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PhD in Employment Research (2024 Entry)

Employment Research students at the University of Warwick

Find out more about our Employment Research PhD.

Using interdisciplinary approaches on PhD in Employment Research, you will tackle high quality social science research in employment. Warwick's Institute for Employment Research provides unparalleled learning opportunities at a leading international social science research centre.


Course overview

As a research-only department within the University of Warwick, the work of the Institute for Employment Research (IER) is diverse and interdisciplinary and provides wide-ranging opportunities for prospective doctoral candidates to engage in high quality social science doctoral-level research which is policy-relevant, as well as being academically rigorous.

The IER’s doctoral programme aims to train independent social science researchers who can develop and deploy theory effectively, assess the relative merits of different methodological approaches, choose appropriate empirical methods, manage well their time and other research resources effectively. Being located in a specialist research environment will provide a wider understanding of the research process (including dissemination, funding, relationships with sponsors, and different organisational models for research).

Our extensive research portfolio has meant that we have fostered and maintained links with national and international research centres; UK government departments and agencies; European Commission and other international bodies; local authorities and sectoral organisations, as well as extensive academic networks.

Supervision for IER doctoral students will be provided by academic researchers with significant experience of undertaking research across a range of topics in employment research. We supervise a wide range of students from a variety of different countries and backgrounds and welcome this diversity among our student body.

Former students have gone on to work in a variety of areas in different countries, including academia, government, the private sector or third sector organisations.

We also offer a joint PhD in Employment ResearchLink opens in a new window with our partner institution Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

Teaching and learning

Supervision for IER doctoral students will be provided by academic researchersLink opens in a new window with significant experience of undertaking research across a range of topics in employment research.

During their first year of PhD study, students will normally be expected to undertake training in both quantitative and qualitative research methods.


General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject and a good Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the social sciences. Previous studies and/or work experience should have included training in social science methodology.

Application should be supported by a good research proposal.Link opens in a new window


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.


Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Our research

IER brings together a breadth of labour market expertise from a variety of disciplines. It includes research leaders in: econometrics; forecasting; statistics; geography; social and public policy; sociology; education and training; organisational behaviour; career development; and industrial relations. Areas for PhD supervision and examples of current research interests of the IER's academic researchers include:

  • Job quality; fair, decent and good work
  • Careers guidance and labour market transitions
  • Future of work and skills, digitalisation and automation
  • Intersectionality, equity, diversity and inclusion in the labour market
  • Surveys, experiments, big data and data science
  • Higher Education and the graduate labour market
  • Welfare, work and public policy
  • Apprenticeships, work-based learning and training
  • Labour market assessment and forecasting
  • Employment relations and employer behaviour
  • Green jobs and skills
  • Skills and training

Full details of our research are listed on the Institute for Employment Research web pagesLink opens in a new window.

Find a supervisor

Supervision for IER doctoral students will be provided by academic researchers with significant experience of undertaking research across a range of topics in employment research using a range of methodologies and new data collection techniques.

Explore Potential IER PhD Supervisors that are keen to supervise PhDs in a range of subjects. The research interests of staff are listed to provide an overview of the subjects and techniques they would be interested in supervising at a postgraduate level. Once you have prepared a research proposal, we can put you in contact with potential supervisors to discuss the field you’d like to research.

You can read our general University research proposal guidance.

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

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

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.


Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

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

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 content block about careers

Warwick Institute for Employment Research

Established in 1981, the Warwick Institute for Employment Research (IER) is a leading international social science research centre. Its research is interdisciplinary and made relevant to policy makers and practitioners. It is renowned for consistently delivering high quality research. Research questions are tackled in projects funded by a range of public and private sector organisations and through publications in academic journals.

IER researchers have diverse disciplinary backgrounds and work both within and across disciplines. Publishing theoretical, methodological and empirical academic outputs is a core activity, but IER also places great emphasis on maximising its impact among potential users of research. IER uses multi-method, inter-disciplinary approaches to generate and tackle substantive research questions. Our strategy has been to broaden the methodological basis of IER work in order to deal more effectively with research problems that cross the boundaries of conventional academic disciplines and the methods of analysis associated with them.

Find out more about us on our website.

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

For research courses that start in September and October 2024 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2024. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course  

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