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How to Apply
As well as applications for a specific funded project Abertay welcomes enquiries and applications from prospective research students for Research Degrees in a range of subject or interdisciplinary areas and on topics across different Divisions.
How to find a potential supervisor
You can search for potential supervisors by browsing the staff profiles listed under Our Research, by using our Research Explorer function, or by searching for keywords or publications using Abertay's open access repository. This will ensure that we have appropriate expertise within Abertay and you will gain an understanding of the prior work of the researcher. You should consider contacting the potential supervisor to discuss your ideas and the possibility of undertaking a research degree under their supervision; discussion will also help you to tailor your application to Abertay expertise specifically. Ask for their feedback and be prepared to take their comments into consideration for future revisions of your research proposal. You can also contact the Graduate School if you would like advice on potential supervisory expertise.
One bit of advice - you should avoid vague blanket emails to several potential supervisors as these are obvious and will probably be ignored.
Abertay offers Doctorates (PhD or DBA) or Research Masters Degrees (MPhil or MbR*) in a range of subject areas.
*Masters by Research (MbR) graduates will be awarded a Masters degree with one of the following titles depending on the subject area of research:
An expected period of study in months for each award is:
| Award | Minimum (months) | Expected (months) | Maximum (months) |
| PhD full-time | 24 | 36 | 48 |
| MPhil full-time | 12 | 24 | 36 |
| MbR full-time | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| PhD part-time | 48 | 72 | 96 |
| MPhil part-time | 24 | 48 | 72 |
| MbR part-time | 20 | 24 | 28 |
Abertay offers three dates for research study – October, February and June of each year. Unless otherwise stated, deadlines for submitting a full application are:
An applicant can apply to defer from one entry point to another on one occasion; however, subsequent requests must be supported by an additional full application.
This is your opportunity to state your research objectives, to grab the reader’s attention and highlight your suitability for research degree study. The proposal should be around 6-8 pages in length (including references) and the sections headings in this guidance document are indicative only.
You are advised to use a structured approach for your project proposal:
Some good practice tips:
The minimum entry requirement is an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or equivalent) at undergraduate level in an appropriate discipline and/or a Master’s degree. Degree studies must include an independent research component evidenced in the degree transcript, such as dissertation, project or thesis.
We 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:
For candidates whose first language is not English or your undergraduate/Master’s degree was not awarded from a University from a UKVI designated English Speaking country, you are required to show evidence of one of the following qualifications:
IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 95 with at least 21 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL “My Best Score” to meet our English language requirements.
CAE and CPE: total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
Trinity ISE: ISE III with merit in all four components.
PTE Academic: 67 overall with at least 61 in each component.
NECO English at B (4)
WAEC English at B (4)
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, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
To identify whether or not you need to apply for a student visa, please see here or visit the UKVI website.
Abertay offers three entry dates for research study – October, February and June of each year. Unless otherwise stated, deadlines for submitting a full application are:
An applicant can apply to defer from one entry point to another on one occasion; however, subsequent requests must be supported by an additional full application.
Once you have developed a research proposal, you can apply online using the below links.
You can find more information on applying for a visa and collecting your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) on our visa page. To identify whether you need to apply for a visa, please visit this page on the UKBA website.
In most cases, you'll be expected to source your own funding to cover tuition fees and living expenses. If you're an international applicant, you may wish to contact your local British Council Office who may have a list of scholarships available in your country. Find out more about funding opportunities and Scholarships for research.
For more information about how to apply, please call University Admissions on +44 (0)1382 308476 or email admissions@abertay.ac.uk. For any other questions about Research Degrees, please contact the GraduateSchool@abertay.ac.uk.
