Doctor of Philosophy

==== 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 “What level of English do I need to get into a UK university?”]. [[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>