How to apply

The School of Health in Social Science operates a gathered field approach to our research applications.

This year we will be running two gathered fields for new applications so please take note of these dates. 

A gathered field approach means that all complete applications which meet our minimum entry requirements will be held until the next deadline.

Then our academic review panels will consider applications received on a competitive basis.

We will send you all communication about your application through the online admissions system.

Please ensure you check your application inbox regularly and particularly after the notification dates as listed below. 

First deadline: Monday 14th November 2022, 11.59pm (GMT) (applications submitted after this deadline will be held until the second deadline).

We will only consider complete applications received by this date.

We will issue outcome notifications mid-January 2023. If your application is successful, you will enrol in September 2023 (or January 2024 for PhD programmes only).

Second deadline: Monday 24th April 2023, 11.59pm (GMT) (we cannot consider applications submitted after this deadline).

We will only consider complete applications received by this date.

We will issue outcome notifications mid-June 2023. If your application is successful, you will enrol in September 2023 (or January 2024 for PhD programmes only).

What is a complete application?

An application will be considered ‘complete’ if you have submitted:

• the online application form
• an undergraduate degree certificate and transcript (and your MSc degree certificate and transcript should this be required). Most postgraduate degree programmes in the School of Health in Social Science require a minimum of a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent. Some programmes also require applicants to hold a Masters level degree. Please check the Programme Entry Requirement pages on the School webiste for more detailed information.
• a research proposal based on the criteria for the programme you are applying for submitted on the relevant template (see below). Please note that applicants to the Health Humanities and Arts programme are not required to submit a research proposal with their application. 
• two references – some programmes require one of your references to be from your most recent academic institution (applicants to the Health Humanities and arts programme are only required to provide one reference). Please check the Programme Entry Requirement pages on the School website for more detailed information. Please note that it can take a number of weeks for your referees to respond to a reference request. We must have received your references by the deadline dates above for your application to be considered in that particular application round. If you wish the University to contact your referees through the online application system you must have started the online application and submitted the reference request several weeks before the deadline dates so that your referees have time to respond.
• if you are applying for the PhD by Distance you must also submit the PhD by Distance Applicant Admission Form and Study Plan.

Evidence of English language may also be needed before an unconditional offer can be made, but is not required by the application deadline.

If an application is not ‘complete’ by the application deadline it will be rejected. Rejected applicants may make a further application at one of the later deadlines and this will be considered if it is complete.  

Prepare your research proposal

We will use your research proposal to consider whether supervision can be provided for the research that you propose.

It is important that your research proposal makes your basic aims and area of investigation as clear as possible. 

Start early

How to write a good PG research proposal (1.44 MB PDF)

We understand that it can be difficult to formulate research plans for a proposal well in advance of carrying out the work, but we encourage you to formulate your ideas clearly and to take great care over your proposal.

You should expect to draft your proposal several times, and, ideally, seek comments on it from people able to discuss it with you (perhaps from your referees or former lecturers) before submitting your application. 

Use our research proposal form template

You must submit your research proposal on the form template below in order to be considered by our academic review panel. 

Where research proposals do not meet the minimum entry criteria, we may provide feedback to allow you to review and amend the proposal.

If we do so, we will contact you to ask whether you wish to revise and resubmit the proposal and be considered at the following application deadline.

School of Health in Social Science Research Proposal Form (64.48 KB Word)

Contact one potential supervisor before applying

We strongly recommend that you contact one potential supervisor before applying.

Applicants who have been in contact with a potential supervisor are often more successful in gaining an offer for study.

Please ensure that you approach a potential supervisor as early as possible and, at least, several weeks before the relevant deadlines as conversations can take several weeks.

If you are unsure if your research interest fit with the Programme, you can contact the Postgraduate Research Programme Director.

Contact

If you need more information about submitting your application and the admissions process, please get in touch with the School Postgraduate Research Admissions Administrator.

Apply

Once you are ready to apply for this programme, you need to complete the University's online application form.