The high-end education quality and top-notch teaching facilities in the UK have attracted many overseas students to study there. Of course, in addition to studying high school and undergraduate courses in the UK, there are also students who go to the UK to study for a PhD. Today, Huiguo VPN will introduce to you nine key knowledge points for applying for a PhD in the UK.

Nine tips for applying for a PhD in the UK

Knowledge point 1: What is the doctoral system in the UK? How many years does it take?

Answer: (1) A full-time PhD program lasts three years, with an additional year allowed to write the dissertation. In fact, most people graduate in four years. If you graduate in three years, you are truly an academic genius!

(2) A part-time PhD is a 6-year program, with an additional two years to write a dissertation. This is provided that you have another visa that allows you to stay in the UK for more than 8 years. Otherwise, ordinary international students are not allowed to apply for a part-time PhD and obtain such a long student visa.

Knowledge point 2: Are the academic requirements for a PhD in the UK high?

A: The general requirement is a 2:1 British grade, which is equivalent to 80/100 in domestic universities. Of course, this is a general requirement. In fact, the requirements for grades for applying for a doctorate are relatively loose. As long as your grades are above average, the key is the research proposal.

Knowledge point 3: What is the tuition fee for a PhD in the UK? Is it expensive to study for a PhD?

A: Tuition fees in the UK are definitely high, and they are rising every year. For example, this year, the tuition fees for liberal arts courses are around RMB 140,000 per year, and the tuition fees for science courses (those that require laboratory equipment) are around RMB 170,000 per year. According to the three-year system, you pay tuition fees for three years, and you don't have to pay tuition fees in the fourth year when you write your thesis. You only need to pay a few hundred yuan for the library.

But! There is always a but... For a PhD you can apply for a full scholarship, or look for a subject that offers scholarships. This will save you a lot of money.

Knowledge point 4: Do British PhD students need to take IELTS?

A: If you apply for a PhD directly from China, you need to take the IELTS. The total score is generally required to be 7 points, and the writing part is also required to be 7 points. If you have a diploma from the UK, you do not need to take the IELTS.

Knowledge Point 5: What materials are needed to apply for a doctorate?

A: You finally got to the point! Now, let’s put aside the scholarship and explain what exactly is needed to apply for a PhD!

First of all, there is the master's transcript, master's diploma, and passport, needless to say.

The key thing is called a research proposal. It is a 2,000-word essay that clearly describes what you are going to do in the next four years. The research proposal should cover the following points: What is the topic? Has anyone studied it? Why do you want to study it? What is its importance? How do you plan to study it? Etc. The more detailed the better, but the point of view should be clear, so that the tutor can see that this kid is reliable. In fact, your master's thesis is a good material at this time. You can modify it and add future prospects, and it will be ok.

Secondly, prepare a resume and write down the awards you have won, work experience, etc.

Then, based on your academic and work experience, write a brief personal statement of about 500 words.

Finally, find two of your college teachers and ask them to write reference letters for you.

Now your material package is ready: passport + transcript + degree certificate + research proposal + resume + personal statement + two letters of recommendation.

By the way, a good research proposal has the following structure:

A good research proposal has the following structure:

Knowledge Point 6: Who should I go to apply to? How should I apply?

A: The most important thing for a PhD is to find a reliable advisor who can help you succeed! During these four years, your advisor will be responsible for everything for you, so of course, you should go directly to your advisor!

How to find a supervisor? First, decide on the subject you want to study, then go to the school to find the department, which will have a list of all the research staff. Each person will state their research interest/field, and then you can email them one by one (with a materials package attached) to ask them if they are interested in your topic.

It should be noted that your topic may be rather niche, and there may not often be supervisors that suit your taste. In that case, you should try to find as many as possible, find out about a dozen or twenty supervisors, and then send emails to them to see who would be interested in you.

Those who study for a master's degree in the UK certainly have advantages. You can directly find your favorite master's supervisor and ask him/her if he/she is interested in guiding you in your doctoral studies. If you perform well in school, some supervisors may even take the initiative to ask you if you want to stay to study for a doctorate.

Knowledge Point 7: How long does it take to get approved? Is there an interview required?

Answer: You will definitely need an interview when applying for a doctorate. If you apply in China, the school will arrange a Skype interview with you.

The usual process is this: after you send an email to the tutor, the tutor expresses interest in your topic, and then he will arrange a meeting with you for an interview. After the interview, he will send his secretary to email you within a week to tell you what to do next. If he doesn't want you, he will directly say, sorry, we are not suitable. If he thinks he wants you, then he will send you a link and ask you to submit your materials package to the school application system. Then after going through the procedures, you will receive an admission notice within about a month!

Knowledge point 8: How to apply for a scholarship?

A: You need to prepare at least one year in advance to apply for a PhD scholarship. For example, if you want to enroll in October 2015, the application for the scholarship will basically be closed before March 2015, and some may even be earlier. So you should prepare as soon as possible during the summer vacation in 2014!

Basically every school will issue scholarships. When you are looking for a PhD advisor, pay attention to the scholarship opportunities of the school department, and then submit your materials before the deadline! In addition, there are scholarships issued by the Chinese government, such as the "National Outstanding Self-funded International Student Scholarship". You can search it on Baidu and pay attention to the terms and deadlines.

Knowledge Point 9: What are you studying for a PhD? Do you need to attend classes?

A: We always call it "doing" a PhD, but in fact, there are basically no classes during these four years, especially in the humanities. As a doctoral student, your main task is to complete your research project and contribute to the knowledge world during this period! Your department will hold seminars regularly, and each school will hold conferences. You can choose to attend the one you are interested in. The main purpose of attending a conference is to exchange ideas with expert doctoral students in the same research field, and more importantly, to establish connections! The following are nine common sense about applying for a doctorate in the UK.Medical knowledge for international students in the UK, ,Common knowledge about studying and working in the UK, ,Safety tips for studying in the UK, ,Top 10 common sense for studying in the UKThe problem.

Summary of nine common senses for applying for a PhD in the UK

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