PhD Research
Applying to the PhD programme
To apply for a postgraduate place at Lancaster University please ensure that you follow the instructions detailed below. Failure to do so may result in your application being delayed.
- Initial Enquiries
- What you will need to apply
- What you should read before you apply
- Download official application and reference forms
- Checklist
Initial Enquiries
All initial enquiries on applying should be made to the PhD Admissions Secretary
For more information and advice about our Postgraduate research degrees contact the Postgraduate Admissions Tutor.
Requirements for Admission
Applicants for research in the Department of Computing should normally have (or expect to gain) at least an upper second class degree in Computing from a British University. Alternatively qualifications, including degrees from overseas universities, are considered on merit. Applicants with equivalent industrial experience are encouraged to apply.
Conditions of Acceptance
If you are still an undergraduate student at the time that an offer of a place is made to you, the offer will normally depend on your obtaining some specified grade in your present course. When the result is known, you should send the Department a copy of an official letter or certificate confirming your result. You may also be required to attend a course in English before starting -- for example, the course Study Skills in English, which takes place in Lancaster each summer. Other conditions may sometimes be specified.
If you are offered a place, you may be asked to do a certain amount of preparatory reading before entering the Department. Whilst this does not usually amount to a formal condition of acceptance, you should make every effort to do the reading. Otherwise you may suffer from unnecessary difficulties in the early stages of your research.
Types of Degree
You may register for a research degree. A PhD normally takes three years. A PhD student needs a well-developed capacity for independant judgment and planning, and we can rarely be sure in advance that a student will posess these qualities. Consequently, if you apply for a PhD you may be asked to register initially for a M.Phil. In this case, your work will be monitored carefully and, so long as your progress during the first year is satisfactory, the Department will approve your re-registration as a PhD student. Nontheless, if you do wish to continue to a PhD you should mark the PhD box on the application form so that we know your ultimate intention.
Overseas Applicants
In considering an application for research, we need to obtain as much information as possible about the applicant's ability and knowledge of the subject. There are four particular problems if you live outside the UK, and therefore cannot be interviewed:
- References - We normally ask for the names of two referees. It is our experience that when we write to referees outside the UK we often receive no reply from one of even both referees. As a result very long delays can sometimes occur in processing an application. The University now supplies applicants with standard forms for references; it is the responsibility of the applicant to forward these forms to the referees, who should return them directly to the University.
- Background - To give us some idea about your background and your level of understanding of Computing, it would help if you could send us some written samples of your work. For instance, you might provide us with a short essay describing work you have been doing, or outlining a possible research area. if you have written any reports during your work you could provide us with copies, if they are in English and are reasonably short.
- Command of English - You will need to provide us with clear evidence about your command of the English language, especially if you have never studied in Britain of the United States. We prefer to see a certificate for a standardised test, such as the IELTS or TOEFL Test. As a guide, we would normally expect an IELTS score of at least 6.5 or a TOEFL score of at least 580.
- Funding - UK Government support is restricted to UK nationals or citizens of European Community countries. Support may be available from bodies such as the British Council, the World Bank, or The Association of Commonwealth Universities. You must apply directly to these organisations and not go through the University.
Some departmental scholarships may be available to well-qualified applicants.
Date of Entrance
Research students may be admitted at any time of the year. However, the normal month for admission of full-time students is October and, as will become clear below, it is generally better to adhere to this. If you have some special need to be admitted at a different time of year, you should explain the reason for this.
Attendance at Courses
During your first six months, you may be advised to attend certain courses that the Department runs for its final year undergraduate students. These will be chosen:
- To support your proposed area of research, and
- to fill in any serious gaps in your knowledge of the subject.
You may also be expected to attend and participate in a series of seminars on research methods in Computing. These courses will not be examined.
Part-Time Study
If you have a job, but feel that you have the time and capacity to do some research or courses in your spare time, you can apply for admission as as part-time research student. The normal period for completing the research is naturally longer in this case.
Supervision
As Lancaster offers many areas of research interest, it is not expected that new research students will be able to choose a specific topic on day one of their time here. You will be assigned to a caretaker supervisor for the first three months. This should give you time to familiarise yourself with current research in computing in general, and with the work progressing in the Department. At the end of the three months, you will be expected to choose a research area and be assigned to a suitable supervisor.
What you will need
You will need to provide:
| Document | Special Notes |
|---|---|
| 1. One Postgraduate Application Form |
You can either apply online or send a paper
copy of the Postgraduate Application form to the Postgraduate Admissions
Office:
The Postgraduate Admissions Office
Fax: +44 (0) 1524 592065 |
| 2. Two Postgraduate Reference Forms | If you apply online, you can elect for an automatic email to go to your referees (if email addresses have been provided) requesting a reference. Otherwise, University reference forms must be passed to your two named referees to complete and submit them marked 'Confidential' to the Computing Department. |
| 3. One Official Academic Transcript | Submit this document to the Postgraduate Admissions Office if you apply online, or submit it with your application form if you are submitting a paper form. |
| 4. One Research Statement | As well as filling out the form, we also would ask that you provide a covering letter with your PhD application in which you explain your research interests. This will be an important part of your application as it helps us understand your motivation and ensures that your application is seen by the most appropriate potential supervisors. |
What you should read
Make sure that you read the Postgraduate Information pages before you send your application. Download the Postgraduate Prospectus and read it thoroughly! The Grad School pages provide information on everything you need to know about Grad School at Lancaster University, including the Graduate Student Association pages created by graduate students for graduate students.
Application & reference forms
Ready to apply? Complete the online application form https://www.pgapps.lancs.ac.uk Referees can be emailed automatically to complete the forms. If you prefer to submit a paper form, then these are available to download from Postgraduate Information Page. Please ensure that Paper Application Forms are sent directly to the Postgraduate Admissions Office.
Advice on mailing your forms
When sending personal and time-critical information, such as academic transcripts and application forms, it is important that you choose the right postal or courier service. Paying extra for a delivery that requires a signature when it reaches its destination gives you the peace of mind that your documents arrive safely and on time. Also, these services usually provide tracking numbers so that you can check and see when your documents are delivered. Also, make certain that you retain a copy of everything that you send.
Checklist
- Have you read the Postgraduate Prospectus?
- Have you contacted your post office or courier to find out the price of sending official documents?
- Have you completed the Online Application Form and sent your official transcript to the Postgraduate Admissions Office?
- Have you received your official reference forms? Are they sealed? Have you sent them to the Computing Department?
- Have you thanked all of the people who helped you apply? :)