Fees and funding

PhD, MPhil and MSc by Research degrees:

Full-time: £4,786

Part-time: £2,395

Professional doctorate in the School of Health and Society: £3,320 for year one

Higher Doctorate: £1,500

Doctoral loans

Government loans are available to help UK students with course fees and living costs while they are studying for a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD. Find out more on the Government's website. 

Research Masters (MPhil) UK fee scholarship

This scholarship is for University of Salford graduates and will cover tuition fees for the year (UK tuition fees). There is no bursary.

All research areas are eligible, you can study anything, but please note some research areas, such as laboratory work, come with additional costs that will need to be funded separately.

To apply, you need to be a UK applicant (i.e. eligible for UK fees) and a University of Salford graduate who is applying to undertake a research degree for the first time. You must first apply for an get an offer for the MPhil (or MSc by Research) programme, before you will be considered for the scholarship. In addition, these scholarships are targeted at increasing participation from groups currently underrepresented within research and priority will be given to students that meet one or more of the criteria below:

• Your home postcode (i.e. the postcode you used to apply to university through UCAS) is listed as a ‘1’ or ‘2’ in the POLAR4 column on the POLAR checking tool.
• You are from an ethnic group that is underrepresented in research careers (Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic).
• You identify as having a disability. The term ‘disability’ is quite broad, and further definitions of what might be considered a ‘disability’ can be found under the Equality Act 2010.
• You are a first-generation student (you are the first person in your family to go to university).
• You are a mature student (you were aged 21 or over when you started your first undergraduate course).
• You are care-experienced or an estranged student.

PhD widening participation scholarships

We are delighted to be offering 10 PhD widening participation scholarships for UK candidates.

For entry in September 2025, the scholarship will cover tuition fees (UK tuition fees), a stipend for 3.5 years of £20,142 and an annual research budget of £1,000 (years 1-3). Please note: these costs are based on the 2025/26 academic year and may change in future years.

All research areas are eligible, you can study anything, but please note some research areas, such as laboratory work, come with additional costs that will need to be funded separately.

Any UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) are able to apply, however these scholarships are targeted at increasing participation from groups currently underrepresented within research and priority will be given to students that meet one or more of the below criteria. Priority will also be given to University of Salford graduates.

• Your home postcode (i.e. the postcode you used to apply to university through UCAS) is listed as a ‘1’ or ‘2’ in the POLAR4 column on the POLAR checking tool.
• You are from an ethnic group that is underrepresented in research careers (Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic).
• You identify as having a disability. The term ‘disability’ is quite broad, and further definitions of what might be considered a ‘disability’ can be found under the Equality Act 2010.
• You are a first-generation student (you are the first person in your family to go to university).
• You are a mature student (you were aged 21 or over when you started your first undergraduate course).
• You are care-experienced or an estranged student.

How to apply for our scholarships

All candidates who wish to apply for the MPhil or PhD widening participation scholarship will first need to apply for and be accepted onto a research degree programme.

As long as you have submitted your completed application for September/October intake by 31 January and you qualify for UK fees, you will be sent a very short scholarship application. This form must be returned by 28 February.  

Your completed scholarship application form will be considered in conjunction with your research programme application (including your proposal, personal statement, CV, references, and interview outcome). The first stage will be a school level shortlisting process which will take place in April/May. Those candidates shortlisted by each school will be invited to meet the central selection panel in late April (PhD applications) and late May (for MPhil/MSc by Research applications) (~20 minutes) about the candidate’s motivation for applying and their aspirations for the programme. The panel will meet to make final decision the following week.

Postgraduate research application workshop

This online one-hour postgraduate research application workshop is designed for those who are applying for the for the MPhil or PhD widening participation scholarship.

The session is jointly run by the Director of the Doctoral School, who will go through the application process, and the Postgraduate Research Directors from the different schools who will provide insight into what makes a good application and what the common slip up are.

Attendees will also find out about the current scholarships available and where to get addition information and support. The workshop will end with a Q&A session. Book your place on Eventbrite now.

Commonwealth Scholarships

Commonwealth scholarships for master’s and PhD study are offered to citizens of developing Commonwealth countries who plan to study in the UK. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth. For more information, please visit the Commonwealth Scholarships website.

Doctoral training programmes

We also offer a selection of funded places through our Doctoral Training Partnerships. These fully-funded programmes often bring together several universities to work towards a common goal and joint research topic. Students will be active partners in shaping their own training and development as researchers and future leaders.

We're pleased to offer a 20% discount off the net fee for all University of Salford graduates who are self-funding their studies. You are eligible for this discount if:

• You have graduated from an undergraduate bachelor's programme (BA (Hons), BSc (Hons), LLB, MChem, MPhys, Graduate Diploma) at the University of Salford or one of our global partners and are applying to a postgraduate taught master's or postgraduate research master's.
• You have graduated from a postgraduate taught master's programme at the University of Salford or one of our global partners and are applying to a postgraduate research programme.

You can get a discount of 3% if you pay your tuition fees up-front and in full during (or before) registration.

Alternatively, you can spread the cost of your tuition fees over monthly payments instead. Find out more about ways to pay your tuition fees as a self-funding student.