Postgraduate Research

Contact a Potential Supervisor

Before applying, you can contact potential supervisors within your area of interest to discuss your research proposal and the duration/type of study that would best suit your circumstances. To help identify those staff members best suited to supervise your PhD, please follow the link above to our discipline pages where you can find more information on staff's research interests.

Check the Entry Requirements

It should be noted that normally the minimum entrance requirement for admission to a PhD  is a 2:1 (B-average) degree in a relevant field, or equivalent. However it is preferable that you hold a Masters relevant to your chosen area of study. That said in some diciplines, such as creative writing, supprting evidence from work experience, portfolios of work etc may be taken into account when considering an application.

In order to apply for a PhD you will need to write a research proposal. This can be a daunting prospect for many students as they will likley not have produced one before. As such, the school has provided some short guidance on how to write a research proposal on our website to give you the best chance of successfully being an offerred a place of study.

Postgraduate tuition fee rates can be found on the university website here.

To help support students in their studies, the School of Languauge, Literature, Music and Visual Culture advertises several scholarship oppertunities as they become available. As such, school specific funding oppertunities can be found here.

In addition, the university also has a funding database which is updated regularly with relevant funding opportunities. The link to this database can be found below.

Duration of study: Full-time 36 months; part-time 60 months.

Part-time study: We offer part-time PhDs to UK and EU students, either on campus or via Distance Learning (subject dependant). Please note part-time study is not available for resident international students and must be completed via Distance Learning (if available).

Residency: Full-time on-campus students normally study residentially for 36 months, working with a supervisor and attending research seminars so as to involve themselves fully in the research community here. If you are an international student and want to study full-time on campus, you will need a Tier 4 student visa.

Distance Learning: Where posisble, a PhD may be undertaken by Distance Learning, with no residency or visa requirement. This may be especially suitable for those in full-time employment, or for whom relocating to Aberdeen would be difficult. Distance Learning students receive the same level of supervision as on-campus students, with supervision meetings normally conducted online or by telephone. Distance learning students also have access to the University Library and resources, and are welcome to visit the campus, though a student visitor visa may be required. 

Before you apply, you should contact a potential supervisor to discuss your research proposal and the feasibility of conducting your project at a distance. You and your potential supervisor can then discuss whether your research can be undertaken completely at a distance or whether some campus trips will be necessary, especially with regards to acquiring necessary research skills. If you are interested in undertaking a PhD via distance learning but are uncertain who to approach, please contact the Dr Suk-Jun Kim.

You can submit your application for a PhD online. Please read these application guidelines before completing your application form.

We require the following supporting documents alongside your application:

• Degree Certificates for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees
• Academic transcripts (if you have not completed your studies yet, please upload a copy of your transcript of studies to date). If the original language is not in English, please provide an official English translation.
• Two confidential academic references; you can upload these to your applicant portal or your referees can send then by email to pgadmissions@abdn.ac.uk. Please ask your referee to include your full name, date of birth and Applicant Personal ID.
• Your research proposal.
• If English is not your first language, you will need to demonstrate your proficiency in English by taking an IELTS, TOEFL or PTE academic test.

If you have any queries, please contact the Dr Suk-Jun Kim or alternatively email llmvc.enquiries@abdn.ac.uk.