phd timeline uk

• Schools & departments

Your PhD journey

A quick summary of the different phases of your PhD, and signposting to development support. Includes our PhD Planner to download.

Download our PhD planner

For a concise overview of different stages of a PhD, you may want to view our PhD planner.

This guide includes quick tips from other Postgraduate Researchers, plus quick checklists suitable to different stages of your PhD.

This can be downloaded from this site, collected from your School postgraduate office, or obtained directly from the IAD

Download our PhD planner (PDF)

Research student training and development

Contact details.

• Email: [email protected]

Think about the support you need

Whatever stage you are at, it is important to spend time thinking about what support you need, and seek out the appropriate support, from your supervisor, School / Research Institute, from us, and from appropriate external bodies.

Get the right help at the right time

We have gathered information and advice by PhD stage to help you make the right choices for you, whatever stage you are at:

Starting out: tips on what support you need from your supervisor and school, setting your initial research programme milestones, assessing what skills you need to succeed, and finding the best training to help you at this stage.

Starting out on your PhD

Keeping on track : tips on getting setting new milestones, assessing what skills you need now, and recommendations for internal and external training and support to help you at this important stage.

Keeping on track with your PhD

Nearing completion : tips on setting those final important milestones, writing up and submitting, planning the skills you need now and for your next career steps, and recommendations for internal and external training and support to help you at this stage.

Nearing completion of your PhD

Related Links

PhD student diaries: learn from others' experiences

This article was published on 2024-02-26

UCL Ear Institute

• Typical timetable for full-time PhD student (3 ...

Typical timetable for full-time PhD student (3 Year)

Students and studentships.

Find out what our current cohort of research students are getting up to, where our past students have ended up and whether we have any Studentships currently advertised on our jobs page:

• Current students
• Alumni testimonials
• Studentships (Jobs page)
• Resources for students/supervisors

Finishing Your Doctorate - a guide for students approaching the end of their studies

Learn about about the different stages you will go through to complete your doctorate. find out about the timescales and the issues you will need to consider..

• Introduction

As you approach the end of your doctoral studies there are many things to consider including finishing off your research, writing and submitting your thesis, preparing for your viva voce examination and completing any corrections before your doctorate is awarded.

This step-by-step guide will help you understand the different stages you will need to go through. If you are completing an MPhil, please contact your supervisor or the Doctoral Programmes Administrator in the Doctoral College for specific advice for finishing your award as the process will be different. They are on hand to provide help and further detailed information about each step.

• Timeline for completion of your doctorate

The timeline from when you formally tell us that you intend to submit your thesis or portfolio to when your award is approved, can vary from six to 18 months, depending on the outcome of your viva voce examination. You can see the timeline in full on this diagram .

You should aim to submit in advance of your expected registration end date, in order to allow time for the examination process to be completed before your registration period runs out.

Funding and visa issues

If you are in receipt of funding for a fixed period, you should bear this in mind when considering when to submit. Whilst technically it is still possible to submit your thesis on the last day of your formal registration period, or after your funding ends, you are strongly advised not to do this: you will need extensions to cover the examination period and you will still be required to pay fees until the date you submit your thesis. If you are a Tier 4 visa holder, you may also need to consider that your visa could expire before your viva examination can be held.

For those students who find themselves in financial difficulty, The University of Bath Hardship Fund is available.

• Step 1: Decide how to submit your thesis

A doctoral thesis submitted for the award of MPhil, PhD, DBA, DPRP or DHealth may be submitted in one of two differing formats:

a traditional thesis consisting of chapters

an alternative format thesis which integrates academic papers into the text.

You will need to decide, if you haven’t already, which format you plan to submit. Ideally, you will have discussed with your supervisory team at an appropriately early stage in your studies how you wish to present your work.

The programme regulations for each Degree will describe how the research work may be presented: in a thesis, a portfolio (EngD, and DClinPsy only) or via a body of published works (MD MS only). Only students registered on an EdD prior to 2014 are able to present their work in either a thesis or portfolio format.

Further details of the University’s specifications for Higher Degree Theses and Portfolios can be found in Appendix 6 of QA7 . You may also want to read the Alternative Format Thesis FAQs .

You can access the Library’s collection of successful thesis submissions online via the Research Portal. You may wish to look at a few from your department as examples, taking note of content and organisation.

• Step 2: Transfer to Writing Up Status

Once you have completed the minimum period of study required for your particular degree as stipulated in Regulation 16 , and you have finished the specified amount of work, you may be able to apply for transfer to 'Writing Up' status.

Each Faculty / School has its own requirements for what needs to be in place before you can transfer to writing up status. These are as follows:

Engineering - supervisor confirms that you have finished all experimental work and analysis and that you are now writing up the results

Science - laboratory work has been completed where appropriate, and the required data has been collected in preparation for writing up

Humanities & Social Sciences – a clear outline of the thesis structure, including methodological and analytical approaches to be used, a detailed content of all chapters has been agreed, and, where appropriate, data collection has been completed.

School of Management - data collection and analysis has been completed and you have started writing up analysis

Fees associated with writing up

There are two writing up fee levels: Continuation and Administration, both of which are a significant drop from the regular fee rate. The one you choose will depend on the level of supervision you will need and the extent to which you will require access to the Library. Please note that Tier 4 students who wish to stay in the UK to write up are required to transfer to the Continuation fee and maintain regular supervisory contact.

Continuation fee - requires continued supervision and use of University facilities at a reduced level.

Administration fee - no longer requires supervision or the use of University facilities

Whether you transfer to the Continuation or Administration fee, your supervisor will still be expected to provide a critical proof reading of your thesis, prior to its submission. In addition, a member of the supervisory team will be available for consultation with the Board of Examiners on the day of the examination, and your supervisor will be with you at the point the examiners tell you about the outcome of the exam.

Writing up fee levels can be found here . They are paid on an annual basis.

Approval process

You should consider making an application for transfer to writing up status at the earliest point, as changes of status may take time to be approved. In order to apply to transfer to writing up status and for your fee status to be changed you must:

complete the PGR10 form

ask your lead supervisor and your Director of Studies to sign the form to authorise the change in your status

submit the form to your Doctoral Programmes Administrator in the Doctoral College for consideration by Board of Studies (Doctoral) for formal approval.

Impact of change of status

You should note that if you are in receipt of funding, such as a full studentship or a fee waiver, this funding will end at the point at which you transfer to writing up status. You should also be aware that a change in your status may impact on your liability to pay Council Tax .

• Step 3: Notice of intention to submit

At least two months before you intend to submit your thesis or portfolio, and before your registration period ends, you should complete the HD1 form, which can be accessed through your SAMIS in-tray.

By completing this form you are providing formal notice of your intention to submit, which then prompts your supervisors and Director of Studies to start the appointment of examiners process by nominating an appropriate internal and an external examiner. It will also alert the graduation team that you are likely to be completing in the near future, so your name can be added to the invitation list for the next available graduation ceremony.

Most students will receive an email notification, reminding them to complete the HD1 form, six months prior to their registration end date. Students on the DClinPsy programme will be told by their Programme team when and how to complete a version of HD1. If you wish to submit your HD1 form earlier than six months before your end date, please contact your Doctoral Programme Administrator in the Doctoral College.

• Step 4: Restriction of access to your thesis

You should talk to your supervisor and/or funder about whether there is a need to restrict access to your thesis. Typical reasons for restricting access can include:

contractual agreements with companies or funders to not make findings public for a fixed period

deferral of open release of the e-thesis until after a paper’s publication

delay in making results public as they are being used to prepare patent applications.

If, for reasons of confidentiality, you want to restrict access to your thesis, it is possible to request a 12 month restriction. This applies to the electronic copy of the final thesis at the point when it is uploaded to the Library repository, Pure .

If you wish to secure a more comprehensive restriction of both the electronic and printed copies, or would like a restriction of a longer duration, you will need to make a formal request for approval from the Board of Studies (Doctoral) using the PGR7 form . On this form you will need to indicate why you need access to be restricted, and for how long.

The University has an open access policy on research outputs, and the expectation is that all theses/ portfolios will be available within the Library repository, therefore you will need to provide some details about why your work should not be shared. You will then need to submit the form to your Doctoral Programmes Administrator in the Doctoral College.

• Step 5: Appointment and role of examiners

Your supervisors and your departmental Director of Studies are responsible for nominating a Board of Examiners for the viva voce examination of your thesis or portfolio. This team will consist of an internal examiner who is usually, but not always, an academic from your department, and an external examiner from another university or organisation.

The team of examiners may also consist of an additional examiner, as a condition of funding, or an independent chairperson who can be appointed when the Director of Studies considers that the presence of an additional academic would be of assistance.

Criteria for appointment and role of examiners

For information on the criteria for the appointment of examiners, see section 14 of QA7 . You can also find further information in QA7 (section 13) on the role of examiners.

Nominations for doctoral examiners will be submitted using the PGR13 form: Appointment of Examiners for Doctoral Research Degrees. This form includes details of who the proposed examiners are and what previous examination experience they have, and it is signed by the lead supervisor and the Director of Studies.

The appointment of examiners needs to be approved by Board of Studies (Doctoral) before a viva voce examination can take place, so this form should be submitted to your Doctoral Programmes Administrator in the Doctoral College in good time prior to the submission of your thesis or portfolio. When you submit your Notice of Intention to Submit form you might want to also check with your lead supervisor that they have begun the process of identifying potential examiners.

• Step 6: Final preparation for submission

Word counts

The guidelines on word limits for final theses/portfolios vary by faculty or department. In order to be sure that you stay within any prescribed limits please consult the Doctoral College guidance document on word counts .

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. You will have by now completed the academic integrity training and are expected to be aware of the rules around plagiarism.

All theses are checked for plagiarism using appropriate software. Whether it is detected by the supervisor when proof-reading a draft copy, or by the examiners in a thesis actually submitted for examination, QA53 (Examination and Assessment Offences) outlines the investigation process that will be followed if a suspected plagiarism offence is detected. The viva examination cannot go ahead until the investigation is completed, and where plagiarism is found to have taken place this may result in a disciplinary hearing where an appropriate penalty will be decided.

For a refresher on academic integrity whilst writing your thesis, see the Library guide on citing references and how to avoid plagiarism .

Seeking advice from your supervisor on draft(s)

The lead supervisor is responsible for advising you on the format of the thesis to be adopted and for carrying out a critical reading of the draft. When you are ready, your lead supervisor should read a complete draft of your thesis or portfolio and advise you of any changes or additions that should be made prior to submission. You may need to produce more than one draft before it is finalised.

You should give your supervisors not less than two weeks notice that you will be providing them with a copy of the draft thesis. They will need at least six weeks to read the draft and make their comments. The supervisor’s opinion is only advisory, and you have the right to decide whether to make any of the edits they recommend, and to decide when you are ready to submit your work for examination (subject to the requirements of the Regulations for the degree for which you are registered). Addressing the comments made by your supervisor does not guarantee that your thesis/portfolio will subsequently be passed by the examiners.

Specification for submission

There are detailed specifications for the presentation of a thesis or portfolio for examination and these can be found in Appendix 6 of QA7 . Please take note of these before submitting your work.

Printing / binding costs

You will need to print one hard-bound copy after the examination is completed. Information on the prices and process for printing your thesis/portfolio can be found here. You will be expected to bear the cost of printing this copy and as such may wish to speak with your supervisor about what assistance might be available.

• Step 7: Submission of your thesis/portfolio

What do I submit?

You are required to submit your thesis/portfolio in electronic format to the Doctoral College Submission page in Moodle where it will be checked for plagiarism. If an investigation into a potential plagiarism offence has to take place, the examination process will be stopped until this is concluded.

You will also need to complete the HD2 form: Record of submission of a thesis or portfolio , and email it to your Doctoral Programmes Administrator. Upon receipt of the HD2 form, and your submission onto Moodle, the Doctoral College will email you, your supervisor and the Director of Studies to formally confirm receipt of your submission.

When do I submit?

You are strongly advised to submit before the last day of your formal registration period so that the examination process can be completed before your registration ends, and if you are a Tier 4 visa holder, before your visa runs out.

If you do not submit before your registration end date, you will have to seek permission from Board of Studies to re-register as a student.

Your registration end date can be found on your SAMIS page or you can check this with your Doctoral College Programme Administrator.

If your visa runs out before the examination process is complete, you may be required to obtain a new visa (such as a short-term study visa) or return to your home country. If this happens, it may be possible to return to the UK at a later date to attend the viva voce examination in person, or alternatively a video conference can be arranged to facilitate the examination.  Find out more about visas .

What happens to my tuition fees after I submit?

Tuition fees will no longer be incurred but may still be charged from the point of submission. Depending on the outcome of your viva examination, and the level of access you may need to supervision and resources in order to complete your corrections/revisions, you may be charged a writing up fee for the corrections period.

Do I have to start paying Council Tax after I submit?

Full-time students are exempt from paying Council Tax until their expected, or actual, end date of registration. If you submit your thesis/portfolio on, or close to, your end date, you will need to contact your Doctoral Programmes Administrator to request an examination extension, which will extend your end of registration date. The actual end date of registration will then be the day of the Board of Studies (Doctoral) meeting where your final award is approved.

• Step 8: Preparing for the viva voce examination

Purpose of the viva voce

The main purpose of the viva voce is for you to defend the content of your thesis/portfolio and demonstrate your understanding of the broader aspects of the field of research and the subject of the thesis. It is an essential part of the examination process, and you must pass the viva as well as present a satisfactory thesis/portfolio in order to gain the award.

The examiners will test your ability to defend the work presented for examination. They need to ensure that your work is robust and that you fully understand the implications of your findings. They want to check the foundations of your research to ensure that the basic assumptions underpinning the work are sound, and that nothing major has been overlooked. Being able to discuss the work with you in person is of particular help if there is disagreement between the examiners about the outcome, or when the decision is marginal.

Think about the viva voce as more than an examination. It is an opportunity for you to discuss and develop ideas with experts in the field, to receive guidance on future publication plans and to receive constructive feedback on your work.

When should the examination take place?

The viva voce examination should normally take place within three months of the submission of the thesis/portfolio. Efforts will be made, where possible, to arrange the viva examination on a date convenient to all parties involved, and to minimise the amount of time a student has to wait for a viva examination.

You will be advised of the date of the examination as soon as possible after the thesis has been submitted. As a minimum, you will be given at least one week’s notice of the date of the exam. Those Tier 4 students on an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) course who are coming back to the UK for their viva examination may require more notice, so that they can apply and receive their new ATAS certificate. The Doctoral Programmes Administrator for your department or programme/supervisor will work with the examiners to check availability and agree a date and time.

Where should the examination take place?

The venue for the viva voce examination will vary by discipline. In some cases it will take place in the office of the internal examiner. In other cases a room may be booked. In all cases, the venue should be a quiet, comfortable environment free from interruptions.

Video Conferencing

In certain circumstances, the use of video conferencing facilities may be permitted for your viva examination, although some programmes may have their own expectations with regards to the use of these facilities. This might be an option if you or your examiner are based outside the UK and for reasons of cost, time or restricted mobility are unable to travel to the University of Bath in order to participate in the viva exam at an appropriate time. Should you require further advice on this, or should you want to take advantage of this facility, you should contact your Doctoral Programmes Administrator as soon as you are notified of your viva date.

For further information on the use of video conferencing in viva examinations see QA7 Appendix 3 .

Who will attend?

In line with UK practice, the viva voce will be a closed examination rather than a public event. You and the examiners will attend, along with an independent Chairperson if they have been appointed. You may ask that your supervisor is permitted to attend the viva voce examination to provide moral support or reassurance, but they must not play an active role in the examination. If you want your supervisor to be in attendance you will need to notify the Doctoral College on your HD2 form at the point of submission.

Some departments may also require you to undertake a public lecture or presentation before your viva voce. Please contact your supervisor for further information about whether this applies to you.

Can I ask for adjustments to help me participate in the viva examination?

The University is responsible for ensuring that appropriate facilities are made available should you need them. Please raise details of any reasonable adjustments that you may require to enable you to participate fully in the viva examination at your earliest opportunity. These adjustments can be related to a long-standing disability or a short-term medical issue, for example a back problem. Student Services can provide you with advice about adjustments and will generate a Disability Action Plan to record the adjustments where appropriate.

• Tips and advice for your viva voce

The following tips and advice will help you to prepare:

• expect to be challenged!
• be active - anticipate the questions that are likely to be asked in the viva examination
• use your research skills to identify commonly asked questions, and, after they’ve proof-read the thesis, ask your supervisors to suggest some potential questions too
• be prepared to discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of your work
• if you’ve presented your work at a conference or departmental seminar consider the questions that other researchers have raised about your work
• re-familiarise yourself with your examiners’ work in the field, as this can help you anticipate some of their likely questions
• be ready to summarise their most significant findings or area of greatest strength in your thesis
• be objective, and identify any areas of weaknesses within the body of work and be ready to discuss these, too
• ask your supervisory team, fellow researchers, or doctoral students in your office to hold a practice viva voce examination, in order to gain experience in answering questions about your work.
• re-read the thesis, particularly the first chapters that you wrote, in order to familiarise yourself with the contents once more
• attend the DoctoralSkills workshop ' Preparing for your doctoral viva '. You'll discuss what is expected of you in the examination and there will be a Q&A session with experienced examiners. Alternatively, you can complete the online learning module . Find out more by emailing DoctoralSkills .
• Further information about the viva voce

There are several useful resources in the library catalogue, the following list may be accessed online: Murray, R., (2009) How to Survive Your Viva: Defending a Thesis in an Oral Examination. Mansfield, N., (2007) Final hurdle: a guide to a successful viva. Potter, S., (2006) Doing postgraduate research.

The following Vitae guides may also prove helpful:

• Finishing your doctorate
• Completing your doctorate
• Writing and submitting your doctoral thesis
• Defending your thesis: the PhD viva
• Thesis defence checklist
• Thesis outcomes and corrections
• I had my doctoral viva and I enjoyed it

ATAS requirements

If you are a visa-holding student on an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) course coming back to the UK for your viva voce examination on a short-term study visa, you will need to ensure that a new ATAS certificate has been applied for, and received, in good time before making your new visa application. This includes nationals who are able to ask for permission to enter the UK on arrival at the border, rather than apply for a visa in advance. If you return to the UK for your viva voce without having a new ATAS certificate in place then it may not be possible to proceed with the examination.

• Step 9: Examiners' role in the viva voce

What do the examiners do?

Once appointed, internal and external examiners will read your thesis and each complete a preliminary report which records their initial independent thoughts on the work presented for examination. The examiners will refer back to these reports when they ask you questions in the viva voce examination. After the viva examination is concluded, the examiners will ask you to leave the room whilst they make their decision. You will be called back in, with your supervisor, to hear the examiners’ recommended outcome of the examination.

Examiners are asked to assess doctoral candidates' research and confirm their research as:

• making an original and significant contribution to knowledge
• giving evidence of originality of mind and critical judgement in a particular subject
• containing material worthy of peer-reviewed publication
• being satisfactory in its literary and/or technical presentation and structure with a full bibliography and references
• demonstrating an understanding of the context of the research: this must include, as appropriate for the subject of the thesis, the scientific, engineering, commercial and social contexts

And passing a viva voce examination on the broader aspects of the field of research in addition to the subject of the thesis

Examiners' Report

On the day of the viva the examiners will complete an Examiners’ Report, which summarises how the examination went, their recommended outcome, and any minor corrections or revisions that are required. It is not always possible for these to be outlined in detail on the day of the examination, so the full list of corrections/revisions may be supplied by the examiners up to two weeks later.

The Examiners Report, and corrections list, goes to Board of Studies (Doctoral) for consideration and approval, and until this point their recommendations are only provisional. The official outcome of the examination will be confirmed to you by email from the Doctoral College/Secretary of the Board of Studies (Doctoral).

More information about the role and responsibilities of the Board of Examiners and how the examination will be conducted can be found in the Guidelines for Research Examiners .

Contact with examiners

You should have no contact with your examiners prior to the viva voce examination, other than with the internal examiner to arrange the date and time of your examination. After the examination, advice and supervision in support of any required corrections or revisions will be provided by your supervisors, not the examiners. If needed, your supervisor or the Doctoral College can liaise with examiners on your behalf.

Please note that examiners usually need between four and six weeks to read a thesis and prepare for the examination. Later, when presented with a corrected thesis, the internal examiner may take up to four weeks to determine whether the corrections have been done satisfactorily. Examiners should not be pressured to set an early viva date, or examine to a foreshortened schedule.

• Step 10: Possible outcomes of the viva voce examination

The Board of Examiners will agree a recommended outcome following your viva examination. The list of potential outcomes of the examination are set out fully in both QA7 Section 17 and Regulation 16 but in summary, the examiners can recommend to:

• award the degree
• award the degree subject to satisfactory completion of minor corrections. These will either be of a trivial or typographical nature, or of a significant or substantial nature (but do not require major re-working of the intellectual content of the thesis/portfolio)
• award the degree subject to satisfactory performance at a second viva voce examination and the satisfactory completion of any minor corrections to the thesis/portfolio. If the recommendation is to attend a second viva, the date will be arranged at the convenience of all involved
• request that a revised thesis/portfolio be submitted before recommendation of the award can be considered. The Examiners may require the student to undergo a second viva voce examination, but may choose not make this decision until the revised thesis has been received and considered
• award a lower degree (MPhil), subject to any minor revisions to the thesis/portfolio (not currently available for the DBA)
• defer the decision to a Board of Examiners for the taught stage of the programme (for DBA, DHealth, DPRP and EdD)

Communication of the recommendation

You will be informed verbally of the recommended outcome by your examiners following the viva examination. Your supervisor should be in attendance at this point. The outcome is unconfirmed, and subject to approval by the Board of Studies (Doctoral).

You will have 30 days from the date of written notification of the outcome of the examination to complete minor corrections of a trivial or typographical nature and return them to the internal examiner.

In cases where the examiners require substantial amounts of work to be completed, the examiners will send their report and the details of the corrections/revisions to the Board of Studies (Doctoral) for consideration.

The Board of Studies (Doctoral) is responsible for checking that the examiners’ recommended outcome is supported by what is written in their report, and that any significant minor corrections or thesis revisions specified by the examiners may reasonably be expected to be completed within the time allowed. Written notification of the outcome of the exam will then be sent to you, and you will have up to 12 weeks to complete minor corrections of a more substantial nature, or up to 12 months to complete a revised thesis. You can find out more about Corrections in Step 12.

It is important that you meet the deadline for submission of your corrections or revised thesis, failure to do so may result in a fail outcome. In exceptional circumstances you may request an extension to the deadline for submitting the corrected or revised thesis/portfolio. Please contact your Doctoral Programme Administrator for information. If you have a disability access plan that relates to your ability to meet the deadline, please contact your Doctoral Programme Administrator.

• Step 11: Approval by Board of Studies (Doctoral)

The Board of Studies (Doctoral) normally meets approximately every four-six weeks. You will receive formal notification of the outcome of your examination shortly after it is approved by Committee.

You are permitted to use your new academic title of ‘Doctor’ from the point at which you are awarded your degree by the Board of Studies (Doctoral). You will no longer hold student status from the date of the Board of Studies meeting where your award is approved.

You can appeal against an academic decision made by the Board of Studies (Doctoral) about your degree award. Regulation 17 sets out the grounds, process and timescales for which you can do this.

If you wish to raise an issue you are encouraged to:

speak with your supervisor or Director of Studies

seek independent advice from the Students’ Union Advice and Support Centre

-seek advice from the University Independent Advisors for Postgraduate Research Students

• seek support from Student Services

-speak to the Doctoral College .

• Step 12: Corrections to your Thesis or Portfolio

No Corrections

If no corrections are required, you will need to submit a hardbound copy of your final thesis/ portfolio to your Doctoral Programme Administrator in the Doctoral College and an electronic copy to Pure , before the outcome of your viva examination can be approved by the Board of Studies (Doctoral) - see Step 13, below.

Minor Corrections

Depending on the outcome of your examination, you may be required to complete some minor corrections. It is uncommon for a thesis or portfolio to be accepted without requiring some form of correction following the examination. Minor corrections can either be trivial or typographical where you are normally given 30 days in which to make the changes. They can also be more substantial, where you normally receive up to 12 weeks to complete them.

When the minor corrections are completed, you will need to submit the corrected thesis to Moodle.

The internal examiner will then determine, on behalf of the Board of Examiners, whether the corrections have been completed satisfactorily, and whether you may now receive the award. It may help your examiner to do this if you complete the corrections in a different colour ink, and/or provide a document listing how each of the required changes has been addressed.

The internal examiner will update the examiners’ recommended outcome, and inform the Doctoral College. The Doctoral College will email you to inform you of the recommended final outcome that will go to Board of Studies (Doctoral) for approval. When you receive this email, you should start the process of printing a hardbound copy of your thesis and uploading an electronic version to PURE (see Step 13 below).

Revised thesis/portfolio

If the recommendation is to submit a revised thesis/portfolio, you will be given a reasonable time frame to complete the work, usually up to 12 months. You may also be required to attend a second viva. Before this deadline expires, the revised thesis or portfolio should be submitted to Moodle and paper copies presented to your Doctoral Programmes Administrator in the Doctoral College, in the same way as you did for the first submission.

Extension to your deadline

• Step 13: Submitting Your Final Thesis or Portfolio

Submitting a hardbound thesis/portfolio

Once your examination has been successfully completed, the final version of your thesis or portfolio should be submitted in hardbound copy to your Doctoral Programmes Administrator in the Doctoral College, along with a completed HD3 form before the final outcome can be approved by the Board of Studies (Doctoral).

You need to check the requirements for the colour of the hardbound case before proceeding with binding - see section 5iii of the thesis specifications document . Your hardbound thesis/ portfolio will be deposited in the Library by your Doctoral Programmes Administrator, and access will be subject to any approved restrictions. You are expected to cover the cost of printing the hardbound thesis yourself. Find further information about printing and binding a thesis here .

Uploading electronic thesis/portfolio to Pure

You will need to make the electronic copy of your thesis or portfolio publicly available by uploading it to the University’s research information system Pure . The Library provides guidance on submitting your final thesis/portfolio , including details on how to request a 12 month restriction to the electronic version.

• Step 14: Graduation

You will be contacted about the graduation ceremonies by email.

If you receive an invitation but have yet to have your final award approved, these invitations will be provisional. Deadlines for actions that must be completed before you are eligible to attend a graduation ceremony can be found here .

Your Bath student email address will be deactivated a short time after the Board of Studies (Doctoral) approves your award, so it is really important that you provide an alternate contact address within your SAMIS record. You may wish to switch to BathMail which is an @bath.edu email address that is exclusive to University of Bath graduates. Graduating students will automatically be sent a BathMail username and password to their student email account before it is deactivated.

Graduation Ceremony

The University holds graduation ceremonies twice a year, in December/January and July. Find more information on the dates of future ceremonies .

See eligibility to attend graduation ceremonies and doctoral deadlines for graduation ceremonies for more information.

If you are interested in attending a specific ceremony, please contact your Doctoral Programmes Administrator who will be able to inform you of the deadline for that ceremony.

See doctoral deadlines for graduation ceremonies , for more information on the next ceremony.

Preparation for Graduation

You can find out further information about how to prepare for your graduation ceremony . You should not book your travel until you have received confirmation that your successful outcome has been approved by Board of Studies (Doctoral) and the Graduation team have confirmed you have a place at the ceremony.

Certificate

Your degree certificate will be generated once the Vice Chancellor formally confers the award, following Board of Studies approval. Conferment is timed so that certificates can be released for the graduation ceremonies. If you decide not to attend a ceremony, or your ceremony is a while away, you can find out more information about receiving your certificate here .

Your Graduation certificate will include the following information: - your full name

degree awarded (such as Doctor of Philosophy)

date awarded

signatures from the Vice Chancellor, Director of Academic Registry and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International & Doctoral)

Please note that the University of Bath Doctoral certificate does not specify the subject studied.

Alumnus status

All graduates, former staff and students who have studied at Bath for at least one semester are members of our alumni community . Alumni receive invitations to events, regular updates about the latest news from campus and opportunities to get involved with University life.

There are University of Bath alumni groups or networks in more than 40 different locations around the world. Activities vary in each city or country, from an online network to a Chapter - where an international volunteer committee organises a programme of events for local alumni. Getting involved can be a great way to make new contacts and widen your social or professional circle.

University of Bath alumni can use the Sports Training Village and Library, which offer discounted membership and special rates to alumni. Alumni are also able to use the University Careers Service. To access these services you will need to provide your alumni ID number or other proof of alumni status, available by contacting the Alumni Relations team .

• Further information

During the above timeline, you may also be thinking about your next steps after your doctorate, in terms of your career. The University Careers Service can provide support and guidance and specialist careers information.

On this page

Masters Compare - Find your perfect masters course.

• Finding a PhD or Masters Course

A timeline to starting your PhD

Share this article.

• Facebook Sharer
• Twitter Sharer
• LinkedIn Sharer

Explore other topics

• Funding a Postgraduate course
• Living as a Postgraduate student
• Popular masters degree subjects
• Student Wellbeing
• Studying a Postgraduate degree

Think Postgrad

Are you are thinking about when is the best time to begin your PhD search?  If so it’s wise to understand how the timeline to starting your PhD works because it is not the same as starting a degree. We'll explore how to start a PhD programme.

The UCAS system at undergraduate level provides a standardised application process across all UK universities. Achieve the grades required, follow the relevant steps and deadlines. And next thing you know, you’re on your way to starting your degree. It’s safe to say, things can feel a little hazier at postgraduate level. In the majority of cases you’ll be applying direct to your chosen university, not through UCAS.

This guide provides an overview of what to do when based on the commonalities between most universities. But given things are less standardised a postgraduate level, always double check with your preferred universities.

Think of it less about applying to study, and more like applying for a specialist job

In order to understand how starting the PhD timeline differs from other levels of study, it’s probably useful to highlight the key difference: a UK PhD is not a taught course. It’s down to you and your own research, so think of the application process as less like applying to study and more like applying for a job - but it’s you who defines the job title and you who needs to find not only the right boss (supervisor) - but funding as well.

This is particularly true in the Arts and Humanities, although in STEMM subjects, you may be literally applying for a job in the form of a PhD studentship with a pre-defined title, working as part of a research team.

PhD studentships form one of the two main sources of funding. Research Councils – these make up UKRI, award studentships to universities. Government-funded Doctoral loans are the other main route (UK students only). Studentships are generally advertised between September and March each year for start the following September. Check out our post on UKRI funding for more information.

The work you put in before application will not only determine your likely success, but also the speed of the response time

Response times to PhD applications can be notoriously slow. This is because Admissions staff alone are not in a position to assess whether you are suitable; academic expertise combined with an understanding of whether a suitable supervisor(s) is available is required. If the relevant academic staff are on sabbatical, busy teaching or working fewer hours over the summer; don’t expect a quick response.

This is where your pre-application work comes in: if you’ve already built a relationship with your prospective supervisor(s) who has helped you refine your research proposal, the application process is likely to be far quicker. Check out our How to Find your Perfect Supervisor post for more information. Starting with finding a PhD supervisor kickstarts your timeline on the correct step.

The journey to a PhD is about a number of stars aligning

The time taken to source funding, choose a university and supervisor and refine your research proposal is going to vary greatly between individuals. The timeline below gives some sense of the steps and possible timescales involved to start a PhD in the Autumn. Remember to keep your eye out for possible PhD studentships all year round, as it’s possible to start many PhDs at any point:

What do I need in order to apply?

Most universities use an online application portal where you can save your work and complete your application in stages. These are the most common requirements:

• Proof of required academic attainment (academic transcripts).
• English language proficiency - ensure you know what is required if English is not your first language.
• References - most will ask for two. Make sure these people know you well enough to highlight your suitability for a PhD eg Masters/Undergraduate dissertation tutor.
• Research proposal (usually between 1000-3000 words)
• Personal statement - your chance to show you have the personal skills and traits to complete a PhD and passion for the topic.

If your chosen university is interested in you, your final stage of the application process is likely to be an interview. Visit our post on How to Nail your PhD interview in order to ensure you don’t fall at the final hurdle.

Applying for a PhD can take time. But it’s worth the effort to ensure you find the right university and right lead supervisor. PhD studentships can be advertised pretty much as soon as you start your masters, which can seem far too soon for many. Read how Edward, a Medieval French Postdoc did just this .

Search through the latest PhD study opportunities on Postgraduate Studentships , and join our mailing list for up-to-date advice and opportunities.  

• Advertisers
• Cookie Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Sorry! You need to sign up

Sign up to Postgraduate Studentships

Sign up to compare masters

Opportunity added!

Thanks for making your selection. Click below to view your list.

Course Added

Thanks for making your selection. Click below to view your comparisons.

Think Postgrad Ltd 2008-2024 Website By Parachute

Welcome to the University of Southampton

Progression milestones.

Progression Milestones are key stages of your candidature. They comprise of One Month Plan, First Review, The Report (interim thesis) and Formal Progress Review.

This page will guide you through each Milestone.

This is a guide and does not link to PGR Tracker.

Academic Needs Analysis

The one-month plan is typically a one-page outline of your research topic, explaining why it is an interesting/challenging problem and the methods and techniques you are planning to use, particularly in your first year of research. A GANTT chart should also be attached outlining the project planning for the first year.

The writing of the research plan should be a joint effort between you and your supervisory team and the focus of early meetings. If the project initially only has one supervisor, a co-supervisor(s) should also be appointed during the writing up of the one month research plan. The research plan (in PDF format) should be submitted via PGR Tracker, accompanied by your Academic Needs Analysis, to the Graduate School Office (within one month of your start date). This will be approved by the supervisory team and the Graduate School.

iPhD students will also be expected to submit a one-month plan by the end of month 13 (i.e. at the start of the research component of their programme).

First Review

First review – milestone 1 (mphil, phd, iphd and engd).

The first major milestone is the First Review. For this review, you will be required to produce a progress report, which will be followed by a short viva examination.

A PDF copy of your report and an updated training record should be submitted via PGR Tracker to the Graduate School Office according to the following timings:

The First Review Report

The First Review report typically consists of a substantive initial literature review, a clear delineation of the research problem, a description of the approaches taken so far, preliminary results, analysis and discussion, together with a clear plan of future work. Around 5000 words is given as a target length, although supervisory discretion may be employed (and often a longer document will be required). You should check whether it is necessary for you to produce hard copies of your report for the panel (usually it is).

The Review Meeting

The review must be organised by the main/coordinating supervisor within one month of the report submission. The panel for the review will consist of at least three academics: the supervisory team, plus at least one independent assessor usually from within the Faculty. During the meeting, the review panel will discuss the report you have produced. Also you may be asked to prepare a 10-15 minute presentation of your work to start the review meeting. The review will provide you with the opportunity to practise answering technical questions on your research and defending your work in readiness for your final viva voce examination.

The assessment questions can be found on the SESG8003: FEE Graduate School site . You will also have the chance to read the examination form and make your own comments via PGR Tracker. If the outcome of the review is unsatisfactory you will normally be given a month to revise your report. The review panel will explain the reasons that the review was unsatisfactory and your supervisory team will give you guidance for the revision required.

Please note that successful and timely completion of your First Review is a condition for progressing to the next year of study. If you choose to withdraw from the programme at this point, having successfully completed the equivalent of 60 credits in a combination of taught courses and the nine-month progress report, you will be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Certificate.

Upgrade Review

Upgrade review milestone 2 (phd, iphd and engd).

Please note that students registered on the EngD programme are required to follow the requirements for the Upgrade Review.

For this review, you will be required to produce a more substantial report than the first progression review report. You may be asked to prepare a 10-15 minute presentation of your work to start the viva examination, and during the viva the review panel will discuss the report you have produced. You will be provided with a further opportunity to practise answering technical questions on your research and defending your work in readiness for your final viva.

A PDF copy of your report should be submitted, along with a review of your academic needs analysis to the Graduate School via PGR Tracker at least one month before the date of the review meeting. You are encouraged to draft this report with support from your supervisory team. Drafts and thesis outlines should be given to the supervisory team before the submission deadline (~ 2 months) to give time for this process. Please check if the panel requires a hard copy of your report!

Students who commenced their studies prior to 1 August 2015

The report (interim-thesis).

The report should consist of around 10,000 words (40 pages of text plus figures) although in some subjects, longer interim-theses may be appropriate, and this should be discussed with the supervisory team.

Typically the report will include an introduction to the research project (including a description of your research problem and the research objectives), a substantial literature review, a description of the methodology you have employed and your results, critical analysis and discussion of your research findings to date, and a clear, well-developed plan of your future work (including fieldwork and data analysis if applicable). It is recommended that the report includes a detailed contents page where the chapter headings to be used in the final thesis submission are used to structure the document.

You should now be able to show mastery of the general literature in the field, and that a significant body of research work has been completed. Evidence of paper publication/submission will be very clear indicators that this has been achieved. In addition a clear plan (including a GANTT chart) indicating future work to complete the doctoral thesis will be required.

The Viva Voce

The main/co-ordinating supervisor is responsible for arranging the time and location of the viva. The panel for the review will consist of at least two independent assessors usually from within the Faculty, one independent assessor will act as the Chair. Your supervisors can be present at the review meeting but will not play an active role in the examination. However, you can request the opportunity to meet the panel without a supervisor being present; this request should be made through the Faculty Graduate School Office.

As well as the interim thesis and viva, the review will require confirmation that you have attended all the required training (the review of your academic needs analysis will be helpful with this) and your publication strategy (papers in preparation, papers submitted, papers in press or published) will also be discussed.

Once the viva has taken place the examination form is completed by the panel and submitted via PGR Tracker. You will receive written feedback on the process and have the opportunity to write your own comments via PGR Tracker. Timely completion of this form is important to enable you to continue your registration on the degree programme.

The Recommendation of the Panel

The criteria for confirmation and guidance regarding recommendations from the panel can be found in the University’s Code of Practice, paragraph 70 – 79 .

If the outcome is reassess, you will normally be given up to three months from the date of the viva to re-submit your report.

Post Upgrade Review

Post upgrade review – milestone 3 (phd, iphd and engd).

The third milestone is the Post-Upgrade Review. The objectives of this review are to assess the progress towards the final thesis submission and that the candidate has had sufficient practice in defending their work in readiness for their PhD/EngD viva.

Requirements

Typically a successful major presentation of your work (for example at an international conference) and/or submission (or even better, publication) of conference or journal papers will form convincing evidence that you are making suitable progress. Having refereed journal or conference papers accepted prior to the viva is a very strong signal to the external examiner that you have satisfied one of the main requirements for award of a PhD (i.e. making an original contribution in the field). A journal publication is much stronger evidence of this than conference papers, although conference publications are also valuable in gaining recognition for your group in your field. If you already have conference papers published, that is useful, but choosing an area to prepare for journal publication will be very good preparation for a discussion chapter in the thesis, and at this stage in your studies you should be starting the writing up process of both journal paper(s) and your thesis. You should submit a thesis plan, list of publications (and evidence of the aforementioned documents) and an updated post-graduate training record to the Graduate School Office via PGR Tracker. Your supervisory team will then complete the review form on PGR Tracker.

Formal Progress Review Report

If none of the aforementioned events have occurred it may well trigger an additional formal review with your supervisory team and your independent reviewer(s)/assessor(s) where a substantial write-up will need to be assessed at a further formal progress review meeting, to ensure you are on track to complete your degree in time. The additional review will provide a further opportunity to practice defending your work in readiness for your viva. Your supervisory team will provide guidance on the format of the review report that is required. Normally a short report outlining progress since the upgrade review will be required. The report should include a thesis plan including a detailed contents page. This plan should indicate which parts of the research have been completed, and what work remains to be finished. This should enable your review panel to propose a target date for thesis submission and/or a target date to change to nominal registration. Your supervisory team will inform you if they deem it necessary to hold an additional review meeting, at which point you should upload your Post-upgrade Review Progress Report to PGR Tracker.

Normally transfer to nominal registration will not be approved until your Post-Upgrade Review has been completed.

Thesis Submission

Intention to submit.

You must inform your Faculty Graduate School Office of your intention to submit no later than two months before your date of submission. This should be done using the form on PGR Tracker. Information on decision and notification to submit can be found in paragraphs 84-85 in the Code of Practice for Research Candidature and Supervision .

Production and submission of the thesis

The requirements for the production of the thesis, and procedures for submission are set out in the Producing your thesis – a guide for research students and the Submitting your thesis – a guide for research students , both of which are available from the Quality Handbook. You should read this guidance carefully well in advance of preparing the final version of your thesis. Additional guidance for students submitting their thesis in an alternative format can be found in paragraphs 8-10 of the Code of Practice for Research Candidature and Supervision.

Thesis templates are available in Microsoft Word (PC and Mac) and LaTeX that match the required University specifications. Templates are available on the Library website .

Further information on thesis submission including: declaration of authorship; academic integrity; and thesis written in a language other than English, can be found in the Code of Practice for Research Candidature and Supervision , paragraphs 86-89.

You will retain access to library and computing facilities until your thesis has been examined and, where appropriate, any revisions requested by the examiners have been made.

You can find useful information to assist you in preparing your thesis on the Library’s Theses webpages , which should be read in conjunction with the University’s Guidance for Completion of Research Degree available on the Quality Handbook . You are advised to read these well in advance. It covers help on the electronic submission of your thesis and supporting materials, including copyright, intellectual property rights, restrictions, file formats, and research data. Thesis templates using Microsoft Word (PC and Mac) and LaTeX are also accessible here. Support in using the Word PC and Mac templates is provided by iSolutions.

Please note that this page and does not link to PGR Tracker, this is for information only.

Viva Voce Examination

Once you have given notice of intention to submit, at least two examiners (one internal and one external to the University) will be appointed and arrangements made for your examination. The following information on the examination can be found in paragraphs 90–104 of the Code of Practice for Research Candidature and Supervision : nomination of examiners; the role of the main supervisor in the examination process; the viva voce examination itself; the recommendations of the examiners; and consideration of the examiners’ recommendations.

Submission after a successful recommendation of an award

Information on the procedure for submission of your thesis after successful recommendation of an award can be found in the University’s Guidance for Completion of Research Degree .

Congratulations on your successful candidature! We look forward to seeing you at Graduation.

Full information can be found on the Graduation webpage .

Postgraduate research students are provided with Microsoft Office 365 alumni email addresses. Once you are awarded your [email protected]  becomes [email protected] and any emails sent to your existing Southampton University email address will appear within your new account. Your alumni email account can be accessed via www.outlook.com/southamptonalumni.ac.uk .  

Recommended pages

• Undergraduate open days
• Postgraduate open days
• Accommodation
• Information for teachers
• Maps and directions
• Sport and fitness

What to expect from a PhD/ MA by Research

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest level of qualification awarded by universities in the UK, typically aimed at students who have successfully completed a Masters programme.

A  PhD  is awarded for the outcomes of intensive, independent study that demonstrates an original and significant contribution to knowledge in your chosen subject. You will be assessed at the end of the programme by a thesis of 80,000 words which will need to be deemed suitable for publication, in whole or in part in a learned journal or equivalent by your examiners. You will need to defend your thesis and demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of your subject at a  viva voce  (oral examination) before a panel of expert examiners.

By comparison, an  MA by Research  is a research-based Masters programme assessed by a thesis of 40,000 words. An oral examination may be held at the discretion of the examiners.

Unlike our postgraduate taught programmes, there are no formal lectures or seminars in a PhD or MA by Research, and your work is not formally examined until after your thesis has been submitted. Instead, our postgraduate research programmes provide you with the opportunity to undertake research under the expert guidance of a primary supervisor, co-supervisor and mentor, supported by complementary research training.

PhD and MA by Research programmes may start at any time of the year, though we strongly encourage students to begin their studies at the start of the UK academic year (September). We also offer flexibility in our programmes so that you can choose the mode of study that works for you - full-time, part-time, or distance learning . It usually takes three years (full-time) or six years (part-time) to complete a PhD, while the standard duration for an MA by Research is either one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).

Distance learning students will receive the same level of support and supervision as on-campus students, the only difference being that supervisory sessions will take place via audio and visual communication services such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, rather than in person. You will be funded to make one compulsory visit to the University per year of study (or every other year for part-time students), enabling you to meet your supervisory team, undertake intensive research skills training and make a start on your doctoral studies. You may also be invited to attend the University for annual meetings which give you the opportunity to interact with other research students both socially and academically, undertake important progress-review meetings and carry out any necessary training. For those studying a PhD, you will also generally be required to be present on campus for your viva voce (funded for travel and accommodation).

What is involved in a PhD/MA by Research?

Before you start.

One of your main sources of support, inspiration and encouragement throughout your PhD/MA by Research programme will be your supervisory team. Establishing an effective working relationship is important for staying on top of your work and making the most of your research.

If you are planning to apply for a PhD/MA by Research programme, you should first make sure that the relevant department within the College of Arts and Law offers the necessary expertise. We ask that you identify an appropriate supervisor before you submit your application and contact them in the first instance to discuss your research proposal. If you experience any difficulties with the application process and contacting potential supervisors, please email: [email protected]

Your research proposal should be a short written document (approximately 1,000-1,500 words) which sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address. It should outline the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic, as well as demonstrate the originality of your proposed research. For further advice, please refer to our research proposal guidance pages .

During your studies

Your supervisory team will meet with you at regular intervals throughout your PhD/MA by Research programme in order to offer guidance on how best to approach, implement and report on your research. Supervisory sessions for distance learning students will take place via audio and visual communication services such as Skype or Facetime, rather than on campus.

Although your supervisory team are there to help you to complete your research, postgraduate research students are expected to take full responsibility for their work. Therefore, you will need to develop your own timetable for academic study, planning and managing your research so that you can successfully complete your thesis on time.

The first year (or part-time equivalent) of a PhD usually consists of a literature review specific to your thesis and topic, along with any other relevant work or training that will prepare you for undertaking the bulk of your research in the second year, which is normally then written up in the third year. For an MA by Research, these timescales are condensed into one year (or two years if studying part time).

During the course of your studies your supervisory team may also encourage you to present your research to the wider academic community and to the general public at seminars and conferences, or even submit work for publication in specialist journals. You will also have opportunities for teaching, networking, and playing an active role in the College's vibrant  postgraduate research community .

If you wish to proceed and submit an application, please refer to our six-step process for applying for PhD and MA by Research opportunities in Arts subject areas.

Mathematics Institute

Phd years 3 and 4.

For further detail and information on this topic, current students and staff may use the >> Handbook << Link opens in a new window

By the beginning of the third year, many PhD students will have a clear idea about the direction of their thesis. Some may have already made significant in-roads into the thesis, for example, by drafting a few chapters. Whatever the situation, students should be thinking about their progress and what they have left to do to complete their thesis. Setting clear achieveable milestones with your supervisor to help you monitor your progress will help you to produce your thesis in a timely fashion.

As for earlier years, you are encouraged to further develop your skills as part of your training. If you have not already presented your work at a formal or informal gathering, then you should do so as this is helpful preparation for your viva and any future career.

Progress Report

Students are required to submit a progress report by the end of Term 2. Preparing the report is not meant to be a time consuming exercise. The main purpose is to reflect on the progress made in previous years and provide your own assessment of were things stand in terms of completed your PhD in a timeline fashion.

All PhD students will meet a member of staff to discuss the report as appropriate. The member of staff will be chosen by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the supervisor(s). Progress reports will need to submitted by the end of term 2. The meeting will additionally help to develop links between the student and a member of staff other than the supervisor.

In some cases, where further information is required to establish the level of progress of a student, s/he may be required to undergo an oral examination, normally conducted by the supervisor and the Director for Graduate Studies. The outcome of the oral examination will be reported to the PhD Progress Board. As in the earlier years continued registration on the PhD is subject to satisfactory progress.

What you do submit should be a matter of discussion between you and your supervisor, but if would be helpful to include:

• a description of what has been achieved since the last progress report
• papers submiited, preprints/drafts you are working on, etc
• an indication of how the results achieved will integrate in the thesis (i.e. form the basis of Chapter 2-4 for example)
• a tentative plan for the rest of your PhD, and the expected submission date. Please indicate if you have requested or intend to request an extension.

As for previous years, it may also be appropriate to add information about any courses taken, texts read, reading groups, seminars and conferences attended.

Students are expected to submit their thesis in around 4 years which reflects the length of funding available for many of the funded students. The department makes every effort to ensure that students submit within this time-frame. In particular, the procedures described for year 3 PhD students will also apply to year 4 students who have not yet submitted a PhD thesis. Extensions beyond four years of registration will only be given by the University in exceptional circumstances (e.g. medical).

To help you to complete the thesis in a timely fashion, third year PhD students must submit a draft of their thesis by the end of January. It is noted that not many students will be in a position to submit a near to complete draft thesis by this stage. What you do submit should be a matter of discussion between you and your supervisor. However at a minimum one would expect a detailed thesis plan and significant progress in the writing of one or two chapters. The plan should demonstrate that you have carefully considered the contents and structure of the thesis and already have (close to) sufficient material (including original research) for the thesis. Such a plan should contain:

• a list of the chapter (and lower-level) headings, with a description of the content of the chapters where not included
• a rough indication of the number of pages for each section/chapter
• progress made towards each chapter/section e.g. 60% of chapter complete (and included in draft), published in conference proceedings, analysis/results complete, more analysis required
• indication of how long each section/chapter will take i.e. a schedule of work with milestones
• expected submission date

All PhD students will meet a member of staff to discuss the draft/detailed thesis plan as appropriate. The member of staff will be chosen by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the supervisor(s). The meeting will additionally help to develop links between the student and a member of staff other than the supervisor.

The normal expectation is that a PhD will be completed within 4 years. Given the nature of mathematical research, some students will take a shorter time period, others longer. The University will extend a student's registration beyond 4 years only under exceptional circumstances. If you do not expect to submit before the end of your funded period or you are self-reliant for funding you will also need to have considered how you will support yourself for the duration of your studies.

Years 3 & 4

Transferable Skills

Support & Raising Issues

Other Information

How to apply for a PhD in the UK

Applying for a phd is not quite as daunting as you might think. a postgraduate student recruitment officer from the university of sussex shares his tips for putting together a phd application.

Ben Osborne

There are many different reasons for wanting to pursue a PhD – to move into an academic role at a university, to continue studying a subject you are passionate about or to further your career. 

Whatever your motivation, many students are now choosing to pursue a PhD abroad. This guide will help you understand how to apply for a PhD at a UK university and answer any questions you might have around doing PhDs.

How to apply for a PhD

Application rules and methods vary for each university. The number of courses that you can apply for in a year will vary. For example, at the University of Sussex , you can apply for up to three postgraduate courses per year using the postgraduate application system.

If you are applying for more than one degree, you must submit a research proposal/statement specific to each area of study you apply for.

You can also apply to different universities to improve your chances of being accepted to a PhD course of your choosing. 

What qualifications do I need?

Each PhD will have specific entry requirements and you will also need to meet a university’s general entry requirements.  This may be an upper second-class undergraduate honours degree (2:1) or an equivalent international qualification. For some PhDs you may need a master’s qualification, and you may be asked to attend an interview.

International students may also be required to prove language proficiency. This will vary across institutions so do check what level universities expect before starting your application. 

Applicants should always check the specific entry requirements in a university’s online prospectus before making an application.

When should I start applying?

This will depend on when your term start date is. Most research degrees will start in September but some courses offer additional entry points in January or May.

You can apply all year round for research degrees starting in September, January and May, and the deadlines for applying are usually one month before the course start date for UK applicants, and three months before for international applicants.

If you’re applying for funding from an external organisation you’ll need to be aware that they may have different deadlines for the funding application. So give yourself plenty of time to research your funding options, and ensure you know how long the application process takes. 

Many universities offer a number of funded PhD opportunities and PhD scholarships for UK and international students, and it’s always worth investigating funding routes such as research councils and other organisations, both in the UK and overseas.

In some cases, it may be possible to study a PhD by distance which means you’ll be able to learn online and have virtual meetings with your supervisor.

If this is something you would be interested in doing you should check before applying whether your university can accommodate this option. 

Nine things to know before doing a PhD Starting a PhD during the pandemic Studying for a part-time PhD: the challenges and the benefits Is it possible to do a three-year PhD as an international student?

How should I look for a supervisor?

Usually if you are applying for a funded project, or to a research centre or group, you will normally be asked to provide a statement explaining your suitability for working in that area, and if successful you will be allocated a supervisor.

If you wish to propose your own area of research, you need to decide on a research topic, and you will be expected to write a research proposal. In some cases you may only be required to provide a summary of academic interests and this can be used to match you to a researcher that suits you.

If you are proposing your own research topic, there may be a research database at your university that you can search, or your university will match you with a supervisor during the assessment of your application. It may be possible to request supervision by a particular member of faculty – this will be considered but not all requests can be accommodated.

If you do find a potential supervisor who matches your research area, check their online profile for indications of their doctoral supervision capacity. If they are open to doctoral applications, you can contact them directly to check their availability for supervising you.

It is a good idea to draw up a shortlist of two to three potential supervisors, and take an in-depth look into their research history. You can also find out more about your potential supervisors by looking in the reference sections of academic textbooks and searching for articles in research databases and academic blogs.

When you contact your potential supervisor, it is important to tell them something interesting about yourself, and explain your research interests and how you feel your research proposal matches their expertise.

How do I write a research proposal?

If you are proposing your own research you will need to write a strong proposal that formulates a precise, interesting research question, and establishes the relevance and value of the proposed research question in the context of current academic thinking.

You’ll need to make sure your proposal describes the data or source material your research requires, and outlines a clear and practical methodology that enables you to answer the research question and that states clearly what you hope to discover at the end of your research, and what new areas it might open up.

The precise content and structure of your research proposal will depend on your subject area, and the University of Sussex has some helpful resources on our website to guide you through the process.

How long does the application process take?

Completing an application and writing a research proposal may take some time and should not be left until just before the application deadline.

It’s not easy to give a definite idea of how long it takes to hear if your application has been successful, as it will depend on when the application is made and the nature of the specific PhD, and you would need to meet any conditions contained within the offer before you can start the PhD.

What are the associated costs?

There won’t typically be an application fee for PhDs but there are tuition fees. If a university does charge application fees they will usually be between £50-£100.

The tuition fees for students studying in the UK are set by UK Research and Innovation . Fees for international students are £18,975 for non-lab-based subjects, and £22,975 for lab-based subjects per year.

You’ll also need to factor in living costs, but there are a number of funding routes you can apply for to help with this. As well as PhD scholarships and funded research projects there are research council awards, PhD loans for those eligible, and various organisations to which international students can apply for funding, such as The Gen Foundation and Open Society Foundations.

It’s important to be aware of the costs involved, but it’s also worth remembering that the educational, career and personal benefits of PhD study can be worth it.

You may also like

.css-185owts{overflow:hidden;max-height:54px;text-indent:0px;} How to apply for a PhD in the US

Giulia Evolvi

Women in STEM: undertaking PhD research in cancer

Grace McGregor

PhD diary: Where do I begin?

Charlie Pullen

Register free and enjoy extra benefits

• Schools & departments

Year 1 timeline

A breakdown of 1st year key milestones in a timetable.

Months stated in the column 'Sept Start' are indicative for full-time students who commence study in September. Students with other start dates should adjust these accordingly.

Each PhD student is on probation during their first year, and progressing to full PhD status depends on the supervisor's evaluation in the first annual report; this report takes into account the panel's evaluation of the student's thesis proposal; there is a section in that report for providing a written record of the feedback the panel gave to the student.  The research institute, and in particular the student's supervisor, is responsible for ensuring that the student submits the thesis proposal and that it is presented and reviewed by the panel within this time frame.  

Note for part-time research students

For part-time students, milestones in first year and subsequent years are delayed according to the extent of part-time studies. For instance, for a student with prescribed period of 60 months rather than the usual full-time prescribed period of 36 months, the thesis proposal is due in month 9*60/36 = 15. An exception is that formal reports from the supervisor are due at 12-month intervals for part-time students, just as for full-time students.

Note for CDT students

The Graduate School milestones are intended for all PGR students who are registered to do a PhD , including CDT students who are in the “+3” portion of their “1+3” programmes.  The monitoring and milestones for the first year of the CDT programmes, in which students should complete an MSc by Research, varies across the different CDTs.  Please consult your relevant CDT programme for details.  When CDT students are accepted onto the PhD programme (that is, the “+3” portion of the 4 year programme), they are expected to follow the standard PhD milestones process, supported by the relevant research institute . All information held on this and other milestones pages  is therefore relevant to CDT students. Please also note that the document that is evaluated as part of the First Year Review is not the same as the post-MScR PhD Proposal (for instance, the review panel would expect to see a substantial piece of work under item 2, which describes the achievements so far towards completing the work plan).

Postgraduate research career timeline

Whether new to St Andrews or a returning student, the Careers Centre is here at every stage to support you in identifying and achieving your career ambitions. The Careers Centre has developed this timeline for those on research postgraduate programmes to help you navigate key steps and opportunities in your career journey.  While it has been structured to follow the progression of a full-time PhD degree, it will be broadly applicable to other research degrees, which may have different timescales.

Meet with your supervisor

Conduct initial meetings with your supervisors at the beginning of your research degree to:

• discuss and agree the frequency of future meetings
• set objectives and annual goals
• discuss possible training needs or any other concerns.

Create a reflective log

As you begin working on different projects and take on a variety of roles during your research degree, consider creating a reflective log of these experiences. This will be particularly helpful when looking to create or update a master CV from your second year onwards.

Build your networks

Begin to build your own networks. This could include:

• other PhD or research students in your School
• other members of  University societies you're involved in
• academic staff working in related (or even unrelated) research fields
• students and staff from other institutions around the world (found through web research, LinkedIn , Academia.edu , conferences, and other events).

Be curious and initiate conversations – you never know how much a certain connection may be able to help in the future.

See more ideas for making a connection .

Summer schools

Summer schools are popular events for first-year PhD students, so it may be worth exploring whether there are any available in your research area. For example:

• Summer Schools in Europe.eu
• Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities
• Scottish Graduate School of Social Science .

Summer schools provide you the chance to:

• learn about the latest developments in your field
• present a poster on your research area
• meet fellow research students from around the world.

Attend training and event conferences

Familiarise yourself with both central and School-based training and event conferences, such as seminars, workshops and training classes. Start to think about which ones to attend.

Search for courses available at St Andrews through  GRADskills and  PDMS . GRADskills, in particular, is a programme of workshops and activities designed specifically for research postgraduate students of the University.

Use Vitae, a career development resource

Vitae  is one of the core career development resources aimed at researchers. Log in to the website using your St Andrews email address and password to explore the full range of resources available to you.

One of these resources is the Researcher Development Framework (RDF), which highlights the professional and transferable skills you can gain from academic research. You can use the RDF to audit and evidence your professional development. For more information, see the  Vitae: professional development for researchers page . 

The GRADskills programme has also been grouped according to the 12 sub-domains of the RDF, to help you identify workshops aligned to a particular skill. For more information, visit the RDF domains page .

Get involved in outreach

Consider getting involved in outreach, teaching, public engagement and volunteering opportunities . These additional responsibilities make a great addition to any CV, helping you develop your key skills.

Second year

As you enter the second year of your research degree, you should continue to develop and explore the suggestions for what you can do during the first year of your research degree.

Create a master CV

Having an up-to-date CV will be essential when applying for jobs after your degree is finished. Create or update a master CV with all the responsibilities and projects you’ve been involved in since the beginning of your research degree. It should include all of the varied roles and responsibilities that you have had throughout your education and work.

By making a master CV now, you will ensure nothing gets forgotten. Your master CV can be as extensive and detailed as you like. When it comes to submitting a CV for a job, you can refer to your master CV and then pick and choose those experiences which are best suited to your desired role.

See advice on CVs for further guidance.

Attend conferences

Look for opportunities to attend a local, national or international conference. Conferences can help you build your communication and presenting skills. They also provide another way to meet other students and staff working in a variety of fields and make further connections.

Start career planning

Start to perform some self-development and self-reflection tasks to help you consider career options. What have you enjoyed most about your research to date? What haven’t you enjoyed? Would you like to continue to work in a research role, or try something different?

Jobs.ac.uk  provides a number of helpful resources aimed at researchers, including a Career Development Toolkit .

You may find it helpful to book an appointment with a careers adviser to discuss these issues further, as well as visit the Career Journey page .

Consider your career options

Before the third year of your PhD, you should start to consider possible career options for when you finish, so that you can start to put into place strategies for meeting your career goals in the remaining years of your PhD. While life may seem quite busy already, this will only increase towards the end of your PhD when you will be setting aside substantial time to complete your thesis.

Use your networks and contact

Having given some thought already to what you would like to do next, consider again how your networks or key contacts could help you find out more.

If you already networked in the first couple of years of your PhD, ask yourself whether it’s possible to revisit some of those connections to find out more about a particular research group or a different career sector.

If you haven’t previously engaged in much networking, it’s not too late! As you look to present your research at conferences, seminars and other events, keep thinking about conducting informal conversations with people to find out what they do – you never know who may be able to help in the future.

Build your research profile

Continue to build your research profile. Gain more confidence presenting and talking about your research at School seminars or national and international conferences.

If you are interested in pursuing an academic career, begin exploring opportunities for publishing your research in high-impact journals. Your supervisors should be able to provide guidance about what a sensible publishing strategy might look like in your field.

Keep building your master CV

If you want to pursue an academic career, ensure you populate your CV with your list of publications and poster presentations – impact and visibility is key.

Start to explore vacancies for postdoctoral roles (such as at FindaPostDoc ) and familiarise yourself with the essential recruitment processes to give yourself the best chance of success.

Talk to your supervisors and other experienced academic staff members to help you figure out possible research groups and even potential future  sources of research funding in your area.

Explore career paths

If you’re thinking about stepping away from academia after your PhD, you should familiarise yourself with the range of career pathways and opportunities that may be open to you.

To explore career paths:

• Take  workshops provided by CEED (the University's Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development).
• Attend employability events hosted by the Careers Centre.
• Research different career paths online by visiting the career options pages , as well as Research Careers .
• Contact previous research postgraduates to discuss what they have done outside of academia. Visit the make a connection pages for information on how to do this.
• Look at St Andrews' graduate destinations  to get a sense of the diverse destinations of research postgraduates at the University.

Review your skills

Review Vitae's  Research Development Framework and spend some time analysing the key professional and transferable skills you have gained throughout your PhD. Consider whether there are any areas that you still want to develop before you finish your degree.

Keep in touch with the Careers Centre

The Careers Centre's services, including careers appointments to help explore your options both within and outside academia, are available for up to three years after you graduate. 

Register as a graduate on CareerConnect .

• Advanced search
• Faculties and schools
• Services for business
• How to find us
• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate study
• International students

Home > Research > Research degrees > Available degrees > PhD

• Research degrees:
• Available degrees
• Why choose a research degree?
• Teaching quality
• Research student facilities
• How to apply
• Research student profiles
• Research student case studies
• Pre-enrolment information
• Available degrees:
• MA and MSc by Research
• PhD by prior publication/portfolio
• Practice-based PhD

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

A PhD will typically take:

• three to four years of full-time study; or
• four to six years of part-time study.

You will normally need a postgraduate masters degree in a subject relevant to your proposed research programme. Some subject areas may consider applicants with a first/upper second class honours degree or equivalent.

Word length for the PhD thesis varies according to discipline, and is about 40,000 words for healthcare, science and engineering, or 80,000 for other subject areas. On completion it will be the subject of an oral examination, in which you will show how you have:

• critically investigated your area of research; and
• made an independent and original contribution to knowledge.

Initially, your admission will be provisional and subject to formal confirmation after your first year of study.

In exceptional circumstances, we may consider you for admission to a research degree without the conventional qualifications. If you have substantial relevant professional experience, including publications or written reports, the University will consider these as a potential alternative basis for an application for admission to a research degree programme.

Read about our past and current research students and their research projects:

Current research student profiles

How to apply >

• For queries relating to research degree admissions, contact the relevant faculty .
• For non-admissions enquiries regarding research programmes, email Rachel Graham .
• How to get to Kingston University
• About research at Kingston
• Coronavirus research and support
• News and events
• Policies and guides
• Research and enterprise
• Research showcase
• Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
• Vacancies and studentships

Find a researcher >

Research repository >

Research student profiles >

Research degrees by faculty.

• Kingston School of Art
• Business and Social Sciences
• Health, Science, Social Care and Education
• Engineering,  Computing  and the Environment
• Website accessibility
• Website feedback
• Freedom of Information
• Wider Information Set
• Privacy Notice
• Charitable status

Kingston University , Holmwood House, Grove Crescent, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE . Tel: +44 (0)20 8417 9000

Planning your PhD research: A 3-year PhD timeline example

Planning out a PhD trajectory can be overwhelming. Example PhD timelines can make the task easier and inspire. The following PhD timeline example describes the process and milestones of completing a PhD within 3 years.

Elements to include in a 3-year PhD timeline

The example scenario: completing a phd in 3 years, example: planning year 1 of a 3-year phd, example: planning year 2 of a 3-year phd, example: planning year 3 of a 3-year phd, example of a 3 year phd gantt chart timeline, final reflection.

Every successful PhD project begins with a proper plan. Even if there is a high chance that not everything will work out as planned. Having a well-established timeline will keep your work on track.

What to include in a 3-year PhD timeline depends on the unique characteristics of a PhD project, specific university requirements, agreements with the supervisor/s and the PhD student’s career ambitions.

For instance, some PhD students write a monograph while others complete a PhD based on several journal publications. Both monographs and cumulative dissertations have advantages and disadvantages , and not all universities allow both formats. The thesis type influences the PhD timeline.

Furthermore, PhD students ideally engage in several different activities throughout a PhD trajectory, which link to their career objectives. Regardless of whether they want to pursue a career within or outside of academia. PhD students should create an all-round profile to increase their future chances in the labour market. Think, for example, of activities such as organising a seminar, engaging in public outreach or showcasing leadership in a small grant application.

The most common elements included in a 3-year PhD timeline are the following:

• Data collection (fieldwork, experiments, etc.)
• Data analysis
• Writing of different chapters, or a plan for journal publication
• Conferences
• Additional activities

The whole process is described in more detail in my post on how to develop an awesome PhD timeline step-by-step .

Many (starting) PhD students look for examples of how to plan a PhD in 3 years. Therefore, let’s look at an example scenario of a fictional PhD student. Let’s call her Maria.

Maria is doing a PhD in Social Sciences at a university where it is customary to write a cumulative dissertation, meaning a PhD thesis based on journal publications. Maria’s university regulations require her to write four articles as part of her PhD. In order to graduate, one article has to be published in an international peer-reviewed journal. The other three have to be submitted.

Furthermore, Maria’s cumulative dissertation needs an introduction and conclusion chapter which frame the four individual journal articles, which form the thesis chapters.

In order to complete her PhD programme, Maria also needs to complete coursework and earn 15 credits, or ECTS in her case.

Maria likes the idea of doing a postdoc after her graduation. However, she is aware that the academic job market is tough and therefore wants to keep her options open. She could, for instance, imagine to work for a community or non-profit organisation. Therefore, she wants to place emphasis on collaborating with a community organisation during her PhD.

You may also like: Creating awesome Gantt charts for your PhD timeline

Most PhD students start their first year with a rough idea, but not a well-worked out plan and timeline. Therefore, they usually begin with working on a more elaborate research proposal in the first months of their PhD. This is also the case for our example PhD student Maria.

• Months 1-4: Maria works on a detailed research proposal, defines her research methodology and breaks down her thesis into concrete tasks.
• Month 5 : Maria follows a short intensive course in academic writing to improve her writing skills.
• Months 5-10: Maria works on her first journal paper, which is based on an extensive literature review of her research topic. At the end of Month 10, she submits the manuscript. At the same time, she follows a course connected to her research topic.
• Months 11-12: Maria does her data collection.

Maria completed her first round of data collection according to plan, and starts the second year of her PhD with a lot of material. In her second year, she will focus on turning this data into two journal articles.

• Months 1-2: Maria works on her data analysis.
• Months 3-7: Maria works on her second journal paper.
• Month 7: Maria attends her first conference, and presents the results of her literature-review paper.
• Month 8: Maria received ‘major revisions’ on her first manuscript submission, and implements the changes in Month 8 before resubmitting her first journal paper for publication.
• Month 9: Maria follows a course on research valorisation to learn strategies to increase the societal impact of her thesis.
• Months 9-12: Maria works on her third journal paper. She uses the same data that she collected for the previous paper, which is why she is able to complete the third manuscript a bit faster than the previous one.

Time flies, and Maria finds herself in the last year of her PhD. There is still a lot of work to be done, but she sticks to the plan and does her best to complete her PhD.

• Month 1: Maria starts a second round of data collection, this time in collaboration with a community organisation. Together, they develop and host several focus groups with Maria’s target audience.
• Month 2: Maria starts to analyse the material of the focus group and develops the argumentation for her fourth journal paper.
• Month 3: Maria presents the results of her second journal paper at an international conference. Furthermore, she helps out her supervisor with a grant application. They apply for funding to run a small project that is thematically connected to her PhD.
• Months 4-9: Maria writes her fourth and final journal article that is required for her PhD.
• Month 10: Maria writes her thesis introduction .
• Month 11: Maria works on her thesis conclusion.
• Month 12 : Maria works on the final edits and proof-reading of her thesis before submitting it.

Combining the 3-year planning for our example PhD student Maria, it results in the following PhD timeline:

Creating these PhD timelines, also called Gantt charts, is easy. You can find instructions and templates here.

Completing a PhD in 3 years is not an easy task. The example of our fictional PhD student Maria shows how packed her timeline is, and how little time there is for things to go wrong.

In fact, in real life, many PhD students spend four years full-time to complete a PhD based on four papers, instead of three. Some extend their studies even longer.

Furthermore, plan in some time for thesis editing, which is a legitimate practice and can bring your writing to the next level. Finding a reputable thesis editor can be challenging, so make sure you make an informed choice.

Finishing a PhD in 3 years is not impossible, but it surely is not easy. So be kind to yourself if things don’t work out entirely as planned, and make use of all the help you can get.

Master Academia

Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe and receive Master Academia's quarterly newsletter.

10 amazing benefits of getting a PhD later in life

How to prepare your viva opening speech, related articles.

Writing a successful academic CV (and a free template)

25 short graduation quotes: Inspiration in four words or less

9 smart questions to ask a professor about graduate school

Imperial College London Imperial College London

Latest news.

Seven Imperial researchers awarded Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowships  

Discover the undergraduate startups tackling global challenges

US health research agency ARPA-H sets out funding vision during Imperial visit

• Postgraduate doctoral
• Application process
• Choose a course

Looking for funding?

Use our scholarships search tool to look for available scholarships. Also explore our latest funded PhD vacancies .

A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the most common type of doctoral degree and the highest level of academic qualification you can achieve. 

It normally takes between three and four years of full-time work to complete. It is also possible to undertake a PhD part time, over five to six years.

The main activity of a PhD is to carry out an original research project under the direction of one or more supervisors, to be written up as a thesis.

Different routes to achieving a PhD

There are a number of ways to achieving a PhD at Imperial:

• by undertaking a course of study based on your own research proposal
• by joining a research project that comes with funding attached (known as a studentship)
• by combining it with Master's study in an integrated route that typically lasts four years

Pursuing your own research idea

To search for PhD opportunities based on your own research proposal you first need to identify a research group within Imperial whose area of expertise best matches your idea.

Use the links below to search the different PhD opportunities within our academic departments, centres and institutes. This includes information about current studentships and often guidance on finding a supervisor.

Our interdisciplinary approach means our expertise often spans departmental boundaries – and so do our courses – so you may find opportunities in an unexpected area of the university.

Faculty of Engineering

• Aeronautics
• Bioengineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• School of Design Engineering
• Earth Science and Engineering
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Medicine

• Department of Brain Sciences
• Department of Immunology and Inflammation
• Department of Infectious Disease
• Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction
• Department of Surgery and Cancer
• National Heart and Lung Institute
• School of Public Health

Faculty of Natural Sciences

• Life Sciences
• Mathematics
• Centre for Environmental Policy

Imperial College Business School

• Doctoral programme

Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication

• PhD in Arabic, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish Studies
• PhD in science communication studies

Global Challenge institutes

We have six Global Challenge institutes, which were created to address some of society's biggest challenges.

If you have an idea for a PhD that falls within the remit of one of our Global Challenge institutes please contact them directly to discuss before making a formal application.

• Data Science Institute
• Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment
• Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering
• Institute for Security Science and Technology
• Institute of Global Health Innovation

Energy Futures Lab  does not offer PhD programmes, but does deliver the  MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures .

Joint Academy of Doctoral Studies | Imperial College London-Technical University of Munich

We have recently formed  a strategic partnership in education, research and innovation  with the Technical University of Munich, one of Germany’s most international and entrepreneurial universities, producing highly ranked research, like Imperial, in science, engineering and medicine.

As part of the partnership, Imperial and TUM have launched a 'Joint Academy of Doctoral Studies' with the aim of co-developing cross-disciplinary clusters of PhD students who will have access to world-leading academic supervisors and state-of-the art facilities at both institutions.

The first round of the programme will focus on the theme of 'Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare and Robotics'.

Find out more about the Joint Academy of Doctoral Studies and apply

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Attend an open day

Discover more about this subject area

PhD Education / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

• View full page
• Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
• Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 60% or above, a minimum mark of 60% in your dissertation (or overseas equivalent)

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 19 January 2024.

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after this date has passed.

• For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024

Programme options

Programme overview.

• 2nd in the UK for Education (Complete University Guide 2024).  
• The University of Manchester was ranked in the top 10 in the UK for Education research (overall GPA, REF2021).
• Learn with research-active experts in the field of education and work with highly diverse cohorts of students and staff.
• Contribute to improvements in the overall wellbeing of students, their families and communities throughout the world through research.

Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and programmes. On this day, you will find out more about the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.

For more information, see Open days.

We will be conducting our PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £6,000 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £3,000 International, including EU, students (per annum): £10,750

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Your fees will cover the cost of your study at the University, as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision, examinations and graduation (excluding graduation robe hire).

Payment of tuition fees will also entitle you to membership of The University of Manchester library, the Students' Union and the Athletic Union.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Environment, Education and Development studentships is 19 January 2024.

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Environment, Education and Development Postgraduate Research Studentships 2024 Entry - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• School of Environment, Education and Development Enhancing Racial Equality (SERE) Studentship - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry

Contact details

Programmes in related subject areas.

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

Studentships and doctoral training

Get a studentship to fund your doctorate.

UKRI studentships offer funding for doctoral research. They also offer you access to training, networking and development opportunities to help you build a research and innovation career.

Our expectations for research organisations, supervisors and students are set out in the statement of expectations for doctoral training .

You could get:

• a minimum stipend of £19,237 per year for your living costs, which is paid to you in regular instalments
• support for your tuition fees (minimum £4,786 per year)

The stipend is usually non-taxable and does not need to be paid back. Some research organisations may offer more if you study in London, or they or one of their collaborators might decide to top up the payment. This will be outlined in the studentship advert from the research organisation.

We normally pay the support for tuition fees directly to your research organisation.

The levels given here are for the academic year 2024 to 2025. UKRI’s approach to doctoral stipend and fee levels will be reviewed through the  new deal for postgraduate research .

Additional support for your doctoral studies

As a UKRI-funded doctoral student, you may be able to access additional funding to cover the cost of other related training and development opportunities.

This could include:

• conference attendance
• language training
• overseas research visits
• internships or placements with a non-academic partner

The availability of support will depend on the research organisation and the training grants they have on offer. You should contact the research organisation you are interested in applying to, to find out what you could get.

Extra support if you have a disability

If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) on top of your studentship.

You should speak to your research organisation’s disability advisor to assess your needs. They can help put the right support in place, including a DSA application if necessary. You cannot claim DSA directly from UKRI.

DSA helps to cover the cost of any additional support that a person studying for a doctorate might need as a result of a disability, mental health problem or specific learning difficulty.

The allowance covers:

• non-medical personal assistance
• specialist equipment
• extra travel costs
• general expenses

Find out more about DSA in our framework .

If you are a research organisation you can download claim forms and guidance for DSA .

Who can apply

Any prospective doctoral student wishing to study at a UK research organisation, including prospective international students, can apply for a UKRI studentship.

All UKRI-funded doctoral students will be eligible for the full award, both the stipend to support living costs, and home-level fees at the UK research organisation rate.

How to find opportunities

Many UK research organisations offer some form of studentship funding from UKRI. These opportunities will depend on the subject you want to study and will normally be advertised by the research organisations.

Research organisations may have additional opportunities that do not involve UKRI. UKRI supports around 20% of all UK-based postgraduate researchers. You should speak to the research organisation you are interested in to find out what studentships are available.

You could also consider using a specialist website like   FindaPhD  to look for opportunities.

When to apply

Research organisations set their own deadlines for applications.

Many open for applications early in the academic year and close in January or February. This is not a hard and fast rule. It is important that you check the deadlines for the research organisation where you want to study.

How to apply

You cannot apply to UKRI for a studentship. You must contact the research organisation you are interested in studying with and use their application process.

For doctoral students who are already studying with a studentship, there are opportunities to get additional funding to support placements that are separate from your doctorate.  Find training and development opportunities .

Last updated: 14 February 2024

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

How the ‘Butcher of Tehran’ inflicted misery on Iranians before helicopter death

Share this with

Ebrahim Raisi spent less than three years as the president of Iran before dying alongside his foreign minister in a remote helicopter crash last weekend.

But over that period – and the decades he spent in the public eye beforehand – the 63-year-old gained a deserved reputation for brutality and fanaticism.

His election in 2021 came more than three decades after the event that would later earn Raisi the nickname the ‘Butcher of Tehran’.

Thanks to his die-hard loyalty to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and willingness to do the messy job of cracking down on his fellow Iranian citizens, his power only ever grew.

It’s believed he was among the top contenders to take over from 85-year-old Khamenei as only the third Supreme Leader since the 1979 revolution.

His death appears to clear the path for the frail current leader’s son Mojtaba, 54, to succeed his father.

However, there are many further questions about where the dramatic end of Raisi’s presidency leaves his unstable country.

Why was Ebrahim Raisi called the Butcher of Tehran?

In 1988, Raisi was serving as the deputy prosecutor for the Iranian capital Tehran – a role he had taken on at the age of just 25.

By virtue of his position, he had a seat on a four-person panel that would decide the fates of thousands of political prisoners, many of whom were not much older than himself.

That panel would later become known as the ‘Death Committee’.

Their secret tribunals led to the execution of a staggering number of prisoners. International human rights groups have placed the figure at around 5,000.

Last December, Raisi decided to cancel a trip to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, out of fear he could be arrested over his role in the deaths.

What happened while Ebrahim Raisi was leader?

It’s likely that Raisi’s presidency will be remembered for two main controversies: one domestic and one foreign.

Just over a year into his term, a woman named Mahsa Amini died at a Tehran hospital five days before her 23rd birthday.

She was in police custody after being arrested over rules requiring women to wear a headscarf, and her death unleashed levels of fury never seen before in Iran.

Mass protests, led by women and girls, broke out across the country, with many tearing off their hijabs.

The government responded with extreme violence, with shotguns and submachine guns used on the demonstrators. A UN report found that some detainees were raped by security forces.

Then, just last month, Raisi was behind the first ever direct Iranian attack on Israel.

Tehran had accused Israel of orchestrating an attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria, which killed two of its generals.

In response, Iran sent more than 300 drones and missiles across the Middle East, towards an enemy it had only previously confronted indirectly through proxy wars.

The vast majority of the weapons were intercepted and the situation has not continued to escalate as many feared. But a significant taboo had been broken.

Who are Ebrahim Raisi’s family?

Ebrahim Raisi’s widow is Jamileh Alamolhoda, a professor of educational philosophy who played an unusual role during her husband’s time in office.

Women are rarely visible at any level of Iranian society – even if they’re married to the president – but Alamolhoda has spoken out on a number of issues including the importance of education.

The daughter of a high-profile cleric who banned live music in one holy city, she has a PhD and is the author of eight books.

Last year, she told the Financial Times : ‘I’ve been doing this for a long time, but it feels now like I have a platform, by chance, and that my activities are visible.’

Her public profile led to criticism from some conservative figures in Iran, though she said she never did anything without talking to her husband.

Raisi and Alamolhoda have two daughters and at least one grandchild.

What happens now in Iran?

According to the Iranian constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days of a president’s death in office.

Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has stepped into Raisi’s role temporarily, and he will join the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary on a three-person panel to organise the vote.

At such a febrile time for the country, the government will be anxious to get through the process as smoothly as possible.

The short timeline may mean the result is heavily dependent on the preference of the Supreme Leader.

When Raisi ran for election in 2021, a committee under Khamenei disqualified his biggest rivals in order to clear his path – perhaps something similar will happen with his chosen pick this time round too.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

MORE : Manchester City are already the hot favourites to win a fifth straight Premier League title

MORE : Adele calls potential future daughter the person she will ‘probably hate the most in the world’

MORE : Top Gear stars reunite for new BBC series after Freddie Flintoff’s horror crash

Sign Up for News Updates

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more.

Privacy Policy

Get us in your feed

Aurora and Volvo unveil self-driving truck designed for a driverless future

A new self-driving truck — manufactured by Volvo and loaded with autonomous vehicle tech developed by Aurora Innovation — could be on public highways as early as this summer. 

The Volvo VNL Autonomous truck, which was revealed Monday evening at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas, is the product of a partnership between Aurora and Volvo Autonomous Solutions. Aurora plans to start hauling freight using these Volvo self-driving trucks in the next several months. The trucks will be in autonomous mode and will still have a human safety operator behind the wheel to take control if needed.

Later this year, the company plans to announce pilot programs with customers that will use the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck, according to an Aurora spokesperson. Volvo has already started to manufacture an initial test fleet of these self-driving trucks at its New River Valley assembly facility in Virginia.

The reveal of the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck comes as Aurora continues to push toward its stated goal to commercialize self-driving trucks by the end of 2024. The company initially plans to carry freight between Dallas and Houston using up to 20 driverless Class 8 trucks — this time with no human behind the wheel. Aurora declined to share whether trucks made by Volvo, or its other partner Paccar, would be in that inaugural driverless fleet.

Getting to commercialization is existential for Aurora — one of the last autonomous trucking companies standing. Last year, Waymo Via put the brakes on its self-driving trucking program, and TuSimple recently left the U.S. market in favor of expanding in Asia. Aurora has not been immune to the high-capital costs of developing and then launching commercial autonomous trucks either. In January, the company laid off 3% of its workforce in order to trim costs in advance of its commercial launch.

Consolidation in the AV industry has meant fewer rivals for Aurora. Einride, Torc and Kodiak Robotics, which revealed its own purpose-built self-driving big rig , are among the few that remain.

The Volvo partnership, which the companies first inked in March 2021, is one part of Aurora’s commercialization strategy. Aurora has launched pilot programs with logistics companies FedEx, Ryder, Schneider and Uber Freight. In January, Aurora and automotive supplier Continental closed the first phase of a more than $300 million project  to mass produce autonomous vehicle hardware for commercial self-driving trucks. The two companies finalized the design and system architecture for an AV hardware kit, as well as the blueprint for a secondary computer that can take over operations if a failure occurs. The Continental hardware kit won’t be in Aurora trucks until 2027, but the Volvo VNL will still be packed with safety features, the company says.

The Volvo truck features redundant steering, braking, communication, computation, power management, energy storage and vehicle motion management systems, according to Aurora. The truck is also integrated with the Aurora Driver, a self-driving system that includes dual computers, self-driving software, in-house lidar that can detect objects more than 1,300 feet away, high-resolution cameras and imaging radar.

“Our platform engineering approach prioritizes safety by incorporating high-assurance redundancy systems designed to mitigate potential emergency situations,” said Shahrukh Kazmi, chief product officer at Volvo Autonomous Solutions, in a statement. “We built the Volvo VNL Autonomous from the ground up, integrating these redundancy systems to ensure that every safety-critical component is intentionally duplicated, thereby significantly enhancing both safety and reliability.”

Once Aurora and Volvo have validated this platform, the plan is to start fully driverless operations with a “modest-sized fleet of trucks,” according to the Aurora spokesperson, who declined to provide a specific timeline. The spokesperson said that over the next few years, Aurora and Volvo expect to start high-volume production of the Volvo VNL integrated with the Aurora Driver.

More TechCrunch

Get the industry’s biggest tech news, techcrunch daily news.

Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.

Startups Weekly

Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.

TechCrunch Fintech

The latest Fintech news and analysis, delivered every Sunday.

TechCrunch Mobility

TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

The ‘vote Trump’ spam that hit Bluesky in May came from decentralized rival Nostr

The spam reached Bluesky by first crossing over two other decentralized networks: Mastodon and Nostr.

There’s a real appetite for a fintech alternative to QuickBooks

Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech! This week, we’re looking at the continued fallout from Synapse’s bankruptcy, how Layer wants to disrupt SMB accounting, and much more! To get a roundup of…

Bill Gates-backed wind startup AirLoom is raising $12M, filings reveal

The company is hoping to produce electricity at $13 per megawatt hour, which would be more than 50% cheaper than traditional onshore wind.

WitnessAI is building guardrails for generative AI models

Generative AI makes stuff up. It can be biased. Sometimes it spits out toxic text. So can it be “safe”? Rick Caccia, the CEO of WitnessAI, believes it can. “Securing…

French AI startup H raises $220M seed round

It’s not often that you hear about a seed round above $10 million. H, a startup based in Paris and previously known as Holistic AI, has announced a $220 million…

Boost your startup’s growth with a ScaleUp package at TC Disrupt 2024

Hey there, Series A to B startups with $35 million or less in funding — we’ve got an exciting opportunity that’s tailor-made for your growth journey! If you’re looking to…

As a U.S. ban looms, TikTok announces a $1M program for socially driven creators

TikTok is pulling out all the stops to prevent its impending ban in the United States. Aside from initiating legal challenges against the government, that means shaping up its public…

Microsoft’s Power Automate no-code platform adds AI flows

Microsoft wants to put its Copilot everywhere. It’s only a matter of time before Microsoft renames its annual Build developer conference to Microsoft Copilot. Hopefully, some of those upcoming events…

GitHub Copilot gets extensions

Build is Microsoft’s largest developer conference and of course, it’s all about AI this year. So it’s no surprise that GitHub’s Copilot, GitHub’s “AI pair programming tool,” is taking center…

Microsoft intros a Copilot for teams

Microsoft wants to make its brand of generative AI more useful for teams — specifically teams across corporations and large enterprise organizations. This morning at its annual Build dev conference,…

Microsoft upgrades its AI app-building platforms

Microsoft’s big focus at this year’s Build conference is generative AI. And to that end, the tech giant announced a series of updates to its platforms for building generative AI-powered…

UK data protection watchdog ends privacy probe of Snap’s GenAI chatbot, but warns industry

The U.K.’s data protection watchdog has closed an almost year-long investigation of Snap’s AI chatbot, My AI — saying it’s satisfied the social media firm has addressed concerns about risks…

Conservative cell carrier Patriot Mobile hit by data breach

U.S. cell carrier Patriot Mobile experienced a data breach that included subscribers’ personal information, including full names, email addresses, home ZIP codes and account PINs, TechCrunch has learned. Patriot Mobile,…

Spotify’s ‘Listening Party’ feature falls short of expectations

It’s been three years since Spotify acquired live audio startup Betty Labs, and yet the music streaming service isn’t leveraging the technology to its fullest potential — at least not…

Alchemist’s latest batch puts AI to work as accelerator expands to Tokyo, Doha

Alchemist Accelerator has a new pile of AI-forward companies demoing their wares today, if you care to watch, and the program itself is making some international moves into Tokyo and…

Kickstarter now lets you pledge after a campaign closes

“Late Pledge” allows campaign creators to continue collecting money even after the campaign has closed.

Stack AI wants to make it easier to build AI-fueled workflows

Stack AI’s co-founders, Antoni Rosinol and Bernardo Aceituno, were PhD students at MIT wrapping up their degrees in 2022 just as large language models were becoming more mainstream. ChatGPT would…

Pinecone launches its serverless vector database out of preview

Pinecone, the vector database startup founded by Edo Liberty, the former head of Amazon’s AI Labs, has long been at the forefront of helping businesses augment large language models (LLMs)…

Special mud helps XGS Energy get more power out of geothermal wells

Young geothermal energy wells can be like budding prodigies, each brimming with potential to outshine their peers. But like people, most decline with age. In California, for example, the amount…

Featured Article

Sonos finally made some headphones

The market play is clear from the outset: The $449 headphones are firmly targeted at an audience that would otherwise be purchasing the Bose QC Ultra or Apple AirPods Max.

Adobe brings Firefly AI-powered Generative Remove to Lightroom

Adobe says the feature is up to the task, regardless of how complex of a background the object is set against.

Porsche Ventures invests in battery startup South 8 to boost cold-weather EV performance

All cars suffer when the mercury drops, but electric vehicles suffer more than most as heaters draw more power and batteries charge more slowly as the liquid electrolyte inside thickens.…

Data-labeling startup Scale AI raises $1B as valuation doubles to $13.8B

Scale AI has raised a $1 billion Series F round from a slew of big-name institutional and corporate investors including Amazon and Meta.

Meta, Match, Coinbase and others team up to fight online fraud and crypto scams

The new coalition, Tech Against Scams, will work together to find ways to fight back against the tools used by scammers and to better educate the public against financial scams.

EU Council gives final nod to set up risk-based regulations for AI

It’s a wrap: European Union lawmakers have given the final approval to set up the bloc’s flagship, risk-based regulations for artificial intelligence.

Vitesse, a payments and treasury management platform for insurers, raises $93M to fuel US expansion

London-based fintech Vitesse has closed a $93 million Series C round of funding led by investment giant KKR.

Zen Educate raises $37M and acquires Aquinas Education as it tries to address the teacher shortage

Zen Educate, an online marketplace that connects schools with teachers, has raised $37 million in a Series B round of funding. The raise comes amid a growing teacher shortage crisis…

Scarlett Johansson says that OpenAI approached her to use her voice

“When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine.”

A new self-driving truck — manufactured by Volvo and loaded with autonomous vehicle tech developed by Aurora Innovation — could be on public highways as early as this summer.  The…

ETF Partners raises €285M for climate startups that will be effective quickly — not 20 years down the road

The European venture capital firm raised its fourth fund as fund as climate tech “comes of age.”