King's College London Arts and Humanities Doctoral Studentships 2027

King’s Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities is offering a range of fully and partially funded PhD scholarships for October 2027 entry.

The programme offers 13 fully funded studentships, including 4 match-funded AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards (DLAs), plus four fees-only studentships.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineJanuary 9, 2027
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorKing's College London
• City to studyLondon
• School to studyKing's College London
• Course to studyClassics , Comparative Literature , Creative Writing , English , Film Studies , French , Geography , German Studies , History , Music , Philosophy , Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies , Culture, Media & Creative Industries , Digital Humanities , Interdisciplinary Humanities , Palaeography & Manuscript Studies , Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies , Theology & Religious Studies
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

Fully-Funded Studentships (x13):

Funding will be for 3.5 Years (full-time) or 7 years (part-time).

• Full tuition fees covered, including international fees
• Annual stipend (UKRI rate: £23,805 (incl LWA) full-time for 2026/27)
• Research training and support
• Access to dedicated postgraduate researcher workspace on the Strand campus
• Access to additional funds to support research travel, fieldwork and conference attendance

Fees-only Studentships (x4):

• Full tuition fees covered, including international fees
• Research training and support
• Access to dedicated postgraduate researcher workspace on the Strand campus
• Access to additional funds to support research travel, fieldwork and conference attendance

You can indicate on your application whether you wish to be considered for both funding streams. Please note: Your answer to this question on the application form will not prejudice your application for full funding.

Requirements

Studentships cover all PhD programmes offered by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities:

• Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies
• Classics
• Comparative Literature
• Creative Writing
• Culture, Media & Creative Industries
• Digital Humanities
• English
• Film Studies
• French
• German
• Geography*
• History
• Interdisciplinary Humanities
• Music
• Palaeography & Manuscript Studies
• Philosophy
• Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies
• Theology & Religious Studies

*one studentship award will be made to the Geography PhD programme, which resides in the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy.

Students on, or applying to, other programmes are not eligible to apply for these studentships.

Joint PhD Scholarships: To apply for the Joint PhD Scholarships scheme you will need to make a separate application to that scheme. Details of the Joint PhD Scholarships scheme, which programmes are eligible, and how to apply, can be found here: Joint PhD Scholarships 2027/28 | King's College London.

Both UK and international applicants are eligible, and up to 30% of studentships can be awarded to international applicants.

If you have already begun your doctoral studies at King’s, you are eligible to apply providing you will have completed no more than 12 months of full-time study (or 24 months part-time) when the studentship begins on 1 October 2027.

AHRC DLA studentships can only be awarded for new projects starting in or after October 2027.

Selection Process

Applications will be assessed by the following criteria:

• Quality of the proposal (50% weighting)
• Preparedness of the applicant (25% weighting)
• Feasibility of the proposed research (15% weighting)
• Fit with the aims of King’s Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities (10% weighting). The project’s capacity to:
  • transcend traditional disciplinary, geographical and/or cultural boundaries; and/or
  • bring sustainable benefits to society at any level or scale; and/or
  • develop new and innovative approaches to subjects within our fields.

Check also:
Free Ongoing Fully Funded Scholarships Guide 2026 (Download Now)

Application Deadline

January 9, 2027

How To Apply

Before submitting this application, you must have contacted your proposed supervisor and secured their support for your application. Your proposed supervisor will be required to approve your application once submitted. Applications without supervisor approval will not be put forward for review.

To view potential supervisors, please visit: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/supervisors. 

Application Deadline: Friday 29th January 2027 5pm (GMT)

Outcomes of applications: Mid-April 2026

Start date: 1st October 2027

To apply, please read the Assessment Criteria and complete the steps below.

1. Read the Assessment Criteria above
2. Ensure that you have contacted your proposed supervisor and have their agreement to name them on your funding application
3. Apply for your chosen programme via King's Apply – Please enter the funding code AHOPEN27 on your application – King’s Apply
4. Apply for the Arts & Humanities Doctoral Studentship – KDSAH / AHRC DLA Studentship Application Form
5. Complete the EDI Monitoring Form – EDI Monitoring Form

For more information, visit King's College London scholarship webpage.