PhD - Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

Your supervisory team will:

• Provide appropriate support and guidance regarding BU’s research degree regulations, policies and procedures
• Give support when you are planning your research project, progressing through key milestones to successfully completing in the expected timeframe
• Maintain regular contact with you and provide constructive feedback on written work and during meetings to support your progress
• Advise you on professional and personal skill development available training opportunities
• Give guidance about attending and presenting your work at internal and external seminars and conferences
• Advise on publication of your work in journals and other appropriate media.

When undertaking a research degree at BU, you will develop research skills in your specific project area and discipline, and you will also have an opportunity to develop wider, transferable skills which will assist in your future employment, whether within or outside academia.

The Researcher Development Programme, developed by the Doctoral College in line with the Researcher Development Framework (Vitae), will enable you to enhance your abilities in areas which are not necessarily discipline-specific

An added benefit is the opportunity to meet researchers from other academic schools at BU through the activities of our Doctoral College and benefit from their experiences, skills, and perspectives.

Health & Social Sciences PhD students have the option of undertaking some of our MSc Health Research course units.

As well as providing extra learning support, these units can help build towards developing your PhD project. You can work with your supervisor to build these units into your research training plan by establishing if any of the units will be useful for your individual learning needs and whether they fit your project timeline. If you opt to undertake some units during your PhD you can either attend purely to support your learning or choose to submit the unit assignment for course credits – the choice is yours.

Unit options include:

• Exploring Ideas in Health and Social Care Research
• Research Methods for Health and Social Care
• Systematic Reviewing to Inform Practice
• Public Involvement in Research
• Managing Research and Working with Data
• Developing a Study Proposal

For full details of each unit please visit the ‘Course details’ section of the MSc Health Research course page.

Please note that units are subject to availability and suitability to your project timelines.

Bournemouth University is working to build education and research provision that aligns with the needs of the local community and the NHS.

With research into areas such as radiography, orthopaedics and public health, the University currently hosts a number of departments and centres including; the Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI), the Institute of Medical Imaging & Visualisation (IMIV) and Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU).

We have a long and successful history of providing midwifery education programmes and this extends into our research where our Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health (CMMPH) works to promote the health and wellbeing of women, babies and their families by enhancing practice through education, research and scholarship.

Currently our research focuses on three key areas:

• Infant feeding and postnatal care
• Improving care for mothers and babies in low and middle income countries
• Changing the narrative and care in early labour.

However, our research covers a wide range of topics with studies undertaken locally in Dorset and the South of England, nationally across the UK, and internationally as far afield as Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan and the USA. 

Bournemouth University has a strong nursing research foundation within its Department of Nursing Science and through a number of research centres, including the Nursing for Long Term Health Research Centre, which explores theory, education and professional practice under four broad categories:

• Nursing Leadership & Practice Development Programme
• Fundamental Clinical Care Practices Programme
• Vulnerable & Marginalised Groups Programme
• Palliative & End of Life Care

If you would like to discuss research opportunities in nursing please contact Dr Leslie Gelling at [email protected] 

We research into all areas of healthy eating, nutrition. In particular, we are interested in the impact of nutrition on ageing and dementia including improving the nutritional health of older people in the community, implementing new procedures for screening and treatment of malnutrition, and working to transform the nutritional care for people with dementia.

Our Ageing & Dementia Research Centre (ADRC) brings together cross-faculty research expertise in areas of ageing and dementia which is pertinent at a time when our population is living longer and often with long-term conditions including dementia.

Our therapy research team place a great focus on improving interdisciplinary practice in pre-hospital, acute and rehabilitation settings. Our specialised areas include pain management, paediatric rehabilitation, eHealth. Additionally, within the sport and exercise setting, our therapists are particularly interested in the female athlete, transitions out of sport, concussion in sport and disability sport.

Motivated by local clinical need and the needs of wider society, Bournemouth University has established the Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV) to support high quality research and education in the fields of medical imaging and medical visualisation. The IMIV is based at the new Bournemouth Gateway Building which houses associated key infrastructure investments, including a state-of-the-art Siemens 3T MRI Scanner, which was co-funded by Bournemouth University and the Dorset LEP.

The Imaging Research Programme of the IMIV is highly multi-disciplinary with collaborations involving clinicians, radiographers, medical physicists, psychologists, nurse/midwives , computer scientists and other allied health practitioners from academic and clinical settings. Our research explores how medical imaging technologies can be used in diagnosis, and in planning and monitoring treatments, as well as to study normal physiological processes. Our research also encompasses image-guided therapy and associated digital technologies and devices. Our research programmes include novel techniques and applications for MRI to image liver, pancreatic and biliary disease, and the use of structural and functional neuroimaging techniques to study the brain in health and disease. 

As the National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice (NCPQSW) is a Bournemouth University centre there are various opportunities for research into the area of social work, often with national reach. The NCPQSW is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable people by enhancing professional health and social care practice and specialises in providing high-quality education, continuing professional development and training for professionals, working in partnership with many local authorities in England. Recent work has included research into protecting older people and the most vulnerable in society from financial fraud which has worked to bridge the research gap into the scale of the problem, highlight the impact of the scams and inform best practice nationally.

Our Centre for Seldom Heard Voices provides a focus for interdisciplinary collaboration around social science research within the faculty,   bringing together a range of academics across Social Sciences and Social Work, colleagues from other disciplines in FHSS such as mental health nursing, and colleagues in other faculties who have an interest in working with seldom heard groups. Our approach includes both qualitative and quantitative methods to engage with marginalised communities and often excluded or silenced voices, particularly through user-led and participatory co-created research.

Our research includes a wide range of categories of people and communities and impact has included contributions to child and adult social care practice, policy and practice influence, and theoretical contributions to conflict resolution and community empowerment in the UK and globally.

Key areas of research include:

• Seldom Heard Voices – homeless people, carers, older people and those using substances, those experiencing domestic violence and abuse
• Stigmatised or threatened minorities
• Migration, migrants and trafficking victims
• Youth identity (including in the developing world, conflict areas, looked after young people, and youth and disability)
• Criminal justice systems
• Sexual identity and sexual wellbeing.

Our Sport & Exercise team specialise in the variety of research areas in the field of physiology, biomechanics and psychology. Specifically, we have experts in the field of talent development, social-psychological influences on both performance and physical activity, human movement analysis, sport equipment and the female athlete, environmental physiology, physiology of ageing and fall prevention, and finally analysis and transferability of pedagogical techniques.

Our Sport & Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC) is home to a breadth of exciting, innovative and inter-disciplinary scholarship across the sport and exercise spectrum.

The Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI) is at the forefront of the healthcare revolution and aims to transform healthcare through innovation. World-class research, the latest professional thinking, and clinical best practice are combined to create a rich environment that stimulates new ideas, learning and thought-leadership.

ORI works across Bournemouth University and with local hospitals, industry partners and academia to produce high quality research and educational outputs that have a proven impact for patients, clinicians and society.

ORI is driven by the needs of our patients, clinical colleagues and wider society to produce high quality academic and patient outcomes across the fields of orthopaedic surgery, related diseases, treatments, technologies and devices.

We would normally expect you to have an Honours degree at Upper Second Class (2:1) and/or an appropriate Master's degree.

Some supervisors may ask you for additional entry requirements such as relevant work experience, evidence of written work, or previous study of a particular subject.

Entry requirements may vary so it is important to discuss your application in principle before submitting a formal application.

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally: 

• IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level. 

You can also find further details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our postgraduate entry requirements page.

We will take the following factors into account when considering your application:

• Academic qualifications
• The nature and viability of your proposed research
• The university's capacity to provide you with appropriate supervision throughout your research
• English language proficiency
• Evidence of access to appropriate resources to support your living costs and pay registration fees over the period of your research. As part of your application, you will need to specify how you plan to fund your studies.

There are three entry points for research degrees: January, April and September. The deadlines for applications are as follows:

• January entry – 31 October
• April entry - 31 January
• September entry - 16 June

If you have any enquiries please email [email protected].

As part of your application you will need to write a personal statement. Your personal statement is an opportunity to provide us with information on your academic background, relevant experience and motivations for undertaking postgraduate research. It is a chance for you to tell us how you arrived at the decision to apply for a research programme, and what your goals are once you have completed it.

Key information to include:

• The research project you plan to undertaker should be unique, and so your personal statement should explain to us why you are the right person to successfully carry out the project.
• If you are an international applicant your personal statement should also touch on your reasons for choosing to study in the UK and at Bournemouth University in particular.
• Identify any academic staff you would like to work with on your project, especially if you have already contacted them ahead of your application.
• Information on any other hobbies or interests you may wish us to know when considering your application. Telling us this can show us other skills you have such as social skills, teamwork or leadership.

We recommend personal statements are between 500-1000 words.

Why is your research proposal important?

The quality of your research proposal plays a significant factor in our decision on whether to accept you onto a postgraduate research programme. It shows your potential to successfully complete your programme.

Your research proposal should:

• be around 1,500 words long (excluding references). Please read our Research Proposal Guidance
• articulate a clearly defined research question
• outline the approach you propose to take in answering it
• explain the originality and significance of the contribution which your research will make to existing literature in your subject area
• demonstrate your understanding of the project, skills in critical thinking, methodologies and theoretical context
• show your project is viable and that you have thought carefully about how you will complete it within the relevant timeframe of your programme
• display a high level of communication skills suitable for an academic environment
• detail any specific supervisors you would like to work with at Bournemouth University and reference their work.

Every year, we offer a number of fully-funded doctoral opportunities across our faculties.Typically, these are associated with specific projects or areas of research the faculty is involved with.

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees section.

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Continuation Status - research students who have completed their normal period of enrolment but are still engaged in research activity or writing up will be automatically transferred to Continuation Status, as outlined in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees. Continuation Status Fees will be £600 for the 12-month period, payable in accordance with the BU Student Fees Policy.

Government Doctoral Loans of up to £27,265 for 2021/22 entry are available for students from England who are looking to study a PhD or equivalent postgraduate research programme.

Health Education England (HEE) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Integrated Clinical Academic Programme provides research training awards for healthcare professionals, who wish to develop careers that combine clinical research and research leadership with continued clinical practice and professional development. The Clinical Doctorate Programme allows clinicians to work clinically for 40% of their time and undertake PhD research for 60% of their time.

What's included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Allocation of a supervisory team to provide support and guidance throughout a research degree programme
• Access to Researcher Development Programme - ongoing programme of development for PGRs
• Copy of current Code of Practice for Research Degrees, the Student Charter and the Student Agreement
• Access to a desk and computer (full-time Doctoral PGRs only)
• Access to photocopying/printing facilities (as determined by the Faculty and programme of study)
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• Access to departmental, faculty and BU-wide research communities through seminars, conferences and other events.

While all aspects of the programme, including required research activities, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
• Travel costs and other costs associated with optional research activities.
• Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Sport BU membership

While all aspects of the programme, including required research activities, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

A research degree can be applied to roles in commercial research and development, consultancy, or could lead you to starting your own business. You may alternatively consider a career in academia.

You may wish to undertake research to contribute to your knowledge of a specialist subject, or enhance your skills in project management and analysis.