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.

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

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 dot Thompson dot 2 at warwick dot ac dot 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.

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 dot Thompson dot 2 at warwick dot ac dot 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 dot Thompson dot 2 at warwick dot ac dot 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 2022/23 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 bursaries

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

How to apply

Applications are now open for courses that start in September and October 2025.

For research courses that start in September and October 2025 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2025. 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