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Applications and Entry Requirements

Prior to making a formal application, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact, and gain the support of a prospective supervisor whose research is aligned with the applicant's own interests.

Such prospective supervisors are likely to be able to provide up-to-date information on the availability of funding/scholarships to support your postgraduate degree.

  • You can find our list of current studentships and details of bursary and scholarships available in our Studentships section
  • After contacting a potential supervisor you can apply on the University of Edinburgh website

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have a good honours degree (1 st class or upper 2 nd class) or its equivalent if outside the UK, in Chemistry or a closely related discipline.

Our International Applicants pages have details of which qualifications are acceptable for international students.

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of good written and spoken English skills. Accepted qualifications are available at the International Applicants language requirements page .

Graduate Degrees

Students may undertake full-time supervised research leading to the following degrees:

  • Doctor of Philosophy ( Ph.D. )
  • Master of Science by Research ( MSc by Research )

It is also possible to register for research degrees as an external student on a part time basis. This arrangement allows the student to carry out some of their research work in their employer's laboratories.

Please do not hesitate to contact us using the information to the right if you have any questions, or would like more information.

You can also contact us using the details below if you prefer:

The Secretary of the Graduate School University of Edinburgh Joseph Black Building David Brewster Road Edinburgh EH9 3FJ

This article was published on 2023-10-13

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School of Mathematics

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PhD opportunities and graduate testimonials

  • Operational Research Consultancy
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  • School of Mathematics
  • Data and Decisions
  • Optimization and Operational Research

The Optimization and Operational Research PhD programme and areas with opportunity for research

The School offers a PhD Programme in Optimization and Operational Research. From the start of their studies, PhD students are assigned a main supervisor with whom they work closely throughout their degree programme and a second supervisor who provides additional help and pastoral support.  See poster

Why Study  Optimization and Operational Research  in Edinburgh

Funding opportunities, eligibility requirements, application process and further information, research opportunities, computational optimization and applications.

The Optimization and OR group in the School of Mathematics possesses world leading expertise in the solution of very large scale continuous and mixed-integer linear, and continuous quadratic optimization problems. The group has been awarded several EPSRC-funded research projects devoted to developing core optimization methods that led to the development of world class solvers for linear programming using the interior point method. At the UK level, the group has unmatched competences in developing theory and software for solving huge scale problems.  Amongst open source systems, the performance of the group's mixed-integer linear opimization software system, HiGHS, is the best in the world.

People:  Miguel Anjos, Skarleth Carrales Escobedo, Sergio Garcia Quiles, Jacek Gondzio, Andreas Grothey, Akshay Gupte, Julian Hall, Joerg Kalcsics, Ken McKinnon, John Pearson, Lars Schewe, E. Alper Yıldırım

Continuous Optimization 

The Optimization and OR group in the School of Mathematics has extensive expertise and experience in modelling optimization problems arising from various applications, developing and implementing problem-specific algorithms, and utilising decomposition methods, interiorpoint methods, advanced numerical linear algebra tools such as preconditioners, and highperformance computing approaches for solving challenging and large-scale optimization problems. In addition, the group is actively involved in general-purpose optimization software development. The research expertise in the group encompasses several facets of continuous optimization, including linear, quadratic, nonlinear, convex, nonconvex, global, PDE-constrained, and stochastic optimization. The research experience includes the development and application of OR methodology for solving optimization problems arising from diverse applications such as data science, energy systems, truss topology design, finance, and wireless networks. In addition, the group members have secured extensive external funding from funding agencies and has strong industrial collaborations.

People:  Miguel Anjos, Skarleth Carrales Escobedo, Jacek Gondzio, Andreas Grothey, Julian Hall, Ken McKinnon, John Pearson, E. Alper Yıldırım

Decision Making under Uncertainty

The Optimization and OR group of the School of Mathematics has extensive experience in modelling, analyzing and optimizing real-world problems involving uncertainty. Our group is also one of the leading research groups in the world developing methods to solve the resulting huge scale stochastic optimization problems efficiently, and our members has been funded for various projects by EPSRC and other external organizations to develop fast solution methods for these problems. The research interests of our members also include Gaussian process emulation and Bayesian decision analysis. Our members have actively collaborated with organizations from a wide-variety of sectors, including but not limited to government, service, energy, aviation and telecommunication. The group has strong ties with leading research groups at Heriot-Watt University and London Business School.

People:  Merve Bodur, Burak Buke, Chris Dent, Jacek Gondzio, Andreas Grothey, Akshay Gupte, Ken McKinnon, Lars Schewe

Future Energy Networks

The Optimization and OR group of the School of Mathematics can provide both domain expertise in the modelling and optimization of energy networks, particularly electric and gas networks, as well as the methodological expertise to solve the resulting optimization models in practical applications. The group collaborates with energy researchers across the university via the Energy@Edinburgh initiative. At UK national level members of the group are part of the EPSRC-funded National Centre for Energy Systems Integration. Additionally, our members have led or been involved in numerous other externally funded projects involving the development and application of OR techniques to energy problems. The members of the group have a wide range of experience in modelling different systems’ energy markets, and in optimizing energy networks of different sizes from small-scale local smart grids to national and continental networks. There is also specialist expertise in calibration of large-scale computer models, and in probabilistic security of supply risk modelling.

People:  Miguel Anjos, Chris Dent, Andreas Grothey, Ken McKinnon, Lars Schewe

Integer and Combinatorial Optimization

The Optimization and OR group in the School of Mathematics has broad expertise in the modelling and solving of integer and combinatorial optimization problems. Members of the group have had public and private funding, including EPSRC, to work on logistics problems, aircraft cockpit design problems, energy problems, and portfolio optimization problems. Members of the group have worked on both the theory and application of integer and combinatorial optimization: On the theoretical side, the group has experience in cutting plane methods, convexification techniques, and the construction of efficient algorithms both to obtain exact and heuristic solutions. Here, the group has focussed both on mixed-integer linear but also on mixed-integer nonlinear programs. As for applications, the portfolio of the group includes energy, logistics (facility location, network design, supply chain, districting), and healthcare applications (junior doctor allocation, kidney exchange).

People:  Miguel Anjos, Merve Bodur, Sergio Garcia Quiles, Andreas Grothey, Akshay Gupte, Joerg Kalcsics, Lars Schewe

Recent projects

Recently completed PhD projects include

  • Solution Methods for Some Variants of the Vehicle Routing Problem

Optimal Coordination of Multiple Price-Maker Electricity Storage Units for Price Arbitrage

Optimizing Heating and Cooling of Smart Buildings

Regularized Interior-Point Methods for Convex Programming

Pre-trained Solution Methods for Unit Commitment

Multi-Period Sales Districting Problem

Efficient Algorithms for Solving p-Median Problems with Radius Constraints and Its Application to Clustering with Feature Selection

Graduate testimonials

Image of Ivona, a SoM OOR PhD graduate

I joined the University of Edinburgh as an MSc student in Operational Research, and the following year I started my PhD research working on routing problems. The School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh has given me an opportunity to be part of an excellent community, build a wide network of brilliant friends and colleagues, and gain research and teaching experience that has been invaluable for my career.

Supervisor: Sergio Garcia Quiles

Current Position: Operational Research and Optimization Analyst, Edinburgh Airport

Image of Nestor, a SoM OOR PhD graduate

The University of Edinburgh is a great place to do research. During my PhD I had the chance to work not only with people from the University but with researchers at other institutions, both in academia and in industry. Attending summer schools and conferences was an integral part of the programme, and a great way to find out about new or interesting ideas closely related to my research topic. I really enjoyed the social environment too. There are always plenty of events and activities going on inside the University, and a great deal of university clubs. The city is quite lively too and offers great landscapes for outdoor activities.

Supervisor:  Chris Dent

Current Position:  Data Scientist, Lynceus.ai

Image of Spyros, a SoM OOR PhD graduate

  I studied my PhD in Optimization at the School of Mathematics of the University of Edinburgh, under the supervision of Prof. Jacek Gondzio and the co-supervision of Prof. John Pearson.  I worked on solution methods for convex optimization problems with applications in operational research and data science. During my studies, I had the opportunity to collaborate with experts in the field of optimization both within and outside the UoE, which resulted in several successful publications in top peer-reviewed journals in the field. At the same time, I was able to travel around the world, attending major and local conferences, and expanding my research network. Studying Optimization at the School of Mathematics of the University of Edinburgh has been an invaluable experience and played a significant role in my subsequent career development. After defending my thesis, I received an offer to pursue postdoctoral studies in stochastic optimization at the electrical engineering department of Yale University. Upon the completion of my postdoctoral studies, I was offered a lectureship position in mathematics at the University of Dundee.

Supervisor:   Jacek Gondzio

Current Position:  Lecturer in Mathematics, University of Dundee

Image of Ivet, a SoM OOR PhD graduate

I first joined University of Edinburgh for a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics. I liked the School of Mathematics and the city of Edinburgh so much, that I completed the MSc in Operational Research with Computational Optimization and, later, a PhD in Optimization in the School of Mathematics. My time as a PhD student resulted in the creation of HiGHS, the world's best open-source software for solving large-scale linear and mixed integer programming problems. As a result, I'm happily employed in the School as the HiGHS Development and Integration manager.

Supervisor:   Julian Hall

Current Position:  HiGHS Development and Integration Manager , University of Edinburgh

Image of Nagisa, a SoM OOR PhD graduate

The University of Edinburgh was an ideal place to study as a PhD student. The school has one of the largest research groups in the field, and as a member of the group, you would have opportunities to interact with a number of leading researchers on a daily basis. Outside of the research, you would find an amazing environment: an international, vibrant city and a supportive, welcoming community. I highly recommend the PhD program at the University of Edinburgh.

Supervisor:   Andreas Grothey

Current Position:  Postdoctoral Researcher, CIRRELT, University of Montreal

Image of Albert, a SoM OOR PhD graduate

Doing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh has been a thrilling and very rewarding experience. During the first year, thanks to being part of a Centre for Doctoral Training, I was given the opportunity to explore new interests in mathematics. This led to changing my original plans, which resulted in doing a PhD in Optimization and Operations Research, with applications to power systems and the energy transition. This is an area I continue to find exciting nowadays, and where I do most of my research work. During my time as a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, I participated in many local seminars, conferences, and courses. Being able to engage with many excellent researchers, close enough to my topics of interest, significantly enhanced my learning and improved the quality of my research. In such quality, variety, and quantity, these opportunities are not present at many universities. I would like to make a special mention to my PhD supervisors, with whom I enjoyed working with, from whom I learned a lot, and were always supportive. Finally, many other PhD students in the School were also crucial for successfully completing my PhD, since I enjoyed collaborating and doing research activities with them, learning together, and having fun with and without research

Supervisor:   Miguel F. Anjos

Current Position:  Postdoctoral Researcher, Polytechnic University of Catalonia

School of Social and Political Science

Application process.

Applications are now open for September 2024 entry. The deadline to apply for most of our on-campus postgraduate (taught and research) programmes is 1 July 2024. There are some exceptions, so please check each programme page carefully. The deadline for our Online Learning programmes is 15 July 2024. 

Applications for our programmes are made via the University's online system.

To find out more about the postgraduate programmes of study available in the School of Social and Political Science, see our programmes page.  The apply button at the top of each programme page which will take you to the University's degree finder page for your preferred programme.

Postgraduate taught programmes

After you've applied you will be able to track the progress of your application then accept or decline any offers through the Applicant Hub.

Access the Applicant Hub (Log-in required)

Please note: It is important to log in regularly to the  Applicant Hub to ensure that important messages regarding your application’s progress and supporting document requests are not missed.

All minimum entry requirements are listed in the Degree Finder  against each programme.

Additional information on requirements such as references and research proposals for our postgraduate programmes are listed below:

MSc/PGCert (Taught Masters/Postgraduate Certificate)

No references required apart from the  MSc International Relations of the Middle East with Arabic & Advanced Arabic programmes.

MSc by Research (Masters by Research)

Applicants will also need to provide a research proposal, and one academic reference at the point of application.

PhD (Doctoral research)

Applicants will also need to provide a research proposal, and two academic references at the point of application.

Please note: We do not accept hard copies or emailed supporting documents unless specifically requested. All supporting documents should be uploaded directly to your Applicant Hub .

An application is not 'complete' until all supporting documents are present.  The following documents must be uploaded:

All applications:

  • Degree certificate(s) – for all previous degrees. Please note that this can be provided after assessment in most cases.
  • Final/interim transcript(s) – for all previous and current degrees. Interim transcripts with current cumulative averages are acceptable for those still studying, though the final average is required if the degree has been completed.
  • Grading scale(s) – for each university transcript is submitted.

Where work experience is taken into consideration, an up–to–date CV and work reference is required.

Evidence of English may also be required. Please see English language requirements

Research programmes (additional documents):

  • Research proposal – Proposals should be no more than two to three A4 pages for MScR and three to four A4 pages for PhD applications in 12pt Times New Roman font (this does not include references). See the University's Research Proposal information page for help with this.
  • Academic references – Referee email address must be institutional (i.e not a public email account). Uploaded references must be dated within one year of submission, on institutional letterhead, signed in pen (not a signature image) and in a non–editable format. Further information about what should be included in a reference can be found on the references page.

Your application - references

Please note: Personal statements not entered in the appropriate section of the application may not be considered.

Important: If your original documents, which must be submitted, are not in English you must also submit certified, official translations .

If you are having problems uploading your documents please see Document Upload Issues , noting that there is a 2MB limit on uploads. If there is still a problem, please contact the EUCLID support team ( [email protected] ).

It is your responsibility to ensure all the required documents are uploaded. Please check your EUCLID portal regularly to determine if there is further action you must take to make your application complete.

After you submit your application, it joins a queue to be screened by the Admissions Team who check your documentation.  If they have any questions or require any additional document, They will contact you directly (via the Applicant Hub ).  Once screening is complete, a decision will then be made. You will be informed of all decisions via the Applicant Hub.

If you are concerned about meeting funding deadlines, please contact us at [email protected] as soon as possible, and we will do our best to speed up the process for you.

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PhD in Financial Technology

Building on our established PhD in Management programme, we have developed an innovative new doctoral programme in the field of Financial Technology.

PhD in Financial Technology allows students to pursue their own research topic in the area of Financial Technology or apply for specific industry projects, where students will be able to address complex industrial challenges to gain real-world experience.

This programme aims to prepare students for a diverse array of careers in finance. Approximately 50% of students who pursue the industry pathway, can expect to build on the networking opportunities available to them from studying at the international partners' premises during their study and move into a permanent career in that company, or the industry after graduation.

PhD in Financial Technology at a glance

  • Study over three years full-time or six years part-time, with an additional 'writing-up' year available to all.
  • Develop advanced techniques and in-depth knowledge in the field of Financial Technology.
  • Study an independent research topic or participate in fully funded opportunities working with leading industry partners.
  • For those on the industry pathway, study both at the University of Edinburgh campus and at an industrial partner's location, with guidance from academic colleagues and industry specialists at all times.
  • We encourage our students to aim higher, presenting papers at prestigious conferences and submitting articles for publication.
  • Access to a wide range of professional and personal development opportunities during your studies.
  • While we invite students from around the globe to join our community, we don't offer this programme online or by distance learning.

Entry requirements

Find out our academic, English language, and application requirements for the PhD in Financial Technology.

Programme overview

View the learning outcomes and a typical training course schedule for a first-year student.

Fees and living expenses

When budgeting please consider associated administration fees and expenses as well as our funding support.

Ready to apply?

Review our application checklist and make your application to the PhD in Financial Technology.

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The University of Edinburgh home

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Postgraduate study

Linguistics and English Language PhD

Awards: PhD

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Linguistics and English Language

The transformative supervision meetings, labs, professional training and departmental research seminars are all conducive to a thriving linguistics training. I am exposed to cutting-edge training and research. This inspiring environment allows me to conduct world-leading research in bilingualism. Katerina Pantoula Current PhD student in Linguistics & English Language

Discovery Day

Join us online on 18th April to learn more about postgraduate study at Edinburgh

View sessions and register

Research profile

We have an outstanding international reputation in many areas of Linguistics and English Language research.

Linguistics & English Language is rated 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

We can offer expert supervision across a wide range of topics, including:

  • Applied Linguistics
  • Developmental linguistics, including first and second language acquisition
  • Discourse and conversation analysis
  • Historical English linguistics, including the syntax, morphology, and phonology from the earliest periods to the present day
  • Language evolution
  • Linguistic fieldwork
  • Morphology, including word formation
  • Multilingualism
  • Phonetics and phonology, including diachronic phonology and the phonology of varieties of English, Scots and their history
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Speech technology
  • Syntax and semantics, including theoretical syntax, descriptive syntax of English, diachronic syntax and both lexical and formal semantics
  • Varieties of English, both British and international

Research groups

Our expertise clusters in a number of research groups and research centres:

  • Developmental Linguistics
  • English Language
  • Language Evolution & Computation (LEC)
  • Language in Context
  • Language Variation and Change (LVC)
  • Meaning and Grammar
  • Phonetics and Phonology
  • Centre for Language Evolution
  • Bilingualism Matters

Research in speech technology is carried out at the Centre for Speech Technology Research, a collaboration between the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences and Informatics:

  • Centre for Speech Technology Research

Training and support

You will receive supervision by at least two members of academic staff, who will meet regularly with you to discuss your progress and wider issues in your field of study.

This may include:

  • discussion of relevant literature (for example, journal articles and book chapters)
  • Firming up of research proposal
  • Preparation for fieldwork and data collection
  • discussion of draft chapters of your thesis
  • preparation for conference presentations

Research students are assigned to research groups, each of which hosts regular research activities.

The department also has a visiting speaker series (the Linguistic Circle), and you are encouraged to participate in the School’s Language at Edinburgh research network.

The unrivalled holdings of the University and National Libraries and the National Archives of Scotland make study of this subject at Edinburgh especially attractive.

Our students become part of one of the biggest communities of linguists in the United Kingdom.

We have state-of-the art technical and laboratory facilities:

  • School resources
  • Find out more about our community

The School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences is home to a large, supportive and active student community, hosting events and activities throughout the year which you can join. As a postgraduate student, you will have access to a range of research resources, state-of-the-art facilities research seminars and reading groups.

Career opportunities

While many of our PhD graduates choose to remain in academia as lecturers and researchers, going onto post-doctoral opportunities or progressing into faculty positions, some pursue employment and careers in other sectors.

Important application information

Find a research opportunity that matches your interests.

  • View our main research areas

Write a research proposal

Your research proposal will be used to consider whether the proposed research is feasible and can be supervised by our staff members, so it is important that your theoretical and methodological preparation for it are clear.

We understand that it can be difficult to formulate research plans well in advance of carrying out the work, but we encourage you to articulate your ideas as clearly as possible. You should draft your proposal several times and, ideally, seek comments on it from other people (perhaps from your referees or former lecturers) before submitting it.

It is recommended that you contact your planned supervisor(s) well in advance of the deadline to identify a suitable topic for your research proposal.

You should then draft the research proposal independently and then discuss it with your planned supervisor(s), revising it based on their comments and suggestions.

Each PhD thesis contains several theoretical and empirical chapters. Your proposal should focus on the empirical work, laying out plans for at least two empirical studies (further plans can be worked out as you progress). Ideally, each of the studies should be a publishable journal article; students are strongly encouraged to publish their work in collaboration with their supervisors.

Your proposal must not exceed 1000 words; the panel may not read the part of your proposal exceeding the limit. This does not include references.

Your proposal should include:

  • A title for the project
  • A brief background for the planned research question(s)
  • A compelling, brief rationale for the studies, including the specific research questions/hypotheses
  • A description of the methodology for addressing these questions/hypotheses, which generally includes:
  • Sufficiently large sample(s) of participants (allowing for appropriate statistical power) and measurement/experimental procedures
  • If using existing data (e.g., data from large cohort studies or biobanks, imaging data sets, etc.), describe the data sets
  • Your data analytical approach (e.g., suitable statistical models)
  • If using qualitative data such as interviews, describe your methods and analytical approach
  • Note that the methodology should be realistic, within the resources and time-scales available to you and your supervisor(s), and also allowing for necessary time for writing the thesis
  • An indication of how your proposed work fits with and contributes to the research programme of your planned supervisor(s).

A PhD thesis typically means teamwork, involving the student and one or two supervisors, and often also other members of the research group(s) of the supervisor(s); a student receives training and help form the team, but can also contribute to the team with their research. Applicants who can show a good fit with a supervising team have an advantage.

We may ask for a brief (Zoom or MS Teams) interview with you if we have further questions.

If your application is successful, we expect that your research will develop. It is likely that your supervisor(s) or those reviewing the work will suggest changes or developments to your research as your studies progress.

Therefore, you will not be held to the ideas that you explain in your proposal during the course of your research.

  • How to write a good PG research proposal

Contact potential supervisors prior to making an application

We strongly encourage you to get in touch with a potential supervisor, and to include their name in your application.

When contacting a potential supervisor, please include a draft proposal and CV as this will provide the starting point for discussion. You can introduce yourself by explaining why their work interests you.

Please note that our academic staff are very busy and it may take time for them to respond to your enquiry.

  • View our staff profiles and contact details

Get ready to apply

In order to ensure full consideration of your application, we ask that you submit your complete application including all supporting documentation.

You will be asked to add contact details for your referees. We will email them with information on how to upload their reference directly to your online application. Please allow plenty of time as we can only consider your application once we have received your full application, including your references.

  • Find out more about the application process

Consider your funding options

There are a number of funding opportunities both within the University and externally. Funding is highly competitive at PhD level.

  • More information on funding

Pre-application Checklist

To receive a pre-arrival checklist to help you with your application, please email the PPLS Postgraduate Office at

Please complete this checklist to keep track of your application preparations. Please submit the completed checklist as an additional document to your application.

Language Sciences at Edinburgh

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in English language, linguistics, or a related subject.

Your academic achievements will be assessed by a panel of academics along with the research proposal submitted as part of your application.

(Revised 19 February 2024 to clarify entry requirements and assessment methods.)

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

  • Entry requirements by country
  • English language requirements

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

English language tests

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

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English 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 (non-MESC).

  • Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

  • Fees and costs

Read our general information on tuition fees and studying costs:

Scholarships and funding

Only applications received by the Round 1 deadline will be considered for University of Edinburgh based funding.

You may be able to secure external funding outside of this deadline.

Featured funding

  • Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities Funding
  • Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Funding
  • [College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Awards] ( https://www.ed.ac.uk/ppls/linguistics-and-english-language/prospective/postgraduate/funding-research-students/arts-humanities-soc-sci-research-awards )
  • [Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships] ( https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/postgraduate/international/other-funding/doctoral-college )

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

  • UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Search for funding

Further information

  • PPLS Postgraduate Office
  • Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5002
  • Contact: [email protected]
  • Dugald Stewart Building
  • 3 Charles Street
  • Central Campus
  • Programme: Linguistics and English Language
  • School: Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences
  • College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Application deadlines

Only applications received by the Round 1 deadline will be considered for University of Edinburgh based funding. You may be able to secure external funding outside of this deadline.

We operate a gathered field approach to PhD applications.

This means that all complete applications which satisfy our minimum entry requirements will be held until the nearest deadline. The admissions panel will meet to consider all applications received together after that date.

Applications are held for processing over two deadlines:

  • How to apply

Please read through the ‘Important application information’ section on this page before applying.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

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  1. PhDs

    PhDs. Depending on the field of study you are interested in, you may be able to apply for a pre-defined PhD project, or you may need to develop your own research idea. Research in the fields of medicine, science and engineering tend to require you to: compete for a place on a partially or fully funded programme (often with competitive ...

  2. Study for a PhD

    A PhD degree from Edinburgh is your chance to connect with internationally renowned researchers and innovators, with a unique opportunity to experience one of Europe's leading universities in one of the world's most iconic cities. ... Apply here using the University's online application system. Additional Information. Additional information for ...

  3. Apply to the PhD in Finance

    Find a supervisor. 3. Write a research proposal. Your research proposal is an essential part of your application that will be used to assess your suitability for the PhD programme. See proposal guide. 4. Submit your application. Applications are only accepted via our online application portal. Before your application can be completed, you will ...

  4. Applications and Entry Requirements

    Prior to making a formal application, ... The Secretary of the Graduate School University of Edinburgh Joseph Black Building David Brewster Road Edinburgh EH9 3FJ. ... MyEd login . The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, ...

  5. Applying

    The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is acknowledged by the UK authorities as a "Recognised body" which has been granted degree awarding powers.

  6. Education PhD Program By The University of Edinburgh |Top Universities

    On Campus. The University of Edinburgh was ranked first in Scotland for research power in Education and Sport (Times Higher Education, REF 2021) and we offer the largest concentration of researchers in education in a Scottish university. This means you will be supported by and collaborate with leaders in the field.

  7. PhD

    On this PhD programme you will carry out independent research, resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen area. ... Your application must clearly state the potential supervisor you have contacted. ... The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT ...

  8. How to apply

    Starting your online application. Once you've found your programme in the degree finder, look for the "Apply" button in the "Applying" section. Choose the option with your preferred award, study mode and start date, then choose "Apply" to begin your application.

  9. PhD with Integrated Study in Finance

    PhD with Integrated Study in Finance at a glance. Study over four years full time, with an additional 'writing-up' year available to all. During your first year, undertake 180 credits of taught courses designed to train you in the theory and methods necessary to conduct high-quality research. Access numerous database subscriptions to support ...

  10. PhD opportunities and graduate testimonials

    I highly recommend the PhD program at the University of Edinburgh. ... Doing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh has been a thrilling and very rewarding experience. During the first year, thanks to being part of a Centre for Doctoral Training, I was given the opportunity to explore new interests in mathematics. This led to changing my original ...

  11. Application process

    Application process. Applications are now open for September 2024 entry. The deadline to apply for most of our on-campus postgraduate (taught and research) programmes is 1 July 2024. There are some exceptions, so please check each programme page carefully. The deadline for our Online Learning programmes is 15 July 2024.

  12. Education PhD

    The PhD is a substantial piece of independent research which makes a contribution to the state of existing knowledge in the field. The PhD programme is designed to take three years full-time or six years part-time. The programme is examined by submission of a thesis of up to 100,000 words and by oral examination. Application

  13. PhD Opportunities in Chemical Engineering

    PhD Research Project opportunities in Chemical Engineering. PhD Title. Research Institute. Research Themes. Principal Investigator. Designing Structured Surfaces with Superwettability Properties. Multiscale Thermofluids. Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids Themes. Prof Halim Kusumaatmaja.

  14. Design PhD Program By The University of Edinburgh |Top Universities

    Learn more about Design PhD Program including the program highlights, fees, scholarships, events and further course information. ... The University of Edinburgh is ranked in the UK's top 10 universities for the employability of our graduates* and our graduates are ranked 25th in the world by employers.** (*Times Higher Education, Global ...

  15. Has anyone received any offers from University of Edinburgh ...

    I applied for the "PhD Informatics: IPAB: Robotics, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and Animation - 3 Years" program at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh on October 27, 2023 for the September intake batch. However, I have still not received any decision regarding my application.

  16. Postgraduate study

    Applying to study at Edinburgh. Checking your application status. How to apply. After you apply. Entry requirements. ... The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is ...

  17. PhD in Financial Technology

    PhD in Financial Technology at a glance. Study over three years full-time or six years part-time, with an additional 'writing-up' year available to all. Develop advanced techniques and in-depth knowledge in the field of Financial Technology. Study an independent research topic or participate in fully funded opportunities working with leading ...

  18. Linguistics and English Language PhD

    Study PhD in Linguistics & English Language at the University of Edinburgh. Our postgraduate degree programme offers supervision in areas including sociolinguistics, language evolution, morphology, Scots, discourse analysis, syntax, and phonetics. Find out more here.