Applying for a postgraduate research qualification

Applications for PGR qualifications are made via the College of Social Sciences Graduate School Online Application Portal. Once you have read the appropriate guidance, visit the Graduate School to apply

Application Guidance

To begin the process of applying for a doctoral degree in the School of Education, please begin by familiarising yourself with the Entry Requirements and the options for postgraduate research available in our school (PhD, EdD, or MPhil).

If applying for a Doctorate in Philosophy in Education (PhD):

  • Find a potential supervisor whose research areas are within your own areas of interest. Check our Staff Profiles and identify a few potential supervisors whose research matches your field of study. Please contact each researcher at a time rather than sending a mass email to multiple researchers. This will give potential supervisors time to review your materials and decide if they are able to support you during your PhD.
  • Share a Research Proposal (read our guidance on Submitting a Research Proposal) and your CV with your potential supervisor.
  • Attend the online meeting (via Teams, Zoom or other commonly agreed platform) with your potential supervisor to discuss your PhD plans. Your supervisor may decide at this point to seek a second and/or third supervisor to complete the supervisory team.
  • Submit an official online application adding the relevant documents. You can find out more about the application process here.

If applying for a Doctorate in Education (EdD), you can find more information about the structure of the programme and the Entry Requirements. An EdD degree is suitable for applicants who wish to engage with professionally located issues at an advanced level. Comparable in standing with the PhD, the EdD provides a programme of advanced study that is both professionally relevant and academically rigorous. The programme is offered in an online distance learning format with short periods of in person engagement high levels of interaction in a supportive community.