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Funding for postgraduate taught students

Research Council Awards

AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council)

For UK and EU students, the main funding body for postgraduate study in the arts and humanities is the AHRC. The University of Manchester has been awarded among the highest number of studentships under the AHRC’s Block Grant Partnership (BGP) scheme of any UK university. AHRC awards are highly competitive and provide payment of tuition fees and a maintenance stipend for UK students, and tuition fees (and in some cases a maintenance stipend, subject to eligibility criteria) for EU students. The selection of candidates is made by the School, with final confirmation of awards by the AHRC. (Please note: it is possible to apply for an AHRC BGP studentship at more than one institution, but only one nomination per student is permitted; applicants offered a studentship at more than one institution must choose which one to accept before nominations are submitted to the AHRC.)

The following subject areas are open to applications for AHRC studentships available for UK and EU students starting their programme of study from September 2013:

  • Archaeology
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Creative Writing
  • Dance, Drama and Performance
  • English Language and Literature
  • Film, Digital and Media Production (Visual Anthropology)
  • French Language and Culture (French studies)
  • History
  • Iberian and Latin American Language and Culture (Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies)
  • Interpreting and Translation (Translation Studies)
  • Linguistics
  • Museum Studies
  • Philosophy
  • Religious Studies

For further information on AHRC Postgraduate funding opportunities, please see:

ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council)

The University of Manchester is a member of the ESRC's North West Doctoral Training College (DTC). The North West DTC receives the largest number of ESRC PhD studentships in England. UK and EU students intending to take a PhD degree (+3) or an MA followed by a PhD (1+3) in the School may be eligible to apply for support from the ESRC. Applicants working within various pathways are eligible for awards. Successful applicants will benefit from joint training provision with Lancaster and Liverpool. The relevant pathways are:

  • Economic and Social History
  • Language-Based Area Studies (LBAS), including PhD studentships in:
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Latin American and Caribbean Studies
  • Russian and East European Studies
  • Linguistics and English Language

In order to apply for a +3 studentship, students will have completed or will be completing an ESRC recognised Research Training MA or equivalent research training. These include the recognised MA History routes at Manchester (Economic and Social History; Cultural History; War, Culture, and History; Modern British History; and World History), Language-based Area Studies and Linguistics may apply for a 1+3 studentship which will cover the MA and subsequent PhD (depending on successful completion of the MA). All ESRC applications must be received by the School by Monday 4 February 2013.

Please note that you are advised to submit your online application for a place on your chosen PhD programme by Thursday 17 January 2013. This will ensure that you are in receipt of an offer of a place on your chosen PhD programme in advance of the ESRC deadline of Monday 4 February 2013.

Further information on the NWDTC and the pathways available, including the application form can be found here Northwest Doctoral Training Centre - Prospective Students or contact the NWDTC administrator: h.l.meloy@liverpool.ac.uk

For further information, prospective candidates for History programmes should contact anindita.ghosh@manchester.ac.uk

To consult the joint statement by the AHRC and ESRC:

School awards for Postgraduate taught students

In addition to the Research Council funding and other subject-specific awards, there are School-wide competitions for Arts, Languages and Cultures PGT full and half fees bursaries.

NB you can apply for both AHRC (if your subject area is eligible) and SALC Masters bursaries.

Arts, Languages and Cultures Masters bursaries

These awards for full and half fees bursaries come with the opportunity to act as an assistant on a research project or research-related activity within the subject area.

The ALC MA bursaries are open to both Home/EU and Overseas students, and are awarded for one year of full-time study or pro rata for two years part-time study.

Overseas scholarships

These dedicated Overseas MA scholarships, also payable against fees bursaries, are only eligible to Overseas applicants.

How to apply

Except where indicated, all the awards use the same application process. Please state clearly which Award you are applying to on the funding application form - NB you can apply for both AHRC studentships (if your subject area is eligible) and SALC Masters Bursaries.

The application process is in two parts:

  1. The Faculty of Humanities advise that applications are submitted by the 1st of February 2013 to ensure that your application is received by the school office well in advance of the deadline for AHRC applications of 1st March. This is revised from the previous date issued (of 15th February). Please note this date is for guidance only and not a deadline for applications to programmes – applications after 1st February and by 15th February will be considered in light of this late revision. You can apply here. Your referees will also need to submit your references directly to the School by this date.
  2. You also need to submit the funding application, complete with form, Case for Support and references by 5pm, 1 March 2013. This funding application form should be submitted via email to pg-artsfunding@manchester.ac.uk or via post to Postgraduate Taught Office, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, S3.9 Samuel Alexander Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL.

Case for support

As part of your Funding Application, you need to submit a 500-word case for support. Guidance for this can found below, within the Guide for Applicants to AHRC BGP.

References

You should inform your referees that you are applying for funding. References that do not provide a detailed appraisal of your academic development and suitability for your proposed programme of study, but are simply a general statement of support, may disadvantage even the strongest applicant.

Forms and guidance

Access to Postgraduate Education Bursaries

These are bursaries of £1000 each to facilitate access to postgraduate study for students who would not otherwise be able to meet the cost: for example, students whose family responsibilities limit their ability to combine paid work with study. The bursaries are open both to those who hold offers to start a taught postgraduate programme in September 2013, and to current part-time students who would otherwise have difficulty in completing their programme.

How to apply

Further information on the application process for these Bursaries will be available here in due course.

Further enquiries

If you have any queries about Postgraduate funding and fees, please contact Andy Rigg on 0161-275 3144 or andrew.rigg@manchester.ac.uk