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 or a first/upper second class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to your proposed research programme. Please check the relevant faculty's research degrees webpage for specific requirements.

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:

Research student case studies

Current research student profiles

How to apply >