postgraduate

choosing your research

topic and institution
The United Kingdom’s research base is exceptional. It contributes almost a tenth of the
world’s research output. This is one of the many reasons why you should consider
coming to the United Kingdom (UK) to do postgraduate research. You can specialise in
almost any subject area and you will leave with a prestigious qualification that will add
to your knowledge and help your career.

Checklist: Why should you choose the United Kingdom for postgraduate
research?

• there is a huge variety of courses and programmes – so you can specialise in almost
any subject area
• you can follow your programme in the sort of institution you like best
• strong links exist between academia and employers, making much research directly
relevant to the world of work
• UK qualifications are internationally acceptable and checked by government-
supported bodies
• the courses are short and concentrated, making a top postgraduate qualification
more affordable
• you can convert to a different subject from your undergraduate degree by taking a
conversion Master’s
• you may be able to get a scholarship or fellowship.

1. What can I study?

How should I start to choose my research topic and institution?

A good place to start is the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) www.rae.ac.uk. This is
an official assessment conducted every five years and gives a ranking, by subject, for
research at each institution. The last RAE was carried out in 2001 and graded research
from 1 (lowest) to 5* (world class research). For more information, refer to Quality
issues in this series.

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As important as finding a department that matches your interests is to find a professor
or tutor who is willing to supervise your work. The best chances of this arise when a
supervisor has published work relevant to your interests and so will be in a good
position to supervise your research. It is important to find out who is the most widely
read and respected person in your field of interest – often you may already be familiar
with these people through their articles published in journals and periodicals.

Checklist: Choosing a research degree

• ask for advice from the tutors who taught you as an undergraduate or
postgraduate, especially those with research interests with relevance to your
chosen specialism
• check your selected universities’ web sites via www.educationuk.org for details of
research activities
• contact the relevant departments in your selected universities to request details of
their research activities
• see whether it would be possible to meet alumni from the university to which you
are thinking of applying.

Checklist: Choosing your institution

• Is the staff profile and size of department right for you? You might prefer a large or
small department, or you might want to work with a particular academic, or group
of academics.
• How good are the institution’s academic facilities and resources? What computing
facilities does it have? Are there links with relevant institutions/other bodies close to
the university?
• Have you looked at the university’s web site, prospectus and department brochures
to make sure your chosen programme is well supported with facilities and resources
(such as laboratories and libraries)?
• Have you read publications by the department’s staff?

2. Entrance

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What qualifications will I need?

They vary greatly, so you should contact the institution you would like to attend. If you
are not sure where you want to go, you should obtain several prospectuses. As a rough
guide, you will need:
• an outstanding academic record, with proven academic achievement
• usually, a first degree in the same subject as the postgraduate degree you intend to
take
• generally, a Master’s degree (a taught Master’s), an MPhil (Master of Philosophy) or
MRes(Master of Research)
• usually, in science and technology subjects, a Bachelor’s degree – you would
usually first register for an MPhil and then, if your research progresses well, change
to a PhD
• some evidence that you know about research procedures in science, social science
and humanities subjects – some experience of working alone on a research project
is very useful
• some evidence of good writing and communications skills, especially with
humanities and social science doctorates.

Are there any formal English language qualifications?

Yes. This will usually be an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) grade
6, a TOEFL score of 550 or equivalent. Check with individual institutions for details.

Types of research degree

What postgraduate research degrees are available?

The most prestigious is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is the highest academic
award for which a student can be registered. But there are several others.

www.educationuk.org
 Duratio Summary Special Comments
n requirements
Doctor of Three+ Research Your dissertation The UK PhD will
Philosophy years programme or thesis must enable you to
(PhD or DPhil) ending in a present original produce original
dissertation or findings that are, research, which
thesis of in principle, could be a great
70,000100,000 publishable. help to your career.
words (shorter in It could also help
science). you to become one
of the world’s
leading experts in
your chosen field.
You will receive a
sound methodology
and practice, which
is especially
important if you
want to follow an
academic career.
Master of Two+ Research Your dissertation
Philosophy years programme or thesis must
(MPhil) ending in a present original
dissertation or findings.
thesis of 50,000
70,000 words.
Master of Arts Usually Research Your dissertation
(MA) or one year programme should present
Master of ending in some original
Science (MSc) dissertation of research, but not
by research 15,000-40,000 to the same level
words. as a PhD or
MPhil.
Master of Usually Designed to give A very particular
Research one year students training kind of Masters
(Mres) in research, as a programme,
preparation for a oriented towards
PhD or for a research, but with
research-related some taught
career in elements.
industry.

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 Taught As well as taught
Doctorates components of
(DEng, DMus, the programme,
DEd, DBA, you would
DClinPsych) produce a thesis
of about 40,000
words.
New Route Four A UK first degree New PhD
Doctorate of years or Masters with programme offering
Philosophy high marks, or a mixture of
(PhD) equivalent. research and taught
www.newroutep elements. May also
hd.ac.uk include professional
skills.

What issues should I consider as an international student?

• Because entry standards are so high, international students could be asked to take
a taught postgraduate course in the UK before they start a research programme.
• You might be able to do a joint PhD programme in the UK and your own country.
Usually, you would spend a year of your study in the UK. If there is already a link
between your ‘home’ university and a UK university, this is quite easy. If not, you
should approach a UK university.
• You will need an acceptance letter to obtain a visa, if you need one.
• It is virtually impossible to arrange financial support once you have left your own
country, so you should arrange this before you leave. You will need to provide
evidence for immigration that you can cover the costs of your proposed study.
• If you are applying for a scholarship, apply at least a year before the course starts.
• If you want to bring your husband/wife and family, you may have to find
accommodation outside the institution. You should come before your family to do
this.

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3. Next steps

Checklist: Your next steps

1. Once you have decided at which universities you would like to study, and have
chosen a suitable topic for your research, check with the departments to see if
there is a closing date for your application.
2. Give yourself plenty of time to consider your options. It is probably advisable to
apply to more than one institution to reduce the risk of missing out if your first
choice rejects you.
3. Apply direct to the institutions (forms are available from them). Your application
could be speeded up if you use the Internet to apply (where possible).
4. Prepare your research proposal. This should be a short (perhaps two-page)
summary, based on research in your field. If a professor has an idea for research
which he/she has not been able to pursue, it will be advertised in the national press,
usually the Times Higher Education Supplement (www.thesis.co.uk).

4. Where can I find more information?

British Council Education Biotechnology and Biological

information
Web site www.educationuk.org
For further information, you can find
details of your nearest office at
www.britishcouncil.org/where/index.htm
, which includes links to all our country
web pages and a worldwide address
book giving contact details for all
offices.
Scottish Education + Training
Web site www.educationukscotland.org
New Route PhDs
Web site www.newroutephd.ac.uk
Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Polaris House
North Star Avenue
Swindon SN2 1UH
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 413 200
Fax +44 (0) 1793 413 201
Web site www.bbsrc.ac.uk
British Academy
10 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AH
Telephone +44 (0) 20 7969 5200
Fax +44 (0) 20 7969 5300
E-mail secretary@britac.ac.uk
Web site www.britac.ac.uk

Postgrad: The directory of

graduate studies
www.postgrad.hobsons.com

Prospects: Postgraduate directory

www.prospects.csu.ac.uk/int

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Council for the Central Laboratory
of the Research Councils
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Chilton
Didcot
Oxfordshire OX11 0QX
Telephone +44 (0) 1235 821 900
Fax +44 (0) 1235 445 808
E-mail enquiries@cclrc.ac.uk
Web site www.cclrc.ac.uk
Economic and Social Research
Council (ESRC)
Polaris House
North Star Avenue
Swindon SN2 1UJ
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 413 000
Fax +44 (0) 1793 413 001
Web site www.esrc.ac.uk
Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council (EPSRC)
Polaris House
North Star Avenue
Swindon SN2 1ET
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 444 000
Fax +44 (0) 1793 444 010
Web site www.epsrc.ac.uk
Higher Education & Research
Opportunities in the United
Kingdom (HERO)
Web site www.hero.ac.uk
Medical Research Council (MRC)
20 Park Crescent
London W1B 1AL
Telephone +44 (0) 20 7636 5422
Fax +44 (0) 20 7436 6179
Web site www.mrc.ac.uk
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Natural Environment Research
Council (NERC)
Polaris House
North Star Avenue
Swindon SN2 1EU
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 411 500
Fax +44 (0) 1793 411 501
Web site www.nerc.ac.uk
Particle Physics and Astronomy
Research Council (PPARC)
Polaris House
North Star Avenue
Swindon SN2 1SZ
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 442 000
Fax +44 (0) 1793 442 002
Web site www.pparc.ac.uk
The Royal Society (London)
6 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AG
Telephone +44 (0) 207 839 5561
Fax +44 (0) 207 930 2170
E-mail info@royalsoc.ac.uk
Web site www.royalsoc.ac.uk
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
2226 George Street
Edinburgh EH2 2PQ
Telephone +44 (0) 131 240 5000
Fax +44 (0) 131 240 5024
E-mail rse@royalsoced.org.uk
Web site www.royalsoced.org.uk

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While every effort has been made to ensure that the information given here is correct
and up to date, the British Council accepts no legal liability for its accuracy, currency or
completeness.

May 2002

British Council
classification
Postgraduate (green)

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