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Nursing and Midwifery

MPhil, PhD

Pursue independent research in nursing and midwifery, developing specialist expertise and contributing to knowledge in your field.

OSN+M Research

OxINMAHR Contact hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk

Key facts

Duration: Full time: 2 - 3 years; Part time: 3 - 4 years
Starts: January 2027, September 2027
Level: PhDs and postgraduate research
Funding status: Self-funded
Location: Marston Road Site
School: Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery
Application deadline: Please allow at least four months between submitting your application and your expected start date, especially if you are an international student arranging a visa.

Overview

A research degree with the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery allows you to develop your research knowledge and skills to advance Nursing and Midwifery theory and practice. This will contribute to internationally recognised research supported by research active staff and a vibrant, cross-discipline research student community.

The School offers high quality research facilities that can be accessed by both part-time and full-time students. All research students become part of the University's Graduate College, which runs a comprehensive programme of training sessions and workshops to give you the opportunity to acquire both research and transferable skills to advance your career. We complement this with research methodology courses, seminars featuring eminent academics, and the opportunity to present work at the Annual Faculty Research Student Symposium.

We also offer a Professional Doctorate in Nursing (DNurs) and a Professional Doctorate in Midwifery (DMid)

Research expertise

At the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery, we aspire to bring together eminent figures in healthcare research through our research. We strive to nurture the next generation of researchers.

The majority of our research is accredited as ‘world-leading’. Meanwhile, our unique partnership across research groups, centres and clinical partners allows us to create the best possible opportunities for our researchers.

Research Networks

Centre for Health Care Research
Oxford Institute of Applied Health Research
Social Care
Supportive Cancer Care
Maternity Care (OxMater)
Workforce Development
Teaching and Learning Projects

Entry requirements

Qualification	Typical offer
IELTS	IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in all skills. For more information, please see our English language requirements.

All students must be able to meet the University’s requirements for a research degree, which is to be able to devote a minimum of 35 hours per week (full-time) or 15 hours per week (part-time) to the programme of research.

The minimum entry requirement for the degree of MPhil, or MPhil with transfer to PhD, is a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree or equivalent qualification.

The normal entry requirement for a PhD is a Masters degree, or exceptionally a good honours degree/equivalent.

Degree routes

All students enrol as probationer research students. During the first year you will formally register your research proposal for one of the below routes.

A candidate registered initially for an MPhil may be able to transfer to a PhD, and has to complete a transfer process within the Faculty, once sufficient progress has been made on the work to provide on the evidence of the development to PhD.

This is normally after 18 months of full-time study or (24-26 months of part-time study). Transfer comprises three main elements:

a 1000 word transfer report which should be sent to the relevant Postgraduate Research Tutor and the supervisory team
an oral presentation and/or interview
an additional piece of work as indicated by the Faculty, Department/School or supervisory team.

If you undertake a PhD you will:

critically investigate and evaluate an approved topic, resulting in an independent and original contribution to the field
demonstrate understanding of research methods appropriate to the chosen field
present and defend a substantial thesis by viva.

Entry requirement: The normal entry requirement for the degree of PhD is a master’s degree in a discipline which is appropriate to the proposed research and which has included research training and a research project.

In exceptional cases, applicants who have a good honours degree (or equivalent) may apply for direct registration to PhD if they have appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment.

The degree of PhD on the basis of published work may be awarded to candidates whose submitted work:

reflects the same academic standards as those which operate for a traditional PhD based upon an approved programme of supervised research
forms a coherent programme of research
demonstrates the use of appropriate research methodology
and makes an original and sufficient contribution to the present state of knowledge in a particular field to the satisfaction of the examiners.

Applicants should normally have had some prior association with Oxford Brookes University. The submission for examination comprises the published work on which the application is based, together with a supporting critical appraisal of this work.

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees
Fee types	2026/27
Home full-time	£5,338
Home part-time	£2,669
International full-time	£18,300
International part-time	£9,150

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

Additional Costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Compulsory additional costs
Compulsory	Amount
Continuation fee The continuation fee, where it is payable is compulsory, but not applicable to Masters by research or PhD by Published Work, detailed as follows: • All MPhil/PhD full-time students are required to pay the full-time fee for three complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee; • All MPhil/PhD part-time students are required to pay the part-time fee for six complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee. • All PhD Direct full-time students are required to pay the full-time fee for two complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee; • All PhD Direct part-time students are required to pay the part-time fee for three complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee.	£1,455

Optional additional costs
Optional	Amount
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online.	From £30
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand.	£20 - £60 per book
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills)	£107 - £301 per week
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs)	£139 - £248 per week
Fines are payable on items returned late although we will give you 5 days to return an item before fines are payable. Find out more about how to borrow and return items.	£1 per book
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes with single bus fares in the UK currently capped at £3. Oxford Brookes has committed to offering heavily discounted bus travel for students for at least three years from July 2026 with further information on our Travel webpages.	From £3
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41.	Typically £0 - £200
Bench fees for full-time study will be calculated on an individual basis and the amount will depend on the subject and project. In some cases no bench fee will be charged.	£1,000 - £6,000
Bench fees for full-time study will be calculated on an individual basis and the amount will depend on the subject and project. In some cases no bench fee will be charged.	£500 - £3,000
Resubmission fees If following viva, examiners recommend that a student is required to revise and resubmit their thesis for re-examination, they must pay the resubmission fee for the duration of that period.	£1,455

How to apply

If you have a research proposal in mind, explore our research groups and supervisory staff webpages, to identify the relevant research group/s for your research.
Check the fees information on the university website. Oxford Brookes Alumni may be entitled to a discount on course fees.
Email your CV and an outline of your area of interest to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk. Give a brief explanation of how your studies will be funded.
Once we have the initial information we will liaise with you as necessary and pass the information to the relevant Postgraduate Tutor/s, who will advise whether an application can be progressed. If this is possible we will invite you to submit an application through the university system.

OSN+M Research OxINMAHR Contact hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk

Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)

Courses students also look at

Professional Doctorate in Midwifery
DMid
Pursue independent research in professional doctorate in midwifery, developing specialist expertise and contributing to knowledge in your field.
5 years, one Saturday a month during semester time. part time - Headington
Professional Doctorate in Nursing
DNurs
Pursue independent research in professional doctorate in nursing, developing specialist expertise and contributing to knowledge in your field.
5 years, one Saturday a month during semester time. part time - Headington

Nursing and Midwifery

Key facts

Overview

Research expertise

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Degree routes

MPhil (with possibility of transfer to PhD)

PhD Direct

PhD by Published Work

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees

How and when to pay

Questions about fees?

Funding and scholarships

Additional Costs

How to apply

Courses students also look at

Professional Doctorate in Midwifery

Professional Doctorate in Nursing