Entrance to our MSc by Research programme is strongly competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements.

Apply early. Supervisors can accept students on a first-come, first-served basis.

Minimum academic requirements

You will need a minimum of a UK 2:1 undergraduate degree or an equivalent overseas qualification.

Application requirements

You need to consider your research proposal and other supporting documents before submitting an application. Only complete applications showing all necessary documents will be considered.

Your proposed research

Before applying, you need to write a research proposal.

Guidelines on your research proposal

Please note: Your research proposal is liable to be submitted to the Turnitin plagiarism detection system.

Supervisor

We strongly recommend you make contact with a potential supervisor before applying. In your application, you must name your preferred supervisor (or up to 3 in order of preference) and the academic research area you wish to work in.

Choosing a supervisor and research area

Required documents

You will need:

  • Official degree certificates and transcripts
  • Contact details for two academic referees or two academic written references
  • CV
  • Research proposal
  • Evidence of English-language competence (further information below)

Guidelines for required documents

English language requirements

You must demonstrate English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

Your English language qualification must be no more than two years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using CAE and CPE, in which case it can be no more than three and a half years old.

Degrees Taught and Assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

More on English language requirements

English language requirements

Overseas students

If you are an international student, you may need to apply for permission to study in the UK. Student Administration provides information on immigration and visa requirements for students.

Immigration information