Postgraduate study
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Child Life and Health PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Child Life and Health

Child Life and Health (CLAH) conducts research in paediatric and adolescent medicine.

We seek to foster and deliver internationally leading research and training into the causes, consequences and management of childhood onset diseases as well as optimising the healthy development of children and young people.

Our main areas of research include:

  • brain and acute injury
  • brain and handicap
  • cancer and late effects
  • gastroenterology and nutrition
  • growth and endocrinology
  • immunology of respiratory viral infections
  • asthma and allergy
  • surgery

We collaborate with National Health Service (NHS) researchers including the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health and Community Paediatrics, Lothian Primary Care Trust and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. We also have ongoing collaborations within the University of Edinburgh with embedded researchers in the Queens Medical Research Institute, Chancellors Buildings and the Centre for Genomics and Experimental Medicine.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
PhDChild Life and Health3 YearsFull-timeTuition fees
PhDChild Life and Health6 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

Featured funding

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK's governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Child Life and Health
  • Royal Hospital for Children and Young People
  • 50 Little Frances Crescent
  • Little France
  • Edinburgh
  • EH16 4TJ

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit two references with your application.

Before making your application, you must make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss your research proposal. Further information on making a research degree application can be found on the College website:

You will be formally interviewed (in person, by video-conferencing or Skype).

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Child Life and Health
  • Royal Hospital for Children and Young People
  • 50 Little Frances Crescent
  • Little France
  • Edinburgh
  • EH16 4TJ