What is a PhD?

A PhD is the highest-ranking research program you can achieve at a UK university. Education often revolves around a serious research project of 100,000 words. This project is written as a thesis and then needs to be defended orally in front of an expert jury. Few doctoral programs include a taught module and accordingly, the student is expected to take more responsibility for their own work and program.

Doctorate Entry Requirements

UK Universities can accept anyone to the PhD program. The student to be admitted is expected to have completed his undergraduate education with a minimum average of 2.7/4.0 (upper second-class honors), and also to have obtained a master’s degree. Proof of English language skills will be required and an IELTS score of at least 7.0 is generally required.

PhD Thesis Proposal

All students are required to submit a thesis proposal when applying for doctoral education. The proposal should clearly state the research you want to do, how you will do it, and why it is important. The proposal must be accepted by a jury before the program begins.

Other Doctorate Types

-MPhil (Master of Philosophy)

If you want to do a PhD, you may need to study an MPhil first and move on to a PhD program after 12-18 months. The MPhil is also a qualification in its own right and is usually thesis work only, with options for one year full time and two years part time. The thesis must present the results of educational work and research and must be a maximum of 60,000 words.

If the proposed research is not of sufficient scope for a full doctoral study, students choose to study MPhil.

-MRes (Master of Research)

An MRes is an advanced graduate research degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Some doctoral programs require an MRes qualification before starting, and the student is required to write a 40,000-word dissertation.

MRes would be a good trial to see if you enjoy conducting your research before fully embarking on and investing in a PhD.

-Professional Doctorate Education

Professional doctoral training is similar to a PhD, but aims to improve professional practice rather than improving academic ability. The most common professional doctoral studies include law, education, business, engineering and medicine.

How can I apply for a PhD?

Once you’ve decided on a thesis topic and figured out how to fund your research, there are many documents required when making your application. These may include:

academic transcripts
academic references
Letter of Intent
Thesis proposal (sample)
Students will also need to designate an advisor to oversee their doctoral studies.