If successful in gaining a place on the PhD programme the University will appoint a supervisory team for your project. However, if there is a member of staff who you would particularly like to work with you can note this in your proposal form. If you wish, you may also contact a potential supervisor directly – see Research Staff Profiles.

UCA operates a two-stage admissions system -

Stage 1 Assessment:  In the first instance assessment of applications in undertaken by the Head of School (or representative) and at least two supervisors with appropriate expertise. This assessment is based on a Research Proposal Form, supporting bibliography and the applicant’s CV. The assessment takes account of the strength of the proposal, the experience of the applicant and the availability of supervision, resources and equipment to support the project. A Stage 1 assessment form is completed by the School panel, which includes feedback on the proposal, and recommendations to reject, resubmit or interview. If the recommendation is to interview the applicant the panel will usually include the prospective supervisor/s.

Stage 2 Formal Interview: The interview assessment takes account of the candidates relevant qualification; motivation for undertaking PhD; past experience of research; clarity of the research aims and objectives; feasibility of study; level of articulation and presentation at interview; awareness of what other people have done/ are doing within the area of investigation; the strength of the candidate’s own practice and the references. (Applicants are required to submit copies of their qualification documents and their referee details prior to interview). Recommendations to offer a place are considered and approved by the Head of School, and formal offer of a place is made only when a supervisory team has been agreed by the Head of School/s.

It is understood that your research proposal at admissions stage will be a rough draft of your ideas for the research project. However it should be well enough constructed in order for the assessment panel to judge your application (students successful in gaining a place will have one year to refine their research proposal and are required to make an application for Registration before the end of the first year. Students who fail to gain Registration approval will not progress on the programme). The draft research proposal for admissions assessment should include the following elements -

Title of project
This should be a clear description of your proposed research project.

Background and context of project
This section should explain the background and context of the proposed research work with an indication of the main contribution to knowledge which you wish to make. Indicate why this area is an important area for research.

Aims and objectives
This section should spell out three or four aims/objectives for your research to show what you want to achieve.

Literature review
This section is a review of the literature which should outline the most important research that has already been carried out in your research area.

Research methodology
This section is a broad outline of the methodology you plan to use including:

• the broad approach — qualitative, quantitative etc
• how data/information will be generated and gathered and how you expect to deal with and analyse that data
• indication of any broad theoretical framework you may be using
• ethical considerations where the research involves interaction with humans or animals and where applicable, how consent would be obtained.

Fees

UK applicants
The fee for year 1, 2020 entry is £5,400 for full-time students and £2,700 for part-time students.

EU applicants
The fee for year 1, 2020 entry is £5,400 for full-time students and £2,700 for part-time students.

Current EU students and those starting in the 2019-20 academic year will not be affected by the result of the EU Referendum, and will still have access to student loans. Even if their course finishes after the UK’s exit from the EU (‘Brexit’), EU students enrolling at UCA in 2019 will continue to remain eligible for undergraduate, master’s postgraduate and advanced learner financial support.

International applicants
The fee for year 1, 2020 entry is £16,250 for full-time students, if you pay your fees in full before you enrol we offer a discounted fee of £15,600.

All fees are currently correct, but may change as a result of changes in government policy on tuition fees, entitlement to fee reductions and tax or benefit rules. Please check for the latest information before you enrol.

More details about fees, paying your fees and fees for previous years please see the fees & finance pages.

How to fund your PhD?

Charity Awards (Home and Overseas)
The Alternative Guide to Grad Funding is the most popular postgraduate funding resource in the UK. It focuses on a major alternative but underutilised source of postgraduate funding: charities and trusts. UCA subscribes to this resource and you will need your applicant number and the University pin number to access the resource.

Student Loan
If you’re from the EU or the UK, you may be eligible to take out a PhD loan of up to £25,000 from the UK government. Repayments are 6% of your annual income when it reaches £21,000. You would get £8,300 a year on average if your PhD takes three years, less if it takes longer. For the most recent information on this loan see Loans for PhD students of up to £25,000 will be introduced from 2018-19, the government has announced.

UCA fee bursary awards (Home/EU only)
We offer a small number of PhD bursary awards to suitably qualified applicants to carry out research. These are awarded after interview and on a merit basis.There is no separate process for application. You just need to tick the funding section of the research proposal form to indicate that you wish to be considered for an award. The criteria for award is strictly on the quality of the applications received.

*Validated by University of the Arts, London