship advertised at another uni nearby (one with a much better reputation!) and applied for that, and asked the people who would be my PhD supervisors at my old uni to be my referees - I figured it might nudge them into offering me the funding I needed to stay, I didn't really expect the other uni to offer me a place. I had an interview for the other uni, and as I expected I didn't get the studentship (it went to someone with more specific knowledge for their project) but they liked me so much at interview that they found departmental funding and offered me a studentship anyway, to design my own project. At which point my original uni suddenly leapt in and offered me funding too, so I got to choose between them. And chose the second, better uni - definitely the right choice!! It was a bit awkward telling the lecturers at the original uni that after months of talking about staying on I was going elsewhere, but they understood, and we're still in contact.

What I think this shows is that if you find supervisors who are keen to take you on they'll do all they can to help you get funding, and will support you, and even if that means you turn down places elsewhere, it's not seen as a bad thing, but a totally understandable thing where you have to make a decision that suits you. The funding I was offered at my old uni was snapped up by someone else a month or so later so everything worked out fine in that sense, and it gave me a good boost to know I was in charge of my own decisions rather than clinging on to the first opportunity I had.

Hope that helps, and good luck!