edinburgh university phd application deadline

Computer Science

Research degrees in computer science.

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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

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

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Postgraduate opportunities

• Peter Higgs and the Higgs Boson
• Physics & Astronomy
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• Particle Physics Experiment

PhD in Experimental Particle Physics

Our next round of PhD recruitment will be for the 2024-25 academic year , with an application deadline in  January 2024 . There are often scholarship opportunities with earlier deadlines, so we encourage potential applicants to get in touch with us sooner rather than later ( silvia.gambetta [at] ed.ac.uk ) in case these may be relevant. Information on the application process can be found here .

We offer fully-funded STFC PhD studentships (since 2021 onwards, for both UK and international students), and can support Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarship  (for any nationality). We are also part of the ScotDIST  CDT in Data Intensive Science. Applicants will automatically be considered to be supported by these internal funding options. We also encourage candidates apply for external scholarships where available. Examples are the Bell-Burnell  scholarship and the  Schlumberger `Faculty for the Future' fellowship , but there are many others with varying eligibility criteria.

We welcome applications from excellent candidates who already hold a scholarship (or have their own funds), or wish to apply for a PhD place in conjunction with a scholarship application. Most projects include the opportunity for a fully-funded long-term attachment to CERN for 12-18 months.  For more information ppe-phd [at] ph.ed.ac.uk (email us) .

MSc in Particle and Nuclear Physics

From September 2018 we offer an MSc degree in Particle and Nuclear Physics . This  MSc is aimed to develop research and problem solving skills, with graduates gaining the skills needed to apply advanced data analysis techniques to the large data sets being collected by running and planned experiments. Learn more  here or contact the program directors  victoria.martin [at] ed.ac.uk (Victoria Martin)  or  mneedham [at] staffmail.ed.ac.uk (Matthew Needham) .  We offer scholarships towards fees for 2022/23 entry on this program see  here

Useful links

Information about current Particle Physics Experiment PhD projects  and MSc opportunities can be found in our Postgraduate Research Study section:

• Current Particle Physics Experiment PhD project opportunities
• Information on the Particle and Nuclear Physics MSc 
• Postgraduate research study in the School of Physics & Astronomy

School of Social and Political Science

Application process.

Applications are now open for September 2024 entry. The deadline to apply for most of our on-campus postgraduate (taught and research) programmes is 1 July 2024. There are some exceptions, so please check each programme page carefully. The deadline for our Online Learning programmes is 15 July 2024. 

Applications for our programmes are made via the University's online system.

To find out more about the postgraduate programmes of study available in the School of Social and Political Science, see our programmes page.  The apply button at the top of each programme page which will take you to the University's degree finder page for your preferred programme.

Postgraduate taught programmes

After you've applied you will be able to track the progress of your application then accept or decline any offers through the Applicant Hub.

Access the Applicant Hub (Log-in required)

Please note: It is important to log in regularly to the  Applicant Hub to ensure that important messages regarding your application’s progress and supporting document requests are not missed.

All minimum entry requirements are listed in the Degree Finder  against each programme.

Additional information on requirements such as references and research proposals for our postgraduate programmes are listed below:

MSc/PGCert (Taught Masters/Postgraduate Certificate)

No references required apart from the  MSc International Relations of the Middle East with Arabic & Advanced Arabic programmes.

MSc by Research (Masters by Research)

Applicants will also need to provide a research proposal, and one academic reference at the point of application.

PhD (Doctoral research)

Applicants will also need to provide a research proposal, and two academic references at the point of application.

Please note: We do not accept hard copies or emailed supporting documents unless specifically requested. All supporting documents should be uploaded directly to your Applicant Hub .

An application is not 'complete' until all supporting documents are present.  The following documents must be uploaded:

All applications:

• Degree certificate(s) – for all previous degrees. Please note that this can be provided after assessment in most cases.
• Final/interim transcript(s) – for all previous and current degrees. Interim transcripts with current cumulative averages are acceptable for those still studying, though the final average is required if the degree has been completed.
• Grading scale(s) – for each university transcript is submitted.

Where work experience is taken into consideration, an up–to–date CV and work reference is required.

Evidence of English may also be required. Please see English language requirements

Research programmes (additional documents):

• Research proposal – Proposals should be no more than two to three A4 pages for MScR and three to four A4 pages for PhD applications in 12pt Times New Roman font (this does not include references). See the University's Research Proposal information page for help with this.
• Academic references – Referee email address must be institutional (i.e not a public email account). Uploaded references must be dated within one year of submission, on institutional letterhead, signed in pen (not a signature image) and in a non–editable format. Further information about what should be included in a reference can be found on the references page.

Your application - references

Please note: Personal statements not entered in the appropriate section of the application may not be considered.

Important: If your original documents, which must be submitted, are not in English you must also submit certified, official translations .

If you are having problems uploading your documents please see Document Upload Issues , noting that there is a 2MB limit on uploads. If there is still a problem, please contact the EUCLID support team ( [email protected] ).

It is your responsibility to ensure all the required documents are uploaded. Please check your EUCLID portal regularly to determine if there is further action you must take to make your application complete.

After you submit your application, it joins a queue to be screened by the Admissions Team who check your documentation.  If they have any questions or require any additional document, They will contact you directly (via the Applicant Hub ).  Once screening is complete, a decision will then be made. You will be informed of all decisions via the Applicant Hub.

If you are concerned about meeting funding deadlines, please contact us at [email protected] as soon as possible, and we will do our best to speed up the process for you.

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What funding is available for your PhD study?

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School of Mathematics

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Funding Opportunities

The School of Mathematics offers several fully funded PhD studentships each year. Students receiving School funding are awarded a stipend equivalent to UKRI stipend rates for a period of 4 years plus fees.  Applications must be received by Monday 22 January 2024 in order to be considered for School and ESPSRC funding opportunities. Late applications may also be considered if there are still places.  There is no need to submit a separate application for these. 

Martingale Foundation Scholarships

We are delighted to announce that we are one of the Martingale Foundation's newest university partners. The Martingale Foundation helps provide access to postgraduate mathematics study for UK students facing financial barriers by offering fully-funded MSc and PhD programmes. 

Applications are made via the  Martingale Foundation website  and the application deadline is Wednesday 25 October 2023.

These awards are available to all applicants and provide full support (fees and stipend). The stipend is set by UKRI on an annual basis (stipend payment levels for 2023-24 are £18,622).  Applications must be received by Monday 22 January 2024 in order to be considered for School and ESPSRC funding opportunities. Late applications may also be considered if there are still places.  There is no need to submit a separate application for these. 

Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships 

In 2024-25, the School will offer a fully funded Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarship. This scholarship provides tuition fees and a stipend for 4 years. The award is open to UK and overseas applicants applying to start their first year of study in 2024-25.

Applicants must be of outstanding academic merit and research potential. Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a UK first class or 2.1 honours degree at undergraduate level or the international equivalent. 

Successful applicants will undertake a package of training and development which will help you to develop the necessary skills required to meet your career choices and offer you a breath of development opportunities in areas suuch as teaching, public engagement, entrepreneurship, data science and research. 

The application deadline for this opportunity is the end of Monday 19 February 2024.

The EDCS application must be made via the Scholarships portal on MyEd. Once you have made an application for the programme of study, you will receive an email with MyEd login details.

In order to gain access to the scholarship application system, applicants must have applied for admission to the University of Edinburgh.  Please note that, following the submission of an application for admission, it can take up to 10 working days for all system checks to be completed and for access to be granted.

The online scholarship application form is located in EUCLID and can be accessed via MyEd our web based information portal at  https://www.myed.ed.ac.uk

When logging in to MyEd, you will need your University User Name and password.  If you require assistance, please go to  http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-systems/support-guidance

If you are considering applying for this scholarship, we would strongly suggest that you submit your EUCLID admission application for the programme of study at least 10 working days before the application deadline to ensure you have enough time to apply for the scholarship via the Scholarship application portal.

China Scholarship Council/University of Edinburgh Scholarships

There will be one scholarship available for PhD study to candidates who are citizens and permanent residents of the People's Republic of China at the time of applying for entry for the academic year 2024-25. Candidates should not be working outside China at the time of application and successful candidates must agree to return to China upon completion of their degree. Candidates studying outside China are eligible to apply but not those who have already commenced a PhD programme prior to the 2024-25 academic year. 

The application deadline for this opportunity will be announced shortly.  

To be considered for this scholarship applicants should complete the below China Scholarship Council/University of Edinburgh Scholarship application form with should be submitted to [email protected]  by the deadline .  

There will be an internal selection process and successful candidates will be notified via email.  Candidates nominated by the University to be considered for a scholarship should satisfy the selection criteria set out by CSC by completing the CSC Application form and CSC Employer Reference form which can be found on their website . You must ensure you select the correct scholarship scheme -  Institutional & Personal Channel , as there are several schemes. Please note that applicants for this scholarship must be able to prove that they meet the University's English language requirements at the time of application. 

The scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic merit and candidates must have obtained, or be predicted to obtain, the equivalent of a first-class honours degree from a Chinese University. 

Other Studentships

• https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/postgraduate

Fully Funded Biomedical Sciences Education PhD at University of Edinburgh (deadline extended)

The University of Edinburgh is seeking a student who would like to do a PhD on Biomedical Sciences education, specifically on the topic of international and transnational education. The PhD is funded through a partnership with the Zhejiang-Edinburgh Institute in China. The student can have a broad STEM (biology, medicine, sciences) or educational background (or psychology, sociology, etc.), but will be keen to contribute to biomedical education.

The PhD is fully funded, situated primarily in Edinburgh, and open to international students. The original deadline was 3/29/24 but has been extended. Please send any questions about the program to Dr. Jacqueline Dohaney at [email protected]

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When to apply

You should apply by the relevant deadline to make sure your application is considered.

UCAS application timetable: 2025 entry

We will consider all applications received by the relevant UCAS deadlines.

We aim to inform you of our decision on your application as quickly as possible, however all applicants who applied by the relevant UCAS deadline will receive a decision no later than the UCAS reject by default date in May.

You can follow the progress of your application through the UCAS Hub.

Applying after deadlines.

We will consider applications received after the relevant deadlines on an individual basis at our discretion. As demand for many of our degrees is high, we cannot guarantee that late applications will be considered.

Following UCAS deadlines, we will close most degrees to further applications. If you are considering applying after the relevant deadline and UCAS indicates that we are still accepting applications, please contact us to check the availability of places before submitting your application.

Degree deadlines

If you are applying to study medicine, you must sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in 2024 before you submit your UCAS application, or apply for an exemption code from the UCAT consortium.

Veterinary Medicine

If you are applying to veterinary medicine at Edinburgh you must submit a Work Experience Summary ( WES ) form.

A link to the  WES  will be sent to you when you apply, including the deadline date.

Art and design

If you are applying to an art or design degree at Edinburgh you must submit a portfolio. Portfolio submission guidance will be released later in the year and will be published on relevant degrees in the degree finder.

Education - BA Childhood Practice

If you are applying to BA Childhood Practice you must apply by 31 March for entry in September of the same year. If you apply after 31 March your application may be considered, but this is not guaranteed.

You should apply using the application form and following the Assessment Criteria guidance, which will be available in the degree finder in October.

Degree finder: BA Childhood Practice

Related links

Entry requirements

Application deadlines

Details of application deadlines for the Full-time MBA.

This programme operates a series of selection deadlines. If you apply by the application deadline for a specific round, you can usually expect to receive a result by the decision deadline for that round.

If you do not receive an offer in a particular round, you will either be notified that your application has been unsuccessful, or we will carry your application forward to be considered in the next round.

We advise that you apply as soon as possible so that you can meet the conditions of any offer, for example visa or English language requirements.

Application Deadlines for Study 2023/24

Application deadlines for study 2024/25.

You will be able to submit an application until the programme closes for admissions. If the programme is not full by the final application deadline, we may be able to consider applications submitted after that date. If we are still accepting applications following the final deadline, we will clearly indicate that on the programme's application page. If you require a visa we recommend that you submit your application by 12 June .

Please be aware that for those hoping to secure University accommodation, you need to have both:

• Received and accepted an unconditional firm offer of study for the University by 31 July
• Applied for your University accommodation by 31 July

Postgraduate accommodation guarantee

Further information

Selection and admissions strategy

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