Global PhDs

The University of St Andrews is pleased to offer tailored opportunities for collaborative PhDs through our Global PhD programme. Global PhDs provide the ability for doctoral students to undertake research at both St Andrews and a nominated partner institution and with two (or more) academic supervisors. These programmes, often known as 'co-tutelles', encourage wider research collaboration than for many standard PhDs and give an international focus whilst making the most of subject-matter expertise from a range of partners. They lead to a jointly awarded degree from the two institutions and involve at least 12 months of research at each university.

To discuss a potential co-tutelle degree, please contact the Global Office by emailing globalphds@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Typically a student wishing to undertake a Global PhD should expect to have to comply with relevant requirements which may include a need to:

Apply to each institution following their standard requirements for PhD students;
Meet any relevant entry requirements for each institution, which may include a prior qualification such as a two-year Masters degree;
Ensure awareness of the expectations of a PhD student at each institution, including possible taught components;
Satisfy any national immigration requirements, including associated costs, for each host country;
Meet any relevant tuition or other fee requirements of the institutions unless supported by funding covering that tuition fee;
Follow agreed requirements on examination process, which may necessitate a non-standard format to meet policy for each institution.

The University of St Andrews welcomes interest in developing new Global PhD programmes. For more information, please see our Global PhDs - information for partners (PDF) .

A Global PhD is an arrangement whereby a student conducts their doctoral research under co-supervisors from two institutions, leading to a jointly awarded degree. Students studying under these agreements are usually awarded a joint degree via a single certificate which carries the insignia of both institutions.

The student is expected to engage with both institutions from start to finish, and to meet regularly with all parties, either in person or through phone or video calls.

A Global PhD agreement will not usually extend the duration of a standard PhD which at St Andrews is three years with the possibility of a final continuation year.
Students must spend at least 12 months in total as a resident student in St Andrews in order for the University to recognise the degree.

Students will divide their time into study blocks in order to facilitate access to the resources, human and otherwise, that will maximise their research opportunities. Each study block should be at least six months in length where possible.

Students requiring a visa to study at St Andrews should consider the impact of immigration requirements and associated costs when determining their intended pattern of study.
Before applying, students should contact their prospective supervisors at St Andrews and the partner institution to discuss the feasibility of a Global PhD agreement. Students must demonstrate a strong case for joint supervision on their application form.

A Global PhD arrangement can be initiated by either an academic at St Andrews or an academic at a partner institution who considers a co-tutelle with a named co-supervisor to be the optimal route for their prospective PhD student.

Students should apply online using the Postgraduate Research Application form, indicating that they intend to study for a co-tutelle.

The length of the application process will depend on whether St Andrews already has an existing agreement or links in place with the partner institution. If there is no formal agreement in place, both parties will have to carry out relevant due diligence checks to ensure that both institutions can provide the best outcome for the student. In most cases, this will require a formal agreement to be drawn up between St Andrews and the partner institution which may lengthen the application process. Some institutions have very lengthy internal approval processes that might delay the start of studies. It is therefore advisable for students to apply well in advance of the intended start date; you should begin the processes not less than six months prior to the intended start date of the degree.

At St Andrews, a Global PhD requires a proposal to be submitted by the supervisor in consultation with the co-supervisor and the student as well as an application form. Proposals and applications should both be submitted as early as possible in the process as an offer cannot be confirmed unless the formal agreement is in place.

For more information, please see our Global PhDs - information for candidates (PDF)
Students undertaking a Global PhD are liable for St Andrews tuition fees at rates applicable to their fee status for the periods when they are studying at St Andrews. Tuition is payable monthly on a pro rata basis for those periods. Rates are defined by bands and depend on academic discipline, year of entry, and Home or Overseas status and can be found here: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/money/fees/feestable/#d.en.66444

In certain circumstances, St Andrews offers reduced fee rates for Overseas students through a scholarship which is automatically applied to all eligible students.

The below details apply wherever the student is not already supported by existing commitments between institutions for tuition fees, or through internal or external scholarships which cover tuition fees.

This tuition fee scholarship reduces the Overseas fee liability to a Home fee liability in cases where the partner university’s fees are equal to or lower than a St Andrews Home fee for Global PhDs with established and strategic partners, and is applicable to the partner universities listed below:

University of Amsterdam

University of Bonn

Charles University (Prague)

University of Ghent

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

University of Oslo

University of Padua

Sapienza University of Rome

*this scheme supports Global PhD partners as listed below, as well as selected additional partner universities. Where new Global PhD programmes are created, they will be included in the scheme. In some cases, these arrangements are available to certain academic disciplines only. Please see the Global PhD partners lists below for relevant subject availability.
Academic staff and students who have been involved in Global PhDs at St Andrews offer their views of the benefits of the programme:

Academic staff comments:

Prof. Riccardo Bavaj

"Co-tutelles offer fantastic opportunities at various levels: Students not only benefit from a wider range of resources and supervisory expertise, but they also immerse themselves in two potentially very different research environments. This provides an additional boost to intellectual creativity, skills development, and job prospects. For scholars and universities, co-tutelles are an excellent way of facilitating academic exchange and border-crossing – now more important than ever in a post-Brexit world."

Dr Justine Firnhaber-Baker

"My co-tutelle doctoral students have benefited not only from the best possible supervisory team for their projects but also from immersion in the different national and academic cultures of our two universities."

PhD students:

Aubrie, School of Biology

"As a University of St Andrews alumnus, I am aware of the University’s well-deserved reputation as a world-class institution, particularly in my field of interest. While a PhD with the University of St Andrews will set you up for a fantastic career, I also had the fantastic opportunity to benefit from collaborations with a lab specializing in my study species. Long-standing ties between researchers at St Andrews and my partner institution, La Laguna University, have been investigating the incredibly deep-diving family of elusive beaked whales. I know I am receiving the best possible education in both aspects of my project, while also building a network of colleagues across both Universities."

Larisa, School of Classics

"I decided to apply for a co-tutelle programme for its double nature. I could only see the benefits of working with two supervisors, two institutions, and two methods. That is exactly what I am gaining from my joint PhD St Andrews-Rome Sapienza: a combined academic path that allows me to keep my feet on my previous, Italian education while enriching my formation within the UK system. I am persuaded that this would not have been possible in any other programme mostly because the internationally recognised level of these two universities in the Classics area is hardly comparable to any other academic institution. I would not have been able to find elsewhere their resources, staff, academic activities."

Adrian, School of Psychology and Neuroscience

"I decided to undertake a co-tutelle because it provided the opportunity to work under the supervision of two experts in my research area. This meant expanding my learning opportunities, and research network and generally enriching the experience. Two different universities can offer more opportunities such as conferences, workshops, and courses as well as taking part in activities in two instead of one laboratory group. I benefited from two diverse and complementary PhD programs, the abroad experience and generally taking opportunities from two important universities."

Marcel, School of History

"The co-tutelle programme has been the perfect opportunity for me to study abroad. The School of History (in St Andrews) gives me a great further historical education with new research perspectives. It fits perfectly with my department in Bonn and complements the theoretical base of my work. Without the co-tutelle, I would never have met these broad perspectives of my subject. The opportunity to gain teaching experience in two different countries and languages upgrades every CV."

Elisabeth, School of Mathematics and Statistics

"St Andrews and Oslo have collaborated for many years and a joint PhD allows me to take advantage of the expertise and resources from both departments, which is invaluable in my research. Doing a co-tutelle is essentially double the experience of a normal PhD. I get to benefit from two world-leading universities, take part in two research environments, and experience two countries. At the end, I will end up with a unique degree that will be valuable both in business and academia."

Joe, School of Art History

"My two supervisors have been excellent, each offering distinctive and valuable advice in a very thoughtful and encouraging way. Their careful and coordinated support has given me the confidence to pursue research in a fulfilling way."

Global PhD partners

Students should be aware that not all institutions offer co-tutelle degrees. Students should also check to see if the scholarships and funding arrangements they have in place allow for a co-tutelle.

St Andrews has established co-tutelle agreements with a range of partners in the past and usually has a number of current arrangements underway. So long as both institutions and both supervisors are willing to enter into a co-tutelle partnership, you may apply for one with any relevant institution.

St Andrews also currently has agreements with the following partner institutions which students may apply to:

The University of St Andrews and Ghent University have established an agreement to allow PhD candidates to undertake research leading to the award of a joint doctoral degree across the following Schools of Arts and Divinity:
- Art History
- Classics
- Divinity
- English
- Film Studies
- History
- International Relations
- Modern Languages
- Philosophy
- Social Anthropology.
Anyone pursuing a Global PhD with Ghent can expect the following:
- A maximum duration of three years, with a possible continuation period of 12 months;
- To spend at least 12 months' study at each institution;
- A final exam including an oral elements which will follow the regulations of both institutions with an examination committee consisting of members proposed by each partner;
- A single joint degree award including the relevant titles for each institution (defined by discipline);
- Graduation at either institution at the student's choice.
St Andrews and Ghent joint PhDs in Arts and Divinity
The University of St Andrews and Macquarie University have established an agreement to allow PhD candidates to undertake research leading to the award of a joint doctoral degree in subjects across the Faculties of Arts, Divinity and Science.

Anyone pursuing a Global PhD with Macquarie can expect:
- A maximum duration of three years with the potential for a further continuation period of 12 months;
- A minimum of 12 months' study at each institution;
- One institution shall be designated the administering institution - this will determine the format and the location of the final examination which will include an oral component;
- A single, joint degree award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD);
- Graduation at either institution at the student's choice.
St Andrews and Macquarie joint PhDs
The University of St Andrews and Sapienza University of Rome have established an agreement to allow PhD candidates to undertake research leading to the award of a joint doctoral degree in Classics.

Anyone pursuing a Global PhD with Sapienza can expect:
- A typical duration of three-and-a-half years with the potential for a continuation period making the overall programme a maximum of four years;
- A standard of 18 months' study at each institution;
- An examination following the procedure of the institution at which the student begins their degree, which will include a viva voce element and a committee made up of members nominated by each institution;
- A single, joint degree award. The doctoral degree will give the titles of the awards in each institution's format (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for St Andrews, and Dottore di Ricerca in Filologia e Storia del Mondo Antico for Sapienza);
- Graduation at either institution of the student's choice.
St Andrews and Sapienza joint PhD in Classics
The University of St Andrews and Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn have established an agreement to allow PhD candidates to undertake research leading to joint doctoral degrees in the Faculties of Arts and Divinity (Word). Global PhDs are available in all academic disciplines within the faculties of Arts and Divinity, particularly for joint doctoral degrees in German and Comparative Literature and joint doctoral degrees in Mediaeval History or Modern History. Within the faculty of Science, Global PhDs are available with disciplines in Bonn's Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, incorporating Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Biology, Pharmacy and Molecular Biomedicine.

Anyone pursuing a Global PhD programme with Bonn can expect the following elements:
- A maximum duration of three years with the potential for a further continuation period of 12 months;
- A minimum of 12 months' study at each institution;
- One institution shall be designated the lead institution - this will determine the format of the final examination which will include a viva voce element and an examination committee made up of examiners designated by each institution;
- A single, joint degree award. The doctoral degree may be used in the format awarded by either St Andrews or Bonn (Doctor or Philosophy (PhD), or Doktor der Philosophy (Dr. phil.));
- Graduation at either institution at the student's choice.
For further details on joint PhDs in History with Bonn see the link below.

St Andrews and Bonn joint PhD
The University of St Andrews has partnered with the University of Oslo to offer PhD candidates to undertake research leading to a joint doctoral degree in all disciplines across the Faculties of Arts, Science, Divinity, and Medicine at St Andrews.

Anyone pursuing a Global PhD with Oslo can expect:
- A maximum duration of three years with the potential for a further continuation period of 12 months;
- A minimum of 12 months' study at each institution;
- One institution shall be designated the lead institution - this will determine the format of the final examination which will include a viva voce element and an examination committee made up of examiners designated by each institution, followed by an oral disputation in public;
- A single, joint degree award. The doctoral degree may be used in the format awarded by either St Andrews or Bonn (Doctor or Philosophy (PhD), or Doktor der Philosophy (Dr. phil.));
- Graduation at either institution at the student's choice.
Within the overall scheme, there is also a programme for joint PhDs with Oslo in Philosophy.

For further details on the Philosophy scheme, see the link below.

St Andrews and Oslo joint PhD in Philosophy
The University of St Andrews and the University of Amsterdam have established an agreement to allow excellent PhD candidates to undertake research leading to the award of a joint doctoral degree in the areas of Philosophy, Logic, Language and Computation.

Anyone pursuing a Global PhD with the ILLC at Amsterdam can expect:
- A maximum duration of four years;
- A minimum of 12 months' study at each institution;
- A maximum thesis length of 70,000 words (excluding bibliography, references, and appendices);
- Examination via a pre-defence at St Andrews which shall follow the policy for examination at St Andrews and shall include a viva voce element, followed by assessment via a Doctoral Committee at Amsterdam. The examination committees for each element must be composed of different members;
- A single award, providing the titles for degree of each institution (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for St Andrews, and Doctor for Amsterdam). Each institution shall provide its own certificate which will reference the collaborative nature of the degree and the other institution;
- Graduation at the University of Amsterdam.
St Andrews and Amsterdam Global PhD

Global PhDs

What is a Global PhD?

How will I split my time between the two institutions?

How do I apply for a Global PhD?

Tuition Fees

Testimonials

Global PhD partners

Arts and Divinity PhD degrees with Ghent

Arts, Divinity and Science PhD degrees with Macquarie University

Classics PhD degrees with Sapienza University of Rome

Arts, Divinity and Science PhD degrees with the University of Bonn

Philosophy MPhil or PhD degrees with the University of Stirling

Arts, Divinity, Science and Medicine PhD degrees with the University of Oslo

Philosophy PhD degrees with the University of Amsterdam