All PhD courses currently offered by UCA to international students are full time courses. In person attendance is a requirement and there is no distance learning option available to students.

Full time students are expected to spend 35 hours per week for ten months of the year; researching and working on their PhD program.

Please also use the information on the main Visas and Immigration web pages. Most of this information will be applicable as you have a student visa with the same student conditions set by UKVI.

PhD students have a holiday entitlement of 2 months out of 12 months.

PhD students that require annual leave should agree this in advance with their supervisor. An authorised absence form should also be completed and submitted to the relevant Campus Life team.

PhD students can only work full time during official pre-agreed periods of annual leave of 2 months (8 weeks per year). Students should adhere to the conditions of the student visa and only work a maximum of 20hrs per week for the remaining 10 months of the year. This would be considered term time.

Your employer may ask for evidence that you are on official holiday. You can present a copy of the authorised absence form.

Find out more about working during your studies.

Research abroad should not be conducted unless requested during the first year of study at UCA. This would be when the taught elements of the program are attended and when planning for key milestones in the first year of study would be completed.

Students can request to conduct research abroad and would need the authority of the dissertation supervisor and the relevant Campus Life team, as this period away would be recorded as authorised absence.

If the period of research abroad is to be more than 3 months, the UCA Immigration Compliance & Advice team are required to inform UKVI of a change in study location. UKVI would be informed that the student is no longer in the United Kingdom.

Periods of research for 0 to 12 months can be authorised by the dissertation supervisor.

If the research abroad will be for more than 12 months, UCA would have to withdraw the students visa sponsorship.

If a student originally requested to be outside of the United Kingdom for less than 12 months, but subsequently seeks authority to extend the period of research to more than 12 months away, UCA would be required to withdraw the visa sponsorship.

When the student has completed the relevant research and requests authority to return to the United Kingdom to continue studying at UCA, they would need to request a new CAS. Requests should be forwarded to visaadvice@uca.ac.uk. Requests can be made up to 3 months before the return date and students would be responsible for paying any fees associated with the CAS application and UKVI visa application costs.

Students will not qualify for a refund of the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge from UKVI if they choose to conduct research abroad for any period of time, or if sponsorship is withdrawn after the 12 month research absence.

There may be occasions to request an extension to your research before your final submission. The dissertation supervisor may authorise the university registration to be extended.

If this was to happen UCA could also authorise an extension of the student visa conditions with UKVI. Individual students would be responsible for all associated UKVI costs.

Additionally, if UCA was required to extend registration due to minor amendment submissions after the Viva voce had been evaluated, this could also be authorised by the dissertation supervisor.

The minor amendment submissions for up to 12 months, would not require the student visa sponsorship to be extended as this work can be completed from abroad.

There would be no university charge for this, however the student may not be able to make an application for the Graduate route unless all amendments were completed, submitted and marked by examiners before the expiry date of the visa.

If the students’ amendments further research that may extend beyond 12 months, the university would be able to support this and extend registration and visa sponsorship if required. The university would charge for this function and the student would also incur additional costs for the visa extension.

No unfortunately we don’t. Sponsorship is with UCA only. Studying elsewhere would be a breach of conditions. If you needed to be at another university you would not be able to simply move. You would have to leave the United Kingdom and make a new application from your home country.

Unlike undergraduate or masters students, PhD research students studying at RQF level 8 can have dependants join them whilst they study in the United Kingdom.

The UKVI requirement is that if your postgraduate course started on or after 1 January 2024, it must be a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8), or a research-based higher degree.

Dependants can apply at the same time as the main applicant, or separately.

Children dependants aged between 5 and 16 can attend government/state schools in the UK. You are not required to pay for this education.

Schools may not accept your child if they feel that the time they will be in the United Kingdom would not be long enough. Additionally, schools may also not be able to accept your child if they do not have any places available. Children under 18 are not required to meet an English language requirement.

Additional information relating to student dependants can be found on the main immigration and visa pages.