The PhD programs in UK are a hit among the overseas students. Read all about the eligibility & procedure of the PhD programs in UK and decide if you want to pursue from here.
PhD Programs in UK
If you want to do an extensive research in a topic that interests you the most and want to contribute uniquely through your own findings to the already present expertise in any given field; the doctoral programs will serve to your needs. And if you’re planning to complete your dream of becoming a doctor without having to surgically heal someone, then UK, with its lavish infrastructure and extensive education imparting skills, is among the finest options you’ll have when it comes to studying abroad. The PhD program in UK is generally of three years, unlike many other countries where it’s longer. And that’s because the taught element present in most of the countries isn’t mandatory in UK, but is rather optional, with three different brands of doctoral programs available. This, when compared to pursing PhD from any other country, makes it comparatively cheaper to study in UK. The doctoral students, on the other hand, through their research and dissertation of 40,000 to 120,000 words have to present that they can bring in new knowledge in the field they’ve chosen. Continue reading to learn about the doctoral programs available in UK, the eligibility & procedure, and the fee structure.
Degree Recognition
Whether it’s the traditional, an integrated PhD, or a professional PhD degree; upon completion it’ll entitle its students as experts in the field with the respect of being referred to as a Doctor. These PhD degrees from UK are valued not just in UK but globally.
Degree Structure
PhD or DPhil: Known as Doctorate of Philosophy, PhD is the traditional research degree in UK of minimum three years duration. It requires a student to do extensive research on a single project, under the guidance and supervision of an academician who’s an expert in the field. Writing the thesis or a dissertation of usually 100,000 words follows next that needs to be presented at the end of three years of academic period. And the judgment as to whether or not a doctorate should be presented to the aspirant depends a lot on the quality and depth of the final written thesis. There’s usually no taught element involved in this traditional PhD.
Integrated PhD: Also known as the New Route PhD, it differs from the traditional research degree in two aspects. First, the duration of the course is a minimum of four years (full time) and six years (part time), rather than the three in case of the latter. Second, it is based on recognition of the fact that including a taught element in the program will work towards better knowledge acquisition, professional and academic skills on the part of the students. The integrated PhD has three different elements: first, a theoretical taught element of the units of the courses; second, a professional and transferable skills element including training in the chosen field of research; and third, the research and written thesis element.
Professional PhD: The professional doctorate combines the elements from both, the traditional PhD and the integrated PhD into one. In professional PhD, it is mandatory to include taught units of the course and only after successful completion of these taught units can a student proceed to the next phase of the program i.e. the research phase. And from there on it continues the same as the traditional PhD where the research is undertaken under the supervision of an academician who’s also an expert in the field the student has chosen, followed by successful submission of the thesis.
Subjects for Doctoral Degree
Anthropology; Archaeology; Biochemical Engineering; Cell and Developmental Biology; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Child Health; Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering; Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology; Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences; Computer Science; Developmental Science; Earth Sciences; Economics; Electronic and Electrical Engineering; English; Epidemiology and Public Health; French; Genetics, Evolution and Environment; Geography; German; Greek and Latin; Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education; Hebrew and Jewish Studies; History of Art; Infection and Immunity; Information Studies; Intercultural Studies; Molecular Cell Biology; Language and Communication; Laws; Linguistics; Management Science and Innovation; Mathematics; Mechanical Engineering; Medical Education; Medical Physics and Bioengineering; Medicine; Mental Health Sciences; Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology; Ophthalmology; Philosophy; Physics and Astronomy; Political Science; Primary Care and Population Sciences; Psychology and Language Sciences; Science and Technology Studies; Security and Crime Science; Space and Climate Physics; Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Sciences; Statistical Science; Structural and Molecular Biology; Surgery and Interventional Science and many others.
Admission Requirements
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For an aspirant to be eligible for the PhD program, he/she needs to hold a Master’s degree either from UK or overseas. For Indians, post graduate degrees such as M. Tech or M.E. from institutes such as IIT are considered equivalent to the UK’s Master’s degrees.
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Students need a good grasp on the English language as an essential admission requirement for PhD. The IELTS English proficiency exam conducted by the British Council in more than 125 countries, including India is a must to fulfill the admission requirement. The score needs to be from 6.5 to 7.0.
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All universities require complete transcripts/mark sheets/related documents of the previous academic records to be submitted along with the IELTS scorecard at the time with the application forms, along with the letter of recommendation and a statement of purpose.
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It should be clearly mentioned on the statement of purpose as to why the student has chosen the particular stream and how he/she will manage financially during the stay in UK. Letter of recommendation should preferably be from the person who has taught the student, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of him/her and why he/she would excel in the field.
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Evidence of prior work experience, if any, needs to be submitted through an experience certificate or letter containing the details about the previous position(s) held over the years.
Application Procedure
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Ideally, it’s best to start with all the searching and selecting the preferable B-schools a good one year before the session.
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Students have the option of wither applying online or through post; in either case, the supporting documents will have to posted through registered mail.
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The applications and supported documents need to be compiled together in advance to avoid any hassles during the application procedure.
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The closing dates of submitting the applications can be found out at the universities’ or colleges’ official websites.
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After the university or college has approved your application, the students can then proceed with fulfilling the visa formalities.
Cost of PhD Courses in UK
The tuition fees for PhD courses in UK vary from the type of course (full time or part time) taken up to the university or institution in which enrollment is done. The average total tuition fee per academic year is close to £10,000 for the full time course and £5,000 for the part time. Along with the above mentioned tuition fees, the average cost of living per academic session also needs to be taken into consideration, which, in turn, varies according to the part of UK in which the student is living in. It may be anywhere between £6,000 and £12,000 for an individual. These costs include accommodation, food, travel (bus/subway), entertainment (cinema/eating out/sports), and other (books/clothing/personal hygiene/telephone calls) and also varies according to person’s lifestyle.
Top Colleges and Universities
University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, the University of Edinburgh, University College London, Imperial College London, The University of Manchester, University of Glasgow, the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of Warwick, and the University of Southampton are the top ten colleges and universities according to the rankings.
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