Fees and Funding
Fees for PhD Study
The tuition fee rate will vary depending on the PhD programme. Each of our five disciplines are aligned to either Fee rate 1 (FR1) or Fee rate 2 (FR2) as follows:
- Architecture, Civil Engineering, Archaeology-Palaeoecology and Geography (FR2)
- Planning (FR1).
The current tuition fee rates (2025-26) per annum are as follows:
NI/ROI/GB £5,006 (FR1 & FR2)
International /EU Other* £20,500 (FR1), £25,600 (FR2)
*EU Other - Students from the EU (excluding the Republic of Ireland), other EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members.
PhD Funding
All available PhD funding for our School is advertised on PhD Opportunities
You will find that many of our funded studentships are aligned to staff-driven research projects, which may be outside your area of expertise or interest.
Please note that these opportunities also include ‘unfunded’ projects.
International Students
Please note that there is a residency requirement (UK, EU) for many funded studentships. Some however, such as ARHC Doctoral Landscape Awards and Quartiles, offer a percentage of places for international applicants. Funding for non-EEA students varies by country. The University website lists international funding opportunities
We recommend you check for available funding from September/October onwards, when studentships are usually advertised (for entry into a PhD programme in October the following year).
Please refer to the table below for a list of organisations that provide funded PhD studentships.
| Studentship | Further information | Closing date |
|---|---|---|
|
Northern Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE) |
The Department for the Economy (DfE) sponsors postgraduate studentships at °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï Belfast (QUB). Further information available on their website: |
Studentships will be advertised as they become available on °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's PhD Opportunities |
|
°Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards |
There are three AHRC subject areas in our School: (1) Archaeology, (2) Architecture History, Theory and Practice and (3) Cultural Geography. Prospective applicants should approach potential supervisors at the earliest opportunity to discuss their research - well ahead of the deadline for submission of a postgraduate application form (13 January 2026). Full details on the °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï website |
Application deadline Tuesday 13 January 2026. Apply through the °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï Portal: |
|
EPSRC |
Guidance for applicants:
|
Studentships will be advertised as they become available on °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's PhD Opportunities |
|
ESRC NINE DTP Studentships |
There are two ESRC Northern Ireland and North East (NINE) Doctoral Training studentship subject areas in our School: (1) Human Geography and (2) Environmental Planning (incorporating Architecture). Prospective applicants should approach potential supervisors at the earliest opportunity to discuss their research - well ahead of the deadline for submission of a postgraduate application form (9 January 2026). Full details on the °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï website |
Application deadline Friday 9 January 2026. |
|
QUARTILES DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS |
3 studentships are available for supervisor-led projects: Applicants must apply directly to QUARTILES (not QUB): |
Application deadline Wednesday 14 January 2026. |
|
Joint °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï-China Scholarship Council (CSC) awards |
Candidates must be citizens of the People's Republic of China at the time of application. Up to 20 studentship places for PhD research will be funded for 2025-26. Applicants currently in their first year of study for a PhD programme at °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï may also apply, if they meet the eligibility requirements. |
Application deadline Tuesday 27 January 2026. |
|
The Bryden Centre |
The Bryden Centre is a €9.4 million cross-border, renewable energy research centre funded by the EU under the Interreg VA programme: |
Ongoing |
|
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission |
A range of scholarships and fellowships are available for citizens of developed and developing Commonwealth countries. Details at |
|
How to Search for Funding
High quality applications to QUB School of Natural and Built Environment have a good record of success in scholarship competitions.
You can search the A-Z of Research Opportunities for both funded and unfunded PhD Studentships at the School of Natural and Built Environment.
International students should visit the University's International Scholarships webpage.
It is also worth visiting for possible sources of PhD funding.
Please note that there may be differences between PhD entry requirements and requirements for funding, which are often assessed separately.
The QUB Funding & Scholarship Finder
The Funding & Scholarship Finder helps prospective and current students find funding to help cover costs towards a whole range of study related expenses.
This is not an exhaustive list of scholarships and funding opportunities. Please visit /Study/funding-scholarships/ for more funding opportunities and information.