1. Faculty of Medicine and Health
  2. Faculty Graduate School
  3. Next steps

Next steps

What happens after I submit an application for a postgraduate research degree?

  1. Your referees will be contacted to provide an academic reference.
  2. The Graduate School will email you to acknowledge your application and request any additional information required. As an applicant, you will be given six weeks to respond or your application will be closed.
  3. Your application will be considered by the Director of Postgraduate Research (PGR) Studies/Postgraduate Research Tutor. in the School/Institute you have applied to. If you have identified possible supervisors your application will be considered by them. If you have not identified possible supervisors your application will be circulated to academics working in the appropriate research area.
  4. If there is interest in your application, you will be invited to attend an interview with a panel of prospective supervisors and/or a Director of Postgraduate Research (PGR) Studies/Postgraduate Research Tutor. Interviews can take place in person, by Skype or telephone.
  5. If successful, an offer of a place will be made subject to evidence of available funding/qualifications. The offer will state if research costs are required in addition to academic fees and conditions of offer.
  6. If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive notification of this via email.
  7. The Faculty Graduate School will endeavour to process all applications as quickly as possible and we aim to make a decision within eight weeks. This might not always be possible due to responses from referees, applicants and also academic availability to consider applications, especially during holiday periods.

Selection process 

  1. Applications will be considered by selection panels consisting of (as appropriate): the Head of Graduate School, School/Institute Director of PGR Studies, prospective academic supervisors and other senior members of academic staff, independent chairperson.
  2. Academic performance, judged from degree classification and transcripts of marks and grades in a relevant subject area, together with awards, prizes, publications, etc, will be the overriding basis for selection of a candidate to be given a formal offer of a place for research degree study. There may be some discussion of a candidate’s proficiency with English Language.
  3. Personal statements, project outlines, referees' statements, evidence of previous research experience and performance at interview will also be taken into account when scoring applications. The above evidence will be used to form an opinion as to whether applicants have the skills, knowledge, originality, motivation and other attributes that will enable them to become a successful postgraduate researcher in the Faculty of Medicine and Health.
  4. The availability of appropriate, qualified academic supervisors, sufficient facilities and funding to carry out the research project and the fit of the research with the Faculty or Institute's strategic research objectives will also be fundamental to the decisions.
  5. In making decisions on successful applications, selection panels will treat all applicants fairly and not discriminate unlawfully on grounds of marital status, gender, race (including colour, nationality, national origin or ethnic origin), health or disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, political views or other opinion. The judgement about an individual candidate's academic suitability will be kept separate from any consideration of the applicant's disability or health-related support requirement as outlined above.
  6. Once an application has been rejected the applicant's file will be closed. Applicants who require further information as to the reasons for rejection should contact the Faculty Graduate School Office. Feedback will normally be in the form of a brief summary from the Chair of the selection or interview panel.
  7. The files of unsuccessful applicants will be retained for 6th months from the date of rejection, and can be reopened if appropriate: eg if the candidates obtain funding or identify supervisors. If applicants want to re-open their file after one year, they will be asked to re-apply as the information held will be out of date.
  8. The Faculty Graduate School will not consider further applications from prospective research degree candidates whose applications have been rejected on two previous occasions.