The PhD Health in Social Science provides the opportunity to carry out a substantial piece of research in an area that explores health and wellbeing through the lens of arts and humanities practice and knowledge. Name PhD Health in Social Science Start Date September and January Mode of Study 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time Programme Director Anna Ross Please check the postgraduate Degree Finder to see the specific entry requirements, start date and application deadlines. Apply Now When to apply Applications will open for 2026/27 entry in October 2025. The School of Health in Social Science operates a gathered field approach to our postgraduate research applications. This means that all complete applications which meet our minimum entry requirements will be held until the next deadline, at which point applications received will be considered on a competitive basis by our subject area specific academic review panels. Deadlines We will be running two gathered fields for new applications so please take note of these dates: First deadline: Monday 10 November 2025 11:59pm (UK time). Outcome notifications for applications received by this date will be issued mid-January 2026. Applications submitted after this deadline will be held until the second deadline. Second deadline: Monday 20 April 2026, 11.59pm (UK time). Outcome notifications for applications received by this date will be issued mid-June 2026. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be reviewed. If you are planning to apply for the University’s funding opportunities, you must apply before the first deadline in November. Guidance on applying for postgraduate study at Edinburgh How to apply Check that you meet the entry requirements Before you apply for any of our postgraduate programmes, check that you meet the entry requirements. Things to do before you apply We strongly recommend that you contact your potential supervisor(s) before applying. Documents you will need to provide You will need:Undergraduate degree certificate and transcript (and your MSc degree certificate and transcript if required)Research proposal based on the criteria for the programme you are applying for – you must use the form template below for your proposal, otherwise it will not be consideredResearch proposal formResearch proposal guidanceTwo references – some programmes require one of your references to be from your most recent academic institution, please check the degree finder for more information on your specific programmeEvidence of English language competency, regardless of your nationality or country of residence. We do not require this before the application deadline, but you must submit it before we can make an unconditional offer.To find out more about our English language entry requirements, please visit the programme page on our Degree Finder.If you are applying for the PhD by Distance you must also submit the PhD by Distance application formPhD by Distance application form Apply through the degree finder Applications for most of our postgraduate programmes are made online through the degree finder. Why choose this programme? The PhD programme offers the possibility to work with and be supervised by a range of academics across many areas of counselling and psychotherapy, who have international reputations and outstanding publications in their areas of expertise. Our programme is undertaken over three years full-time or six years part-time. Every project is different, so supervision is geared to work to your needs in terms of working patterns and specific training requirements. Each student is supported by two supervisors who provide expert guidance to help you develop your thesis. Students are also encouraged to consult any other member of staff whose work or interests may be relevant to your own. All students are expected to undertake research training as specified by their supervisors, and as relevant to your topic. Current Student Research Agnieszka ButterTo investigate whether the usage of essential oils is a recognised therapy in reducing the associated stress symptoms of informal caregivers of dementia patientsApril JakubecConceptualizing a human rights approach to suicide, centering the voices of those with lived experienceCatalina MartinHow do LGBTQ+ young people in Scotland understand and experience homeChristopher WoodExploring the relationship between occcupational identity and experiences of homelessnessClare WyllieExplaining gambling addiction: the case of slots gambling in a place of inequalities (working title)Eleanor WhiteMy research examines the overlap of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and autism, and the implications of misdiagnosis for Autistic womenEmily HennessyExploring the uptake of the HPV vaccine within the traveller community to inform public health and social policyFlorencia Vergara EscobarFollowing Body connections: Ethnographies of Chilean Communities and the possibilities of Relational Wellbeing in a wounded countryGosaye FidaEvaluating the outcome lifestyle interventions to delay the onset of diabetes in high risk /Pre-diabetes population.Hannah KimlerIdentifying Psychosocial Quality of Life Indicators Amongst Adults with Fecal IncontinenceJessica GreenhalghRural homelessness in Scotland: scale, causes, manifestations and impacts.Joana Esteves Craveiro De OliveiraONE FOR THE JOURNEY: READING AS A SOOTHING EMBODIED EXPERIENCE IN THE FACE OF ECO-ANXIETYJuliana Ramirez MuñozSpeaking of Politics at Grandmother's lunch: Exploring Narratives of Social Identity Boundaries with My Family in Bogotá’s middle classKai Chung PoonStorytelling as a means for building up children’s positive characters: Using Chinese Classics for bibliotherapyKunhyo Jee A Comparative Study on the Elderly Policy between the UK, the USA, Sweden, Japan and South Korea: Focused on income security, medical security, housing security, and social services for ElderlyLiam GilchristHow can Community Based Participatory Research be used as a framework for healthcare research with improved health outcomes in comparative public health contexts? Lucy CampbellBecoming Haunted - An Autoethnographic Exploration into the Hauntology of Imprisonment and the Affected AfterlifeLuka WhiteA qualitative and creative exploration into disordered eating in trans and/or nonbinary autistic adultsLynda KlemDancing with body memory to foster sense of self, emotional well-being and embodied learning in MCI and early-stage dementia: A bioethnographic studyMaisie JenkinsUsing participatory and qualitative methods to explore self-harm in menMaria Catalina de LunaFarm Animal Welfare and Human Behaviour ChangeNancy BrownEmbodied Relationality in Virtual Space during COVID-19: A Focused Ethnography of Cultural Adaptation, Belonging and Meaning-Making in Advanced DementiaOluchi Dominica Mellor Examining the experiences of Black African nurses in the UK healthcare system: An Interpretative Phenomenological AnalysisRachel RoyNavigating Complexity: Understanding, Developing, and Piloting Multidimensional Health Promotion Evaluation for Cross-National ImpactRose Vincent Developing an inclusive model of volunteering to reduce social isolation for people living with young onset dementiaRomy Goossens Covid-19 and Health Policymaking: Comparing and Drawing Lessons from the National Responses of the UK, Sweden, and Taiwan to the Covid-19 PandemicRuth GaileyAn Autohistoria-Teoria Exploration of Aging, Spirituality, and Identity Labelling. A neurodivergent menopausal woman’s journey through female lineage - exploring how labels become portals to new worlds of meaningSarah WalterEmpowering Research Ambassadors to promote participation of high-risk communities in Alzheimer’s research Sonal KatyalExploring the experiences of children with visual impairments, with Multisensory Storytelling-based Science and Health CommunicationSummer HolemanEvaluating a comprehensive approach to health intervention: Community-based Functional Fitness in disadvantaged populationsTaichun ZhengArt, Multi-sensory, Theraputy therapeutic space, University student, Well-beingValeria Lembo The Art of Caring: An Ethnographic Study of Artistic Interventions for Dementia Care in ScotlandWako Golicha Wako Asthma Sufferers’ Personal Exposure to Air Pollution and Risk Perception in Urban EnvironmentsWilliam TaylorWellbeing and recovery, with a focus on how meaning is re-established following disruption. My work examines how this process is shaped within social context and how it relates to sustained change over time.Yuen Wai Vennus Ho ARTŠ-pirit : An arts-based research into the spirituality of family caregivers in Hong Kong in the wake of lossXinyi Yang Exploring Chinese International Students' Experiences of Mental Health Well-being and Accessing Mental Health Services in ScotlandZorana Alimpic The Sustained Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Well-Being of Youth in South Africa Exploring Psychosocial Intervention Strategies from Low- and Middle-Income Countries Doctoral study provides the opportunity to carry out a substantial piece of research guided by expert supervisors. You will gain high-level research skills and a range of transferable skills tailored to various career pathways. The principal grounds for awarding a PhD degree are that it is an original work making a significant contribution to knowledge in the student’s field of study, and containing material worthy of publication. A vibrant and inclusive research environment The University of Edinburgh is a world-leader in research and innovation and an international centre of academic excellence. Students on this programme will become part of an active and diverse research community in the School of Health in Social Science and will have access to the wide-range of learning environments and outstanding resources that the University has to offer. Our postgraduate researchers work in close proximity to each other, enabling them to pool their expertise and knowledge to tackle complex challenges and push the boundaries of discovery. Students will be encouraged to engage with a wide range of seminars, talks, and events, and often have the opportunity to present their own research at national and international conferences. Our student-led postgraduate research blog provides a snapshot of the activities and events our PGR students organise and are involved in. Find out more about ongoing research in our School Our staff in Health in Social Science embrace a range of academic disciplines and offer a focus on innovative and cross-disciplinary health and social care research. From these perspectives we examine the overlapping concerns of research, policy and practice in health and social care. We welcome projects utilising a range of research designs and have special interests in qualitative and collaborative research and innovative methods. We are keen to encourage research around the interface between social and cultural aspects of health, and the policy and practice contexts of healthcare delivery. Funding Opportunities The School of Health in Social Science offers several fully funded MScR and PhD studentships each year. A variety of scholarships are available, which vary from full scholarships covering tuition fees and a stipend to cover living expenses, to partial scholarships. Find out more about our scholarships and funding opportunities Beyond the programme A PhD from the University of Edinburgh enhances the career prospects of anyone interested in an academic or professional career. Specialist research and successful completion of a PhD in the sphere of health and social science can be an advantage in many areas of health or social care, policy and practice, and opens up employment opportunities in a broad range of fields. Students with prior professional qualifications enhance their careers with the addition of highly developed conceptual, analytical and research skills.
