University of Edinburgh
Top university
Just Landed
New Today
Scandinavian Studies PhD at the University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Political Science
Funding
Funding is not guaranteed. Students may need to combine loans, borrowing, family support, savings, employment, employer sponsorship, and scholarships to cover tuition and living costs. Scholarship schemes are available through the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures and the wider University, but no specific award is included. Teaching or tutoring positions are not guaranteed. Estimated living costs for 2026-2027 are £18,504 per year (£1,542 per month). University of Edinburgh graduates
Deadline
Jun 30, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of Edinburgh
Apply for this position
Keywords
Suggested positions
About this position
The University of Edinburgh is inviting applications for its Scandinavian Studies PhD, based in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The programme is located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and offers full-time study over three years or part-time study over six years for applicants who do not require a Student visa.
Research may focus on Scandinavian languages, literature, cultures, and their global and historical contexts. Available expertise includes 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century literature; cultural relations and transfer; language diversity and sociolinguistics; language history and dialectology; literary translation; Nordic and Arctic geopolitics; onomastics; place and identity; postcolonial, migration, and transnational topics; Scandinavian cultural history; Scottish-Scandinavian historical relations; and Viking studies. Interdisciplinary projects may connect Scandinavian Studies with comparative literature, film studies, translation studies, Scottish studies, archaeology, history, geosciences, linguistics, social anthropology, politics and international relations, history of art, or divinity.
Doctoral researchers complete an original thesis of approximately 80,000 words under the guidance of at least two supervisors and receive access to research-methods training, specialist collections, seminars, visiting speakers, film screenings, and the wider Scandinavian Studies research community.
Applicants normally need a UK 2:1 honours degree and a master's degree, or international equivalents, in a related subject. The application includes a personal statement, research proposal, approximately 3,000 words of written work, degree documents, two references, and English-language evidence. The application fee is waived: there is no fee to apply.
Funding is not guaranteed, although candidates can explore School and University scholarships and other postgraduate funding opportunities. Teaching or tutoring work is not guaranteed, and applicants should budget for tuition and living costs. The September 2027 application deadline is 30 June 2027; the January 2028 deadline is 31 October 2027. Apply through the University of Edinburgh degree page.
Funding details
Funding is not guaranteed. Students may need to combine loans, borrowing, family support, savings, employment, employer sponsorship, and scholarships to cover tuition and living costs. Scholarship schemes are available through the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures and the wider University, but no specific award is included. Teaching or tutoring positions are not guaranteed. Estimated living costs for 2026-2027 are £18,504 per year (£1,542 per month). University of Edinburgh graduates
What's required
Applicants need a UK 2:1 honours degree and a master's degree, or international equivalents, in a related subject; equivalent qualifications or experience may also be considered. Applications require an online form, a 500-word personal statement, a detailed research proposal, approximately 3,000 words of written work, degree certificates and academic transcripts, certified translations where necessary, two references, and evidence of English-language proficiency. Accepted English qualifications include IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with at least 6.5 in each component; specified TOEFL-iBT scores; C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 185 with 176 in each component; Oxford ELLT 8 with 7 in each component; or Oxford Test of English Advanced 155 with 145 in each component. Relevant knowledge, training, skills, proposed research topic, and any published work must also be provided.
How to apply
Apply online through the University of Edinburgh programme page. Select the PhD Scandinavian Studies award, duration, delivery mode, and preferred start date, then submit the personal statement, research proposal, written-work sample, academic documents, references, and English-language evidence. The deadline is 30 June 2027 for the September 2027 start, or 31 October 2027 for the January 2028 start.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.