University of Edinburgh Business School

How to apply

We normally expect doctoral candidates to have a Masters degree (with an average score of at least 60% or above) from an accredited institution. However, in some situations, we might accept applicants with a good Bachelors degree only. Exceptions might be made for candidates with a highly original/outstanding research proposal.

The PhD Programme is highly competitive with 10% of applications resulting in an offer. To maximise your chances of submitting a successful application, it is recommended you read the following guidelines before applying.

You are advised to apply early as supervisors can accept students on a first come first served basis throughout the year.

The programme has two entry dates:

• September intake – with an application deadline of 30th June
• January intake – with an application deadline of 31st October

Application

Application should be made using the University's online application system "EUCLID". In addition to completing the online application form you will be required to upload supporting documentation. Please upload all required documents at the time of application. Failure to upload supporting documents may result in your application being withdrawn. Please contact the PGR Administrator (contact details below) if you are having difficulty uploading documents.

To apply for a place to undertake an MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD, the following are required:

• Degree certificates and translations, if not in English
• Degree transcripts and translations, if not in English (a provisional transcript is sufficient for any current studies)
• A research proposal or plan of approximately 1,000 words
• Reports from two referees. Alternatively, the system can send emails directly to your referees on submission requesting reports
• Applicants whose first language is not English must supply evidence of their competence in English

Research proposal or plan

A research proposal or plan helps to assess both your suitability for a research degree and whether we can offer you supervision. The proposal should:

• Have a title
• Explain the particular topic or question which you wish to study
• Briefly summarise existing research on the topic, making reference to publications as appropriate
• Give a clear outline of the research you intend to do
• Be approximately 1,000 words in length

If accepted you are not committed to exactly following this proposed research. Applications received without a research proposal will not be considered. A Personal Statement does not meet this requirement.

If you would like help with writing your research proposal please review the additional resources at the top right hand side of this page.

Do take the time to review this information as applicants can be unsuccessful due to the submission of a weak proposal. If you have any questions regarding your proposal please get in touch with the PGR Administrator for further advice.

References

The names of two referees will be required when completing the online application form. Please ensure that you have contacted your referees prior to submitting your application to obtain their agreement to act as a referee for this application.

If references are uploaded by you they should be on letter headed paper as well as signed and dated by the referee. Referees should also provide contact details including an email address belonging to an institution or organisation. You should provide at least one academic reference in support of your application, ideally from your most recent studies commenting on your suitability for the PhD programme. Please ensure the references are no older than one year prior to the proposed start date. Further details on supplying references can be found on the University website.

During the application process you can select for the system to send an automated email request to your chosen referees with guidelines for uploading statements to the system. Once this automated email is sent we are unable to contact referees on your behalf and would ask that you access your EUCLID intray to ensure the reports have been uploaded. You will be expected to issue any reminders to your chosen referees should the need arise. Please refrain from uploading referees' contact details as documents as the system will not recognise that references have yet to be uploaded and you will not receive the reminders in your intray.

If you have any queries of concerns regarding references please contact the PGR Administrator.

Language requirements

Please visit Eligibility for further details on our language requirements.

Applying online

All applications are via the University online system, so by clicking the link below you will be redirected to the relevant application page within the University website where you can begin the process.

Regardless of your subject area all applications are to the PhD Management programme.

You do not need to complete the application form in one session - you may save your application and complete it later by clicking on the "Save and return later" button on the application form. You will then be sent a secure link by email to allow you to continue your application at a later time.

On completion of the application process you will receive account details with your unique UUN (Universal Username). This UUN should be included in any further correspondence to enable us to find your application.

The application process can take between 4-6 weeks and any correspondence will typically be made through EUCLID so please ensure you regularly check your account once your application has been submitted.

Further information

For further information and advice on applying please contact the PGR Administrator at:

Email:
phd@business-school.ed.ac.uk

Telephone:
+44 (0)131 651 5337

Address:
Research & PhD Support Team
University of Edinburgh
Business School
29 Buccleuch Place
Edinburgh
EH8 9JS
UK