edinburgh university phd application

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• School of Mathematics
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• Postgraduate Research Studies

How to apply for a PhD

PhD Student Applications

PhD Applications

The postgraduate research degree offered at the School of Mathematics is the PhD.  The PhD programme is three years in length with an additional year to write up and submit your thesis should it be needed. However, please note if you are offered a fully funded place, you will receive four years of funding (stipend and all fees). The students admitted typically have an MSc degree, or 1 st  class honours degree (or its international equivalent). From the start of their studies, they are assigned a main supervisor with whom they work closely throughout their degree programme and a second supervisor who provides additional help and pastoral support. Applications are invited for PhD studies for September each year. Occasionally students are admitted at other times of the year by special arrangement.  To request the possibility of admission at another time of the year, please  email  the Graduate School with further details of your request. 

All applications received by  22 January 2024 will receive full consideration for funding.  Later applications will be considered until all positions are filled.

If you are applying for EDCS or the China Scholarship, please ensure you check the relevant application deadline. These scholarships do require a separate application.  The deadline for EDCS applications is 19 February 2024.

We accept applications from students who have secured external funding at all times of the year - Please make this clear on your application, and if you are in contact with a potential supervisor.

How to Apply

Step 1: meet our entry requirements.

Our minimum entry requirements are a 1 st  class Honours degree (or its international equivalent) OR a 2:1 Honours degree (or its international equivalent) plus a Masters degree (or its international equivalent) in a relevant subject. Typically, candidates have a good understanding of the field they propose to study, and some research experience.

Students applying for a research degree should identify their research interests and determine in which  research group  they wish to carry out their work. They are encouraged to contact staff members prior to their application in order to identify possible research projects and supervisors. However, it is not essential for you to have secured a supervisor before submitting your application. You can note proposed supervisor(s) on your appliction form.

Non-UK candidates may be required to provide a evidence of proficiency in the English language. For full details on English language requirements, please see this page . Applicants must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of their English language ability:

an undergraduate or masters degree, that was taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration ( UKVI list of majority English speaking countries ) 

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component
• TOEFL-iBT : total 92 with at least 20 in each section
• PTE(A) : total 61 with at least 56 in each of the Communicative Skills scores
• CAE and CPE : total 176 with at least 169 in each paper
• Trinity ISE : ISE II with distinctions in all four components

Degrees taught and assessed in English must be no more than 3.5 years old at the date of the beginning of your degree programme. English language test certificates must be no more than 2 years old at the beginning of your degree programme, or 3.5 years for CAE & CPE.

Step 2: Apply online

Make an online application to the appropriate PhD programme(s) (see below) . You will be asked to upload documents at the start of the application process. 

The documentation that we require you to upload to your application is:

• Interim or final transcript(s)  - (depending on what stage you are at in your studies) of your Undergraduate Degree, and Masters Degree, if applicable.
• Final degree certificate(s) - for your Undergraduate Degree, and Masters Degree, if applicable.
• Two academic references to be provided directly by referees. Enter their names and email addresses in the required areas, and an automated email will be forwarded to them requesting a reference upload. We will not accept references uploaded by applicants.
• A CV - You can upload this in the place of a research proposal, which is not required for your application.
• English Language Test Certificate (where applicable) - please see here . 

Where you are asked for your project proposal, you may ignore that request, the School of Mathematics does not require a research proposal . Although the EUCLID application system will request that you upload one, you can just ignore this request. The reason that you will be asked for one is that the system applies to all Schools throughout the University and some Schools do require a research proposal. In the place of a research proposal, please upload an up to date CV. There is no need to upload any certificates for the degree you are currently studying (if you have not been issued one) - instead, official interim transcripts will be required.

Official translations of any documents not in written English are required. 

On the application form, where it asks for funding information - please enter 'School of Mathematics'. Each application will automatically be considered for one of our scholarships. Please indicate any other potential source of funding you have, have applied for or are intending to apply for (see Step 3).  If you have secured external funding, please provide evidence of the funding along with your application.

Step 3: Funding

Please review and apply for all applicable sources of funding noted on the What funding is available for your PhD  page.

Please apply via the research pages below:

• Algebra PhD
• Analysis PhD
• Applied and Computational Mathematics PhD
• Geometry and Topology PhD
• Mathematical Physics PhD
• Optimization and Operational Research PhD
• Probability & Stochastic Analysis PhD
• Statistics PhD
• Mathematics Education

• Schools & departments

What is the Doctoral College?

The University of Edinburgh Doctoral College is a coordinating structure for all postgraduate researchers, supervisors and relevant staff at the university, designed to enhance and support the postgraduate student experience. 

For information and resources for research staff, please see the Research Staff Pages:   https://www.ed.ac.uk/researchers

A Doctoral College Welcome Event for all Postgraduate Researchers was held on 12th September 2023. A recording of this event is available to watch here -  https://edin.ac/3PIYbYv 

A Town Hall Event for all Postgraduate Researchers ran on the 23rd January 2024 - A recording of this event is available to watch here - Recording

PhD stories

Our extraordinary PhD students come from all walks of life and all backgrounds. In this collection of short videos, some of them share their experiences -   PhD Stories

Vision and strategy

The purpose of the Doctoral College, our vision and strategic objectives.

People and structure

About the Doctoral College leadership and management structure, and the wider Doctoral College team.

Personal and professional development and training

Information about professional, careers and personal development training and opportunities for  UoE   PGR  students.

Wellbeing, community and representation

Information on student representation, wellbeing services and opportunities for engagement.

Support for PGR supervision

Information and guidance for staff who supervise research students.

Doctoral training centres

Information on funded PhD training programmes and support for directors and administrators of these programmes.

Essential information for postgraduate researchers

Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students (PDF)

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - PGR pages

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine - PGR pages

College of Science and Engineering  (EASE log in required)

Information for prospective postgraduate research students

New student pages

Postgraduate study degree finder

This article was published on 2023-12-07

How to apply

• How to apply for a PhD
• How to apply for the LLM by Research

Edinburgh Law School welcomes outstanding applications from individuals wishing to join the PhD programme. You may apply to commence the PhD programme in September or January.

The PhD programme is available to study full time over three years or part time over six years. For further information please contact the PhD office at [email protected]

Before applying you should ensure that you meet our entry requirements and have all the relevant documentation ready to submit in support of your application. Please note that missing documentation will delay the application process.

The minimum admission requirement for the PhD programme is a UK 2:1 honours degree in law, arts or social sciences, and a UK Masters degree with at least 60% in the taught section and 65% or more in the dissertation, or their international equivalents.

Entry to this programmes is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

If you have a non-UK degree, please check whether your degree qualification is equivalent to the minimum standard before applying.

Check your degree

The majority of our applicants have studied law, but we are a comprehensive Law School covering a range of approaches to legal topics including social science, historical and philosophical enquiry; applications from non-law students with relevant studies and experience will be considered and if you require further guidance please contact us.

[email protected]

Postgraduate study in the field of law requires a thorough, complex and demanding knowledge of English, so we ask that the communication skills of all students are at the same minimum standard.

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic and IELTS Academic Online : total 7.0 (at least 7.0 in the writing component and 6.5 in each other module)
• TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 25 in writing and 23 in each other module)
• CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 185 in writing and 176 in each other module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components
• PTE Academic: 70 overall with at least 70 in the writing component and 62 in each other component
• Oxford ELLT (Global and Digital): 9 overall with at least 9 in the writing component and 8 in each other component

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, that was taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The UK Government's website provides a list of majority English speaking countries.

View the UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, or equivalent, that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about the University's English language requirements

Your application may not be successful if you do not currently satisfy any of these requirements; alternatively, you may be offered a place conditional on your reaching the satisfactory standard by the time you start the degree.

English language support

The University runs a series of programmes for English Language Education, including a pre-sessional English Language Programme intended to strengthen your English Language skills before you start your programme of study.

Find out more about English language support offered by the University

• The deadline for applying to commence a PhD in September 2024 is 31 May 2024 (4pm UK time).
• The deadline for applying to commence a PhD in January 2025 is 29 September 2024 (4pm UK time).

Our applications are dealt with in a two-step process. Once all your documents are correctly submitted we aim to make a decision within 6 - 8 weeks.

Once you have submitted your application with all your supporting documentation, your application will be reviewed by an academic within the field in which you wish to study. Your written application will be evaluated against our rigorous admissions standards, and with a view to matching you to a suitable supervisor.

If we feel that your application is strong and if there is supervisory capacity in the field to which you have applied, your potential supervisor may arrange to discuss your application and your research proposal with you further by Skype. This is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about studying for a PhD at Edinburgh Law School.

It is usually only after this stage that you will be made an offer.

All applicants should supply the following supporting documentation:

• Previous academic transcripts for all past degree programmes (please upload the full transcript showing results from all years of study). If you are currently studying and awaiting a result, please ensure that your current interim transcript is included.
• Degree certificates (for all awards to date) showing award of undergraduate degree at a level equivalent to 2:1 or higher
• Degree certificate and transcript from your postgraduate study
• Two academic references which need to be signed, dated (within the last two years) and on institutional letter headed paper. We cannot accept references from personal email addresses.
• An English language proficiency test (if required - see below)
• A research proposal – this should be no more than 2,000 (see below for further guidance)

Please note that applications (with all relevant undergraduate and postgraduate documentation uploaded) must be received by the deadline in order to be considered for entry.   If you have not completed your postgraduate degree, you should provide interim transcripts at this stage.

Your research proposal should include:

Working title What title, or title and subtitle, succinctly encapsulates your whole research topic?

Research questions What are the key questions that you will ask that will enable your writing (or practice and writing) to be appropriately reflexive and interrogative?

Critical Framework and Theoretical Model What is the context of your research proposal? What are your key concepts? How will you theorise, and position yourself in relation to, your primary sources? What secondary literature are you already aware of? Provide references to books, articles, websites, etc. 

Methodology How do you intend to go about your research? Is your research predominantly doctrinal, theoretical, empirical? Do you need to engage initially in some form of field research, such as observing and interviewing practitioners or conducting practical experiments? What, if any, critical and expositional methods do you then intend to employ for the development, documentation and production of your written work and in the exploration of your research questions?

Research training Above and beyond training that we will provide in generic research methods, do you need specialised training in practical and/or theoretical skills in order to carry out your research? For instance, do you need training in methods of qualitative analysis, or in the use of digital technologies? Also, will you need to travel to receive this training? For instance, will you need to intermittently attend workshops elsewhere?

Resources and implications Do you need access to specialist literature? Do you need to engage in archival research or field work, and if so where, for how long and at what cost? If you cannot study without a scholarship or bursary, what sources of funding have you identified where you might be successful?

Bibliography What, in alphabetical order, are the full bibliographical details of any references you have made above? 

We have a downloadable model form which you will find helpful.

• Download the PhD proposal form

If your supporting information is not in English, you need to provide a certified translated version of all documentation.

We aim to have a response for you within eight weeks of complete submission of evidence.

We expect our doctoral candidates to be living in Edinburgh during their studies, in order to fully participate in our dynamic training programme and to reap as much benefit as you can from our thriving research culture. 

The University’s terms and conditions form part of your contract with the University, and you should read them, and our data protection policy, carefully before applying.

University of Edinburgh admissions terms and conditions

Please contact us if you have any questions about applying to study a PhD at Edinburgh Law School.

We recommend that you apply as early as possible. This is particularly important for students holding conditional offers (for example, you may need to allow sufficient time to take an English language test) and for overseas students who may need time to satisfy necessary visa requirements (for further, country-specific information, please consult the website of the University's Edinburgh Global) and/or to apply for University accommodation.

The LLM by Research is available to study full time over one year or part time over two years. For further information please contact the PhD office at [email protected]

The minimum basic admission requirement for the LLM by research degrees is UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, in law or a social sciences subject.

Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

Click here to check your degree You may not always need a prior qualification in law to apply for this programme.

• The application deadline for September 2024 is 31 May 2024 (4pm UK time).
• The application deadline for January 2025 is 29 September 2024 (4pm UK time).

We aim to review applications and make selection decisions throughout the cycle and we monitor application numbers carefully to ensure we are able to accommodate all those who receive offers. It may therefore be necessary to close a programme earlier than the published deadline and if this is the case we will place a four-week warning notice on the relevant programme page.

Applications are made online via the University Application Service, EUCLID.

Please follow the instructions carefully and make sure that you have included the following with your application:

• You must submit a reference with your application.
• A research proposal Find out how to write a good research proposal
• Previous academic transcripts for all past degree programmes (please upload the full transcript showing results from all years of study)
• Degree certificates showing award of degree
• An English language proficiency test (if required).
• Download the LLM by Research proposal form

We expect our LLM by Research candidates to be living in Edinburgh during their studies, in order to fully participate in our dynamic training programme and to reap as much benefit as you can from our thriving research culture. 

Once your completed application form has been received, together with supporting statements from your academic referees and other relevant documentation (including where relevant proof of proficiency in English), the School is committed to processing and considering your application speedily and efficiently.

You will be informed as soon as possible of the decision taken. Three outcomes are possible:

• You may be offered a place unconditionally
• You may be offered a conditional place, which means that you must fulfill certain conditions that will be specified in the offer letter. Where a conditional offer is made, it is your responsibility to inform the College Postgraduate Office when you have fulfilled the requirements set out.
• Your application may be unsuccessful.

Candidates who do not fulfill the conditions specified, including our language requirements, cannot be admitted.

Please contact us if you have any questions about applying to study an LLM by Research at Edinburgh Law School.

Key information

School of Social and Political Science

Phd sociology, introduction.

The deadline to apply for September 2024 entry is Monday 1 July 2024.

We welcome applications for PhD study in Sociology

Edinburgh is one of the leading international centres of excellence for postgraduate study in sociology. Our PhD degree is eligible for Economic and Social Research Council funding for UK and EU students, but our postgraduate research students come from all over the world and we have a vibrant and diverse postgraduate student community, which plays a full role in the life of the department. Many of our students have non-sociology backgrounds and bring with them experience and expertise from other disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Whatever your background, you will thrive at Edinburgh.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the Postgraduate Admissions Advisor (Research) [email protected] to discuss their research proposals and the availability of appropriate research supervision, using the email address on the right-hand side of the page.

Questions about eligibility, conditions of entrance, and other aspects of the application and scholarship process should be addressed to [email protected]

Our PhD programme accommodates a great variety of work intellectually and methodologically. We have particular research strengths in the areas of:

• digital sociology
• finance and economic sociology
• environment and energy
• nationalism and political action
• race and decolonisation

But this list does not do full justice to the breadth of work undertaken by our PhD researchers. This work also includes a variety of research approaches, and our staff are equipped to supervise advanced quantitative analysis; digital research; qualitative and ethnographic methods; documentary analysis (including historical and biographical approaches); and mixed methods.

We play a leading role in large methodological initiatives hosted at Edinburgh, including one of the key UK units of the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods and the Applied Quantitative Methods Network ( AQMEN ), as well as the University's Centres for Research on Families and Relationships ,  South Asian Studies  and Canadian Studies .

Our staff are also highly diverse in their origins and the geographical scope of their expertise. We do research covering the UK and other parts of Europe; the Americas (including Latin America); Africa; and across the Middle East, South and East Asia (including China). The work of our PhD researchers also reflects this geographical diversity. 

We provide the necessary training and guidance to support your PhD research and develop your scholarly potential while also equipping you with wider skills, knowledge and experience as the basis for a career within or outside academia. 

PhD researchers in Sociology are allocated a supervisor and a co-supervisor, who advise on the entirety of the research process, from reading and assembling ideas, fieldwork, analysing empirical or theoretical materials, writing up chapters, completing the thesis, and the viva examination which rounds off the process. You are encouraged to contact staff with similar interests to yours and discuss ideas prior to application.

In your first year, you will participate in the Sociology Postgraduate Research Seminar, which runs throughout the academic year. As well as having a cohort- and community-building purpose, this will equip you with the scholarly skills necessary to succeed in your studies and research. It concludes with a research conference in which first year PhD students play a leading role.

You are also expected in your first year to follow the research training courses most appropriate for your proposed methods, and to develop your knowledge of relevant literature and your research design, culminating in submission of a full research proposal 9-12 months after commencement of studies. Subsequent years of the PhD are devoted to research, data analysis and writing of the thesis, alongside any further specific or general training you require or choose to follow. Typically, there are also opportunities for paid teaching employment throughout. 

While we will consider any PhD topic for supervision, to help you identify potential supervisors you might review the key people under our key research themes to see if any of these match your interests. Here you can also find (via the Methods theme) some indication of our areas of particular methodological expertise. You can also review all the personal pages and interests of our academic staff .

Applying for this PhD

• Identify potential supervisors suited to your research interests
• Write a draft research proposal
• Contact the Postgraduate Advisor with your research proposal and list of potential supervisors
• Once discussed with the Postgraduate Advisor, formally submit your application on EUCLID

Postgraduate Advisor

PhD with Integrated Study in Finance

Our Accounting and Finance subject group is one of the largest in the Business School, with approximately 50 academic colleagues providing high quality teaching and research, and a range of research centres and networks which create real-world influence in business, government, and the public sector.

This programme is currently undergoing the final approval process. We anticipate applications will open in January 2024.

The programme offers credited research training for those researching a financial topic, such as behavioural finance, asset pricing, corporate finance and governance, and aspects affecting financial markets and institutions. Supported by experts within the field, you will have the opportunity to develop a doctoral thesis based on original and relevant research.

PhD with Integrated Study in Finance at a glance

• Study over four years full time, with an additional 'writing-up' year available to all
• During your first year, undertake 180 credits of taught courses designed to train you in the theory and methods necessary to conduct high-quality research
• Access numerous database subscriptions to support your research, such as Bloomberg, Capital IQ, Datastream, Eikon, Morningstar Direct, SNL Financial, and Wharton Research Data Service (WRDS) which features, among others, access to Boardex, Compustat, CRSP, and Sustainalytics data
• Support and access to a wide range of professional and personal development opportunities during your studies
• We encourage our students to aim higher, presenting papers at prestigious conferences and submit articles for publication

Entry requirements

Find out our academic, English language, and application requirements for the PhD in Finance.

Programme overview

View the learning outcomes and a typical training course schedule for a first-year student.

Fees and living expenses

When budgeting please consider associated administration fees and expenses as well as our funding support.

Ready to apply?

Review our application checklist and make your application to the PhD in Finance.

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School of Engineering

> schools & departments, search form.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

PhD Opportunities in Chemical Engineering

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A PhD is the highest academic qualification you can achieve and is awarded on the successful completion of extensive and original research in your chosen field.

There are two main routes to study for a PhD at Edinburgh Napier. We advertise PhD positions through Find a PhD and you can search through those below to see if any match the areas of research that interest you. We also advertise MRes opportunities in this way as well.

Alternatively, you can apply for a PhD or MRes based on a research idea you have developed independently. If you choose this route, we recommend that you identify a suitable supervisor at Edinburgh Napier University with expertise in this area. Whichever route you choose, you’ll need to develop a research proposal. You can find more information about this and other useful advice on how to apply, including finding a supervisor, here .

Some PhDs are fully funded, which means the fees are paid and you will receive a stipend as living expenses. Some may be part-funded, which means only the fees are covered. However, other PhDs, including those based on your own research idea, may not be funded at all and you will have to cover the fees and living expenses yourself. You can find out more about fees and sources of funding here

We lay out the key steps you need to follow to make sure you put together a really strong application

“The idea of doing cutting-edge science in a new field really appealed to me.”

• Schools & departments

When to apply

We operate a gathered field approach to PhD applications, find out how this works

We are now accepting applications for entry in 2024.

The School operates a gathered field approach for applications to our PhD programmes. This means that all complete applications which meet our minimum entry requirements will be held until the nearest deadline at which point the Admissions Panel will meet to consider all applications received at this time.

Only applications received by deadline 1 will be considered for University of Edinburgh based funding .

You may be able to secure external funding outside of this deadline.

Gathered field deadlines for this programme are as follows:

If you would like more information about submitting your application and the admissions process please do not hesitate to get in touch with the School Postgraduate Office.

Postgraduate Teaching Organisation enquiries

• School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences

Contact details

• Work: +44 (0)131 651 5002
• Email: [email protected]

Room 1.06, Dugald Stewart Building

Availability

Monday to Friday: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm 1.30 pm to 5.00 pm