The new school launched is a major investment into the postgraduate research environment for the arts and humanities by King's.
The King's Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities will be based in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and focussed on supporting innovative doctoral research, while bringing together a hub of external partnerships, industry connections and open research practices.
An expanded training programme and new funding opportunities will be available from Autumn 2026 for all postgraduate researchers (PGRs) within the school. New initiatives, including a placement programme, and expanded professional support, will benefit doctoral students through their time at King's and in their post-doctoral path to professional success, whether in areas of academic or non-academic employment.
Since our foundation in 1829, King's has been at the forefront of world-leading research, and our new Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities reflects our commitment to a thriving research community in these important academic disciplines. The school brings together our research with external partnerships and relationships across industry and academia to both prepare our doctoral students for career success, and ensure that our work continues to deliver cultural, economic, and social impact.
Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi, Vice-President (Research & Innovation)
In creating this new Doctoral School, we are building upon our rich and diverse postgraduate research culture. Our Doctoral School will place skills and collaboration at the heart of postgraduate research and thus equip students for a wide range of careers within and outside academia. I am excited to see what our doctoral students achieve with this new level of support.
Professor Simon Tanner, Executive Dean (Interim), Faculty of Arts and Humanities
The Doctoral School has been setup and launched by Professor Alice Taylor, Vice Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, and will be led by Co-Directors, Professor Christina Scharff (Associate Dean, Doctoral Studies) and Professor Jo Malt (Associate Dean, Doctoral Training Programmes) and managed by Richard McCormack, Senior PGR Manager.
I'm delighted to be launching this new school which is not only a signal to postgraduate students, that we are continuing to invest in the arts and humanities, but also a tangible example of the vibrant and expectation-defying research culture and environment we have cultivated in arts and humanities at King's.
Professor Alice Taylor, Vice Dean (Research), Faculty of Arts & Humanities
PhD Studentships
An open studentship competition will be announced in Autumn 2025 for intake in Autumn 2026 with up to 20 studentships available, bringing together funding opportunities from across King's and the Arts & Humanities Research Council.
In addition to its annual studentship competition, the A&H Doctoral School is home to the newly announced ADAPT-AI programme, due to start in Autumn 2026, and existing programmes, such as the Leverhulme-funded Knowledge Orders before Modernity and Harold Moody scholarships and existing LAHP students.
If you would like to stay updated on developments of the studentships and news from King's Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities, you can register your interest on this form.
