Doctor of Philosophy Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === United Kingdom === {{See also|Doctorate#United Kingdom|l1=Doctorates in the United Kingdom|Education in the United Kingdom}} ==== Admission ==== In the [[United Kingdom]], universities admit applicants to PhD programs on a case-by-case basis; depending on the university, admission is typically conditional on the prospective student having completed an undergraduate degree with at least upper second-class honours or a postgraduate master's degree but requirements can vary even within institutions. For example, the [[University of Edinburgh]] requires a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree (or international equivalent) for a PhD in clinical psychology,<ref>[https://www.ed.ac.uk/health/subject-areas/clinical-psychology/postgraduate-research/phd-msc-research/entry ''Entry requirements for the PhD/MSc by Research in Clinical Psychology'']. [[University of Edinburgh School of Health in Social Science]].</ref> while its [[University of Edinburgh Business School|business school]] requires a master's degree with an average of 65% in the taught components and a distinction-level dissertation.<ref>[https://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/phd/entry-requirements ''PhD Entry Requirements'']. [[University of Edinburgh Business School]].</ref> For students who are not from English-speaking countries, [[UK Visas and Immigration]] requires universities to assess English proficiency. Many do this using [[IELTS]] tests, although the requirements may vary depending on the institution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/which-ielts-test/ukvi|title= Looking to work or study in the UK?|website=[[British Council]]|access-date=3 October 2023}}</ref><ref>[https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/international-and-eu-students/applying-university-international-student/what-level-english-do-i-need-get-uk-university βWhat level of English do I need to get into a UK university?β]. [[UCAS]].</ref><ref>[https://www.ukuni.net/articles/ielts-requirements-applying-uk-university IELTS requirements for applying to a UK university].</ref> 143 UK universities require applicants to undergo IELTS before admission,<ref>[https://www.ukuni.net/index.php/universities Universities in the UK requiring IELTS]. ukuni.net website.</ref> with minimum acceptable scores ranging from 4 to 6.5 and above. However, some universities are willing to accept students without IELTS.<ref>Cassandra Evangeline Benjamin. (20 Sep 2023). [https://edvoy.com/articles/is-it-possible-to-study-in-the-uk-without-ielts/ Is it possible to study in UK without IELTS?].</ref> Students are first accepted onto an [[MPhil]] or [[MRes]] programme and may transfer to PhD regulations upon satisfactory progress, this is sometimes referred to as APG (Advanced Postgraduate) status. This is typically done after one or two years and the research work done may count towards the PhD degree. If a student fails to make satisfactory progress, they may be offered the opportunity to write up and submit for an MPhil degree, e.g. at [[King's College London]] and the [[University of Manchester]]. In many universities, the MPhil is also offered as a stand-alone research degree. PhD students from outside the EU/EEA or other exempt countries are required to comply with the [[Academic Technology Approval Scheme]] (ATAS), which involves undergoing a security clearance process with the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Foreign Office]] for courses in sensitive areas where research could be used for weapons development.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme |website=Gov.UK|access-date=3 October 2023|date=4 July 2023}}</ref> This requirement was introduced in 2007 due to concerns about overseas terrorism and weapons proliferation.<ref name="bbcatas">{{Cite web |date=12 March 2007 |title=Postgrad checks worry scientists |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6441263.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217153348/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6441263.stm |archive-date=17 December 2008 |access-date=16 September 2008 |website=BBC News}}</ref> ==== Funding ==== In the United Kingdom, funding for PhD students is sometimes provided by government-funded [[UK Research Councils|Research Councils]] (UK Research and Innovation β UKRI) or the [[European Social Fund]], usually in the form of a [[Income tax|tax-free]] [[bursary]] which consists of [[tuition fees]] together with a [[stipend]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Funding for research training |url=https://www.ukri.org/skills/funding-for-research-training/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921001409/https://www.ukri.org/skills/funding-for-research-training/ |archive-date=21 September 2020 |access-date=13 September 2020 |publisher=UK Research and Innovation}}</ref> Tuition fees are charged at different rates for "Home/EU" and "Overseas" students, generally Β£3,000βΒ£6,000 per year for the former and Β£9,000β14,500 for the latter (which includes EU citizens who have not been normally resident in the [[European Economic Area|EEA]] for the last three years), although this can rise to over Β£16,000 at elite institutions. Higher fees are often charged for laboratory-based degrees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Postgraduate fees in the UK |url=https://www.postgrad.com/fees_and_funding/fees/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213173726/https://www.postgrad.com/fees_and_funding/fees/ |archive-date=13 December 2016 |access-date=12 April 2017 |website=Postgrad.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is a PhD? |url=https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/phd-study/what-is-a-phd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006014106/https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/phd-study/what-is-a-phd |archive-date=6 October 2016 |access-date=12 April 2017 |website=Prospects |publisher=Graduate Prospects Ltd |at=How much does it cost?}}</ref> {{As of|2022/23}}, the national indicative fee for PhD students is Β£4,596, increasing annually, typically with inflation; there is no regulation of the fees charged by institutions, but if they charge a higher fee they may not require Research Council funded students to make up any difference themselves.<ref name="Funding for research training">{{Cite web |title=Funding for research training |url=https://www.ukri.org/our-work/developing-people-and-skills/find-studentships-and-doctoral-training/get-a-studentship-to-fund-your-doctorate/}}</ref> {{As of|2022/23}}, the national minimum stipend for UKRI-funded students is Β£16,062 per year, increasing annually typically with inflation.<ref name="Funding for research training"/> The period of funding for a PhD project is between three and four years, depending on the research council and the decisions of individual institutions,<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2016 |title=STFC TRAINING GRANTS (TGs) β ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) |url=https://stfc.ukri.org/files/tg-frequently-asked-questions/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024065557/https://stfc.ukri.org/files/tg-frequently-asked-questions/ |archive-date=24 October 2020 |access-date=13 September 2020 |publisher=STFC |format=PDF}}</ref> with extensions in funding of up to twelve months available to offset periods of absence for maternity leave, shared parental leave, adoption leave, absences covered by a medical certificate, and extended jury service.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2020 |title=Terms and conditions of training grants |url=https://www.ukri.org/files/funding/ukri-training-grant-terms-and-conditions-pdf/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024143757/https://www.ukri.org/files/funding/ukri-training-grant-terms-and-conditions-pdf/ |archive-date=24 October 2020 |access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref> PhD work beyond this may be unfunded or funded from other sources. A very small number of scientific studentships are sometimes paid at a higher rate β for example, in London, Cancer Research UK, the ICR and the Wellcome Trust stipend rates start at around Β£19,000 and progress annually to around Β£23,000 a year; an amount that is tax and national insurance free. Research Council funding is distributed to Doctoral Training Partnerships and Centres for Doctoral Training, who are responsible for student selection, within the eligibility guidelines established by the Research Councils.<ref name=":0" /> The ESRC (Economic and Social Science Research Council), for example, explicitly state that a 2.1 minimum (or a master's degree) is required.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prospective students |url=https://esrc.ukri.org/skills-and-careers/doctoral-training/prospective-students/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809014052/https://esrc.ukri.org/skills-and-careers/doctoral-training/prospective-students/ |archive-date=9 August 2020 |access-date=13 September 2020 |at=Academic conditions}}</ref> Many students who are not in receipt of external funding may choose to undertake the degree part-time, thus reducing the tuition fees. The tuition fee per annum for part-time PhD degrees are typically 50β60% of the equivalent full-time doctorate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-19 |title=Part Time PhD Guide β Fees, Durations, Benefits & Challenges |url=https://www.discoverphds.com/blog/part-time-phds |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109184218/https://www.discoverphds.com/advice/doctorates/part-time-phds |archive-date=9 January 2022 |access-date=2020-05-20 |website=DiscoverPhDs}}</ref> However, since the duration of a part-time PhD degree is longer than a full-time degree, the overall cost may be the same or higher.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-10-09 |title=Check Out UCAS Advice On Postgrad Fees And Funding... |url=https://www.ucas.com/postgraduate/postgraduate-fees-and-funding |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606141727/https://www.ucas.com/postgraduate/postgraduate-fees-and-funding |archive-date=6 June 2020 |access-date=2020-05-20 |website=UCAS}}</ref> The part-time PhD degree option provides free time in which to earn money for subsistence. Students may also take part in tutoring, work as research assistants, or (occasionally) deliver lectures, at a rate of typically Β£12β14 per hour, either to supplement existing low income or as a sole means of funding.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bray |first1=M. |title=Demand for private supplementary tutoring: Conceptual considerations, and socio-economic patterns in Hong Kong |last2=Kwok |first2=P. |year=2003 |volume=22 |pages=611β620 |doi=10.1016/S0272-7757(03)00032-3 |issue=6 |journal=Economics of Education Review}}</ref> ==== Completion ==== [[File:Ph.D. gown, Cambridge University.jpg|thumb|A PhD gown at the [[University of Cambridge]], one of the world's oldest and most prestigious universities]] There is usually a preliminary assessment to remain in the program and the thesis is submitted at the end of a three- to four-year program. These periods are usually extended pro rata for part-time students. With special dispensation, the final date for the thesis can be extended for up to four additional years, for a total of seven, but this is rare.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The PhD is in need of revision |url=http://www.universityaffairs.ca/the-phd-is-in-need-of-revision.aspx#latest_data |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731002541/http://www.universityaffairs.ca/the-phd-is-in-need-of-revision.aspx#latest_data |archive-date=31 July 2013 |access-date=5 June 2013 |website=UniversityAffairs.ca}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=Data is for Canada, not the UK|date=September 2020}} For full-time PhDs, a four-year time limit has now been fixed and students must apply for an extension to submit a thesis past this point. Since the early 1990s, British funding councils have adopted a policy of penalising departments where large proportions of students fail to submit their theses in four years after achieving PhD-student status (or pro rata equivalent) by reducing the number of funded places in subsequent years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESRC Society Today |url=http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/res_grant_linked_studentships_tcm6-12550.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029194816/http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/res_grant_linked_studentships_tcm6-12550.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2008 |access-date=2010-04-28 |publisher=ESRC Society Today}}</ref> Inadvertently, this leads to significant pressure on the candidate to minimise the scope of projects with a view on thesis submission, regardless of quality, and discourage time spent on activities that would otherwise further the impact of the research on the community (e.g., publications in high-impact journals, seminars, workshops). Furthermore, supervising staff are encouraged in their career progression to ensure that the PhD students under their supervision finalise the projects in three rather than the four years that the program is permitted to cover. These issues contribute to an overall discrepancy between supervisors and PhD candidates in the priority they assign to the quality and impact of the research contained in a PhD project, the former favouring quick PhD projects over several students and the latter favouring a larger scope for their own ambitious project, training, and impact.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} There has recently been an increase in the number of Integrated PhD programs available, such as at the University of Southampton. These courses include a Master of Research (MRes) in the first year, which consists of a taught component as well as laboratory rotation projects. The PhD must then be completed within the next three years. As this includes the MRes all deadlines and timeframes are brought forward to encourage completion of both MRes and PhD within four years from commencement. These programs are designed to provide students with a greater range of skills than a standard PhD, and for the university, they are a means of gaining an extra years' fees from public sources. ==== Other doctorates ==== Some UK universities (e.g. Oxford) abbreviate their Doctor of Philosophy degree as "DPhil", while most use the abbreviation "PhD"; but these are stylistic conventions, and the degrees are in all other respects equivalent. In the United Kingdom, PhD degrees are distinct from other doctorates, most notably the [[higher doctorate]]s such as [[Doctor of Letters|DLitt]] (Doctor of Letters) or [[Doctor of Science|DSc]] (Doctor of Science), which may be granted on the recommendation of a committee of examiners on the basis of a substantial portfolio of submitted (and usually published) research. However, some UK universities still maintain the option of submitting a thesis for the award of a higher doctorate. Recent years have seen the introduction of professional doctorates, which are the same level as PhDs but more specific in their field.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professional Doctorate |url=http://www.professionaldoctorates.com/explained.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528152539/http://www.professionaldoctorates.com/explained.asp |archive-date=28 May 2010 |access-date=2010-04-28}}</ref> Most tend not to be solely academic, but combine academic research, a taught component or a professional qualification. These are most notably in the fields of engineering ([[Engineering Doctorate|EngD]]), educational psychology (DEdPsych), occupational psychology (DOccPsych), clinical psychology (DClinPsych), health psychology (DHealthPsy), social work (DSW), nursing (DNP), public administration (DPA), business administration ([[Doctor of Business Administration|DBA]]), and music ([[Doctor of Musical Arts|DMA]]). A more generic degree also used is [[Doctor of Professional Studies|DProf or ProfD]]. These typically have a more formal taught component consisting of smaller research projects, as well as a 40,000β60,000-word thesis component, which together are officially considered equivalent to a PhD degree. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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