PhD/MPhil in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2025 entry)

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Course code

P-X3C9

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time;
up to 7 years
part-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

Centre for Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD)

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-X3C9

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time;
up to 7 years
part-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

Centre for Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD)

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

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Find out more about our PhD/MPhil in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities degree at Warwick

Explore intellectual disabilities and autism in depth on Warwick's MPhil/PhD in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The Centre for Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) is an internationally recognised research centre specialising in intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism across the lifespan.

Course overview

Students carry out a PhD by research only. There are no taught course components.

Teaching and learning

The department has several small PhD work spaces that students can access.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

Band B
IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Academic References

We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses, and two academic references for research courses.

You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.

View our guide to academic references.Link opens in a new window

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Research themes

Our research

We are interested in hearing from people who are thinking of pursuing a PhD in areas of CIDD’s expertise:

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism) across the lifespan
Assessment and diagnosis in intellectual and developmental disabilities
Families, family adjustment, siblings of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and sibling relationships
Mental health in children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Forensic mental health in adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism
Developmental psychology with children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism
School attendance in children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Early intervention in intellectual and developmental disabilities
Early development of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Transition to adulthood for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Parenting skills and interventions in families of children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Psychological and educational therapies and interventions for children, adolescents, adults and families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Training of education, health and social care staff who work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

If you are interested in doing a PhD with us, you can look for and contact potential supervisors using our CIDD Staff Directory.

Students are encouraged to contact Paul.Thompson.2@warwick.ac.uk to discuss their interest in applying to study at CIDD prior to submitting an application.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.

Supervisors and proposals

Find a supervisor

We are interested in hearing from people who are thinking of pursuing a PhD in areas of CIDD’s expertise in intellectual disability / autism:

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism) across the lifespan
Assessment and diagnosis in intellectual and developmental disabilities
Families, family adjustment, siblings of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and sibling relationships
Mental health in children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Forensic mental health in adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism
Developmental psychology with children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism
School attendance in children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Early intervention in intellectual and developmental disabilities
Early development of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Transition to adulthood for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Parenting skills and interventions in families of children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Psychological and educational therapies and interventions for children, adolescents, adults and families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Training of education, health and social care staff who work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

If you are interested in doing a PhD with us, you can look for and contact potential supervisors using our CIDD Staff Directory.

Students are encouraged to contact Paul.Thompson.2@warwick.ac.uk to discuss their interest in applying to study at CIDD prior to submitting an application.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.Link opens in a new window

Research proposals

The Centre for Research in Intellectual and Development Disabilities (CIDD) doesn't have any specific requirements with respect to research proposals.

Students are encouraged to contact Assistant Professor Paul Thompson (Paul.Thompson.2@warwick.ac.uk), CIDD's Director of Graduate Studies to discuss their interests in applying to study at CIDD prior to submitting an application.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Department

Centre for Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD)

CIDD is an internationally recognised research centre with an applied research focus on intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism.

We emphasise combined methods research undertaken in multi-disciplinary teams, secondary analysis approaches, and intervention evaluation designs including randomised controlled trials.

Find out more by visiting our website.Link opens in a new window

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How to apply checklist

Our how to apply checklist helps you prepare for your application

Read the checklist

I'm ready to apply

Learn more about the Applicant Portal.

Apply now

Application deadlines

The application process for course that start in September and October 2026 opens on 2 October 2025.

For research courses that start in September and October 2026 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2026. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

Useful links

Applicant portal
After your applied
Admissions statement
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2024 entry

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Explore ways to connect with us

We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
Live chats
Talk and Tours
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Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

Page updates

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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PhD/MPhil in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2025 entry)

Find out more about our PhD/MPhil in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities degree at Warwick

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

How to apply checklist

I'm ready to apply

Explore ways to connect with us

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

Page updates

About the information on this page

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