When to apply
Research students can register at the University at the start of each academic term i.e. Autumn Term (October), Spring Term (January) and Summer Term (April).
How to apply
You should apply to the University via the online application facility.
Entry requirements
An upper second-class undergraduate honours degree or other professional qualification or experience of equivalent standing is required. For research degrees in the arts or social sciences a Masters degree is also usually required.
Non-native English speakers will also need to provide evidence of suitable English language ability. English language requirements are included in the Essentials box in each subject entry in the Postgraduate Prospectus.
Identifying a supervisor
If you are particularly interested in the research of one of our members of faculty or in a research team you may wish to consider requesting a particular supervisor. The subject pages of the Postgraduate Prospectus provide relevant information about our research specialisms and you may want to contact faculty members directly to discuss your area of research informally before you apply.
Research proposal
A research proposal is the document which explains what you would like to research for your DPhil. The amount of detail required in a research proposal varies between subjects.
Writing a strong research proposal will take time but it is a valuable exercise to help clarify your area of interest. In summary, you will need to state what questions your research will seek to answer, what methodologies or techniques you might employ, and what resources and timetable will be required. Further advice can be found on Choosing your research area webpage.
Often applications will be turned down if (a) the stated research proposal is too general and the research question(s) insufficiently defined, or (b) the focus of the research cannot be adequately supervised.
Early engagement with the Doctoral School and potential supervisors in our Academic Schools will ensure you have an excellent chance of gaining a place and becoming part of the exciting research community at Sussex.
Selection process
All applicants are considered on academic merit. Research applications are often quite complex as we have to ensure we can provide the expertise necessary to supervise your proposed research. In some cases we may write to ask for additional information or we could ask you to attend an interview. As a general rule it can take between four to eight weeks for a decision to be made on a research application.
Offer of a place
If your application is successful, you will receive an official offer letter setting out the details of your place. The offer you receive can be either conditional or unconditional. In other words, if you already meet all the requirements for the place, your offer is likely to be unconditional; but if you still have qualifications to complete or other evidence to provide (e.g. English language ability), your offer will be conditional and you will need to demonstrate that you meet these conditions before your place can be finalised.
What happens after the offer
As the year progresses, we will stay in touch with applicants who have accepted their offers. If you have any questions about your application, please do not hesitate to contact Postgraduate Admissions:
E pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk.