1. Faculty of Medicine and Health
  2. School of Medicine
  3. Research and innovation
  4. Cardiometabolic
  5. PGR Opportunities for home rated students (self funding)

PGR Opportunities for home rated students (self funding)

female researcher using a microscope


At the University of Leeds, we have a long history of supporting self-funded students to obtain PGR degrees. Our programme focuses on individual, personalised training and support. 

A PGR degree with us offers you much more than just academic excellence. Our size and diversity means we can offer you a unique experience which combines our research-based curriculum with a range of opportunities to give you the knowledge, skills and experience to prepare for your future. 


Highlights of the Programme: 

  • Emphasis on PGR support (dedicated administrator, mentors) 
  • Extensive relevant taught and real-life training experiences 
  • Wide multidisciplinary supervisor pool 
  • Located in a stylish state-of-the-art scientific building at one of the largest university-hospitals in the UK 
  • Funding available (up to £3000) to support training & conference attendance 

Options available for both 3-year & 4-year programmes 
The four-year PhD programme is available for entry on 1 October each year. 

The Foundation Year 
Year one of this four-year PhD programme combines taught modules and a robust training programme with research to provide you with not only the potential of a doctoral level degree, but a skill set which adds value to both your experience as a researcher and your future career and employability. The foundation year is tailored to inform, train and equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to embark on an extended individual research project. The programme is especially suitable for candidates who have not experienced research as an integral part of their undergraduate curriculum as it provides intensive training in the skills required whilst at the same time preparing you for your PhD research project. You will therefore spend 12-week intervals working on two different research mini projects and will then progress to your main project, contributing to research as you learn. Bespoke training will be delivered in a complementary manner to the taught component. Your individualised training plan will be agreed through discussion with your supervisory team and the programme manager within the first month of the programme. 

Years 2, 3 & 4 
In years two and three you will focus exclusively on your main PhD project with ongoing training and support as required. 
Year four will be a progression of years two and three, during which you will commence the writing up of your thesis, ready for submission. 


The 3-Year Pathway 
For applicants with an excellent bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree featuring research modules in a relevant field or suitable research experience, we offer a standard three-year PhD programme. This variant doesn't include the foundation year, and students will move directly into their PhD project, supported by our expert staff and world-recognised academics.  

Entry requirements 
Applicants must have, or be expected to obtain a 2.1 or above (or equivalent) Bachelor’s degree in a subject area relevant to the proposed field of research, such as biological, physical sciences or other subjects aligned to medicine. 

Fee information 
The current home-rated fee can be found here. The fee may increase in future years of your studies in line with inflation. 
You may be asked to contribute bench fees dependent upon the project you choose. 

Further information on fees and other expenses can be found below: 

  • Research degree fees 
  • Living expenses 

How to apply 
We accept applications all year round; the four year PhD Programme has a single intake each year on 1 October and start dates for the three-year pathway can be negotiated. You should complete an online application form and attach the following documentation to support your application. 

  • A full academic CV 
  • Degree certificate and transcripts of marks (or marks so far if still studying) 
  • Evidence that you are able to cover fees (e.g. personal funding, sponsorship letter) 
  • Please ensure you have named two referees on your application form. We will contact all referees directly as part of the application process. Offers are subject to satisfactory references 

To help us identify which programme you are applying for please ensure you include the following information on your application form; 

  • The programme of study as PhD in Medicine, Health and Human Disease 
  • The full project title and name the supervisors listed (as shown in the project description) 

For any queries regarding the application process please contact the Faculty Admissions team. If you have specific enquiries about the programme or any of the project proposals, please email the PGR programme team. 


Links to useful sites 

Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine (LICAMM) – The PGR programme is based within LICAMM. For more information about our research and the opportunities available please refer to our webpage.