how to apply for a phd ucl

UCL School of Management

University college london, phd in management.

Start date:  September 2024 Duration: 5 years (1 year MRes + 4 years PhD) Fees:  We offer fully funded scholarships to all admitted students Application deadline: 01 February 2024 (17:00 UK time). A late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time), although we encourage you to apply early as places are limited and applications are subject to close sooner if places are filled. Entry:  Minimum of a first class bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline. International students, please note that UCL’s English language requirement for this programme is a ‘ Level 1 ’ (IELTS and TOEFL are the preferred test, however others on the UCL recognised test list will be accepted if required) - further details regarding this can be found on the  UCL English Language Requirements  page.

PhD students pursue their studies in one of the Operations & Technology, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics, and Organisations & Innovation groups. All four groups offer a unique education and research experience to a small number of highly motivated students, with the intent of preparing them for scholarly careers at the highest level.

PhD studies in Operations and Technology

Across the different research themes , there is a shared interest in management science, operations management and business technologies. Topics of interest include R&D management, innovation and new product development, service systems, supply chain management and healthcare operations. For candidates in this area, a degree in engineering (e.g. industrial, electrical, computer, mechanical etc), economics, mathematics, statistics or operational research is preferred. 

PhD studies in Strategy and Entrepreneurship

S&E faculty research  focuses on understanding what makes firms successful, how they cope with a complex and dynamic environment, and what leads to new business formation and growth. Doctoral training involves close collaboration between the doctoral student and faculty members on shared research interests, coursework at UCL and other institutions, and independent research. Doctoral students also benefit from the S&E group’s collaborative research community, a lively program of research speakers from other institutions, and links with researchers worldwide. Topics of interest include digitization, big data analytics, machine learning, information environment, platform ecosystems, new organisational forms, learning, innovation, competition, interorganisational relationships, corporate strategy, entrepreneurial strategy, entrepreneurship for development, social innovation. 

PhD studies in Marketing and Analytics

Topics of interest in this group include branding, retailing, advertising, pricing, product development, marketing channels, business marketing, marketing strategy and e-commerce. The researchers in this group use diverse quantitative methodologies that include big data analytics, regression analysis, choice models, field experiments and Bayesian econometrics.

PhD studies in Organisations and Innovation

O&I faculty research focuses on understanding individual and team outcomes within organisations. Group members engage with a variety of perspectives and approaches including network research, experiments and ethnographies. There is a shared interest in the topics of creativity, innovation, social networks and diversity. For applicants to the PhD programme, prior training in social science (e.g. social psychology, sociology or economics) is highly relevant. 

PhD studies in Financial Economics

Our MRes and PhD Programme in Financial Economics with UCL’s Department of Economics now has more information about how to apply and what you can expect from the programme on a brand new programme page, please see the specific entry requirements and programme structure here . 

PhD Structure

• The programme typically consists of five years of full-time study, starting with one year of modules registered as MRes. These modules are typically advanced postgraduate modules to provide rigorous methodological training to prepare students for their PhD research. Along with the School’s modules, students typically take some of these from other UCL departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology), the London Business School, Bayes Business School, and Imperial College Business School.
• In addition to methods modules, students also undertake a first-year research project under the tutoring and supervision of a faculty member later in the MRes year (Term 3 + Summer period).
• Progression from MRes to PhD is not automatic . Superior performance in taught modules and independent, original research is required for progression from MRes to PhD.
• Our highly selective and small-sized PhD programme ensures that each student receives personal attention and guidance from our faculty members throughout their doctoral study. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career. 
• We expect our PhD graduates to have as their goal an academic career as a faculty member in a top business school or engineering department of a world-class university
• PhD applications are reviewed once a completed application form has been submitted online . 

Students take a total of 180 credits in the MRes year. This is made up of the MRes Research Project:

• MSIN0135 - MRes Research Project: 8,000-10,000 words . 105 credits.

Students take 75 credits of taught modules, of which the following three are compulsory modules:

• MSIN0131 - Research Presentation and Critical Writing Skills . 15 credits
• MSIN0132 - Seminar in Organisation Theory . 15 credits
• MSIN0240 - Designing Management Research Projects.  15 credits

Finally, students choose elective modules (15 credits each) among those offered by the School of Management, other UCL Departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology), and partner universities in London.

Students can take additional (non-credit) modules at UCL and our partners schools in the remaining years to complement their learning, but there is no requirement to take modules after the MRes year.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and class discussion based on case studies and other activities. Student performance is assessed through simulations, presentations, coursework, group projects, class participation, and examinations. 

Students typically study 3 compulsory modules over Terms 1 and 2. Students will also typically study 2 optional modules which may take place in Terms 1, 2 or 3. Students will also undertake a substantial research project, which would usually be undertaken over Terms 2 and 3. 

Each taught module is delivered over 10 weeks, with 3 contact hours per week comprising lecture content and interactive components. 

In addition, students typically spend approximately 6-8 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars. The total number of weekly hours will vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.

Why choose us

What our students say:.

‘The UCL School of Management PhD programme is designed to provide students with skills that lead to academic excellence. Candidates are part of a dynamic and vibrant group and benefit from the programme’s flexibility, as they can choose from a wide range of disciplines. The frequent cooperation with world-leading faculty members enhances our knowledge and skills and ultimately leads to high-quality research output, laying the foundations for a subsequent successful academic career.’ 

UCL School of Management has forged a reputation for world-leading research in management studies with 95% of the School’s research deemed to be world-leading or internationally excellent, the second highest percentage of any business school in the UK, according to the 2021 REF. 

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Applications

Applying for our mres/phd programme.

Entry requirements and admissions criteria:

We seek to recruit highly motivated, ambitious students with strong educational backgrounds. The ideal candidate will have a first-class Bachelor’s degree from the UK or an overseas qualification of equivalent standard from a leading university. We encourage students from a wide variety of backgrounds (e.g, engineering, economics, business, mathematics/statistics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, among others) to apply to our programme. Also, notice that a Master’s or graduate level degree is not required for admission, you can apply with only an undergraduate (e.g. bachelors) degree. 

In your personal statement you are expected to suggest one or more faculty members as potential supervisors. On the application form you may see that it states that it is preferred that you contact potential supervisors beforehand – you do not need to do so. In fact, applicants are discouraged from randomly contacting individual faculty members or potential supervisors when applying to our programme. All applications are first evaluated by a joint admissions committee, so contacting potential supervisors separately will not increase your chances.

All MRes/PhD applicants are normally expected to take either a GMAT test or GRE test (UCL’s institution code is 3344, but also make sure you include a scanned copy of your test result on your online application), although the School has no minimum score requirements.  

We also require you to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores if English is not your first language. Our School requires a “Level 1” English qualification which corresponds to:

• IELTS: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
• TOEFL: Score of 92, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing subtests and 20/30 in the listening and speaking subtests.  

Application Deadline

The application window closes 01 February 2024 (17:00 UK time) and a late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time). We advise those interested in the programme to apply before 01 February 2024, as those applying in the late submission window will only be considered if there are still places remaining.

Application Procedure

Apply via UCL Postgraduate Admissions System here . When starting the application, you must select the MRes option. In addition to filling out the online application form, please upload a copy of the following documents:

• Official Transcripts of Grades / Course marks
• A 2-3 page personal statement or research proposal* that clearly indicates: (i) which research group you are interested in (i.e., Organisations & Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics or Operations & Technology, (ii) your research interests and preliminary research ideas, (iii) potential faculty member(s) you may want to work with (this is a suggested list, you don’t need to contact potential supervisors beforehand), and (iv) your motivation to do a PhD.
• Your  GRE / GMAT  score report**
• Your IELTS/TOEFL score report, if English is not your first language.

* While submission of a full research proposal is not required, you can send us one if you have already written it up.

** You can submit your application even if you don’t have a GRE/GMAT score —simply indicate when you plan to take the test. Funding/Scholarships

We offer fully funded five year MRes/PhD scholarships in the UCL School of Management to all admitted students. The scholarship is open to all nationalities. It covers all tuition fees, and includes an annual stipend of £25,000, which is tax-free.

Additional costs 

This programme does not have any compulsory additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.  

Students may have the opportunity to participate in conferences in the UK and internationally. The UCL School of Management provides MRes/PhD students with an annual budget for conferences, which students will use to cover the travel, accommodation, food and other costs whilst at conferences, in line with UCL’s expenses policy. 

Apply today

For queries about the MRes/PhD Programme that are not addressed on our web pages, please contact [email protected] .

Frequently Asked Questions about the UCL School of Management MRes/PhD Programme

Programme Information

Application process, admissions requirements, further information.

If you have any other questions regarding the programme that are not addressed on our web pages please email the programme team ( [email protected] )

UCL DOCTORAL SCHOOL

Research Student Log

Skills Development Programme

Research Integrity

'InfraSkin2' by Vasileios Chlorokostas, Bartlett School of Architecture

Welcome to the Doctoral School website

The Doctoral School is committed to ensuring that the quality of research training at UCL is at the highest international level. We aim to ensure that you as a research student or supervisor work in a high quality research training environment. UCL is proud to have been judged to be one of the leading research universities in the world. We aim to develop creative rigorous researchers for both academic and non-academic research careers across the world.

Through courses, inter-disciplinary programmes, and scholarships we encourage research students to look beyond the boundaries of their chosen discipline, as well as sharing and broadening knowledge across disciplines through societies and competitions. All of these activities are detailed on this website with links to all elements of the doctoral research training environment here at UCL.

News and Events

Useful links.

• UCL Research
• Graduate Applications
• Students' Union UCL
• Voluntary Services Unit
• Vitae Programme
• UCL Careers
• UCL Library Services
• Research IT Services (RITS)
• Cultural Consultation Service
• UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Blog
• UCL Brexit Hub

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PhD Application Instructions

How to apply.

• UCL CDT of Foundational AI: here
• UCL CDT of Cybersecurity: here
• UCL Computer Science: here (Department: Computer Science; Programme: Postgraduate Research; Full-time; Research Degree: Computer Science (4 Year Programme))

Research Proposal

• Transcript of records
• Research proposal (approximately 4-8 pages)
• Description of what excites you
• A lay summary (which can be read by someone, who is not from the field) of your research proposal (up to 200 words)
• Literature overview (what do other people currently do in the area you are interested in?)
• How would you fill in existing gaps?
• A concrete 6-months project you wish to start your PhD with (including timeline)
• Why you would like to join RPL, UCL-CS, and CDT of Foundational AI in particular
• Download template for research proposal: here

Made by Dimitrios Kanoulas

UCL School of Management

University college london, phd programme in financial economics.

Start date:  September 2024 Duration: 5 years (1 year MRes + 4 years PhD) Fees:  We offer fully-funded scholarships to all admitted students who have applied by the 31 January 2024 (see details below)  Application deadline:  31 January 2024, 17:00 UK time (late applications submited by the 05 April 2024 may still be considered, see details below) Entry:  Applicants must hold a distinction in a master’s degree in Economics or a closely related subject. Applicants must demonstrate a high level of analytical and quantitative skills (such as in mathematics and statistics), evidenced by strong performance in relevant modules taken on previous degree programmes and/or through relevant standardised test performance (such as GRE Quantitative of at least 160). International students, please note that UCL’s English language requirement for this programme is a ‘ Level 2 ’ (IELTS and TOEFL are the preferred test, however others on the UCL recognised test list will be accepted if required) - further details regarding this can be found on the  UCL English Language Requirements  page.

The MRes and PhD in Financial Economics is a joint programme between the UCL Department of Economics and the UCL School of Management.

The MRes programme is the first year of the five-year integrated MRes/PhD programme in Financial Economics. The MRes programme will provide you with training in research methods together with an advanced understanding of financial economics, to enable you to conduct insightful and original PhD level research in financial economics. 

The MRes will firstly provide quantitative training in microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and finance. These will be taught in the context of cutting-edge research and relevant applications. Secondly, it will provide you with analytic frameworks and transferable skills that will allow you to identify relevant and promising research topics, present ideas in order to obtain feedback, and provide feedback yourself. 

The subsequent years (for students who progress from the MRes to MPhil) will focus on the skills you will need to run research projects to completion and to present completed research projects to various kinds of specialised audiences. Likewise, teaching skills will also be developed.

PhD Structure

• The MRes programme consists of taught modules (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics. Real Analysis and Probability with Economic Application), a hybrid module (Financial Economics) with taught components and research based components, and a research project in the final part of the year. For the MRes project, you work under supervision to design and carry out a substantial piece of original research. This enables you to gain a deep understanding of the entire research process.
• Superior performance is required for automatic progression from MRes to MPhil. In particular, students should achieve an average mark of not less than 60% in the independent, original research components of the programme, and not less than 50% in the taught element.
• Our highly selective and small-sized PhD programme ensures that each student receives personal attention and guidance from our faculty members throughout their doctoral study. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career. At the same time, you will be part of both the School of Management PhD cohort and the Economics PhD cohort, with which you will share most of the taught modules.
• We expect our PhD graduates to have as their goal an academic career as a faculty member in a top business school or Economics department or in the research group of an international institution or a central bank.

Students take a total of 180 credits in the MRes year. This is made up of the MRes Research Project (MSIN0135) and 75 credits of compulsory taught modules. 

All modules in the MRes year are core modules, there are no optional modules. 

• ECON0107 - Macroeconomics, 15 credits  
• ECON0106 - Microeconomics, 15 credits  
• ECON0108 - Econometrics, 15 credits  
• ECON0118 - Real Analysis and Probability with Economic Applications, 15 credits
• MSIN0234 - Topics in Financial Economics, 30 credits  
• MSIN0135 - MRes Financial Economics Research Project, 105 credits  

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and class discussion. Student performance is assessed through presentations, coursework, projects, and examinations. 

Students will study 4 compulsory taught modules. A typical taught module is taught over two terms (2 x 10 weeks) with 4 hours of contact hours per week (3 hours of lecture + 1 hour of review session). In addition, students spend approximately 6-8 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars.  

Students will also undertake a substantial research project, which would usually start in Term 2 and be completed over the Summer. The total number of weekly hours will vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.

Why choose us

What makes us different:.

Unlike many PhD Programmes in finance, our programme has a full anchor in economics and econometrics. Hence, we offer a unique world-class environment that combines the best of a leading business school, located in Canary Wharf, the heart of London’s modern financial district, and the tradition of economic research and teaching of the Department of Economics, which is located in Bloomsbury, London’s historical intellectual centre.

If you want to become an academic economist conducting research in finance, this programme is for you.  

UCL School of Management and the Department of Economics  

Founded in 2007, UCL School of Management has forged a reputation for world-leading research in management studies with 95% of the School’s research deemed to be world-leading or internationally excellent, the second highest percentage of any business school in the UK, according to the 2021 REF . The PhD programme is an integral part of our School’s active and ambitious research environment where students receive rigorous academic training and personalised research mentorship. 

The UCL Department of Economics has an outstanding international reputation in key areas of current research. The Department ranked top in the UK for research environment and outputs in the field of Economics and Econometrics in the 2021 REF . 

Our research programme offers a unique education and research experience with the intent of preparing you for scholarly careers at the highest level. Our highly selective and small-sized programme ensures that you receive personal attention and an opportunity for guidance from our world-leading scholars. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career. 

As a research student you will join a highly active research environment which involves frequent research seminars and visits by leading scholars worldwide, reading groups, brown bag seminars and panels in which PhD students and faculty members present and discuss their ongoing work. Such forums provide an excellent opportunity to receive critical constructive feedback on your research and to develop academic, generic and transferable skills.

Applications

Applying for our mres/phd programme.

Entry requirements and admissions criteria:

Applicants to the MRes+PhD programme must hold a distinction in a master’s degree in Economics or a closely related subject. Applicants must demonstrate a high level of analytical and quantitative skills (such as in mathematics and statistics), evidenced by strong performance in relevant modules taken on previous degree programmes and/or through relevant standardised test performance (such as GRE Quantitative of at least 160). Submitting a GRE test result is encouraged but not compulsory and is only one of the components used to assess the strength of applications. 

We only have a single intake in September. We accept applications throughout the year. Successful candidates who have submitted their MRes application by 31 January 2024 will receive a scholarship (full fee waiver plus a stipend). Successful candidates who have submitted their application after this date may receive a scholarship subject to availability, or will come with their own funding.

In your personal statement you are expected to suggest one or more faculty members as potential supervisors. On the application form you may see that it states that it is preferred that you contact potential supervisors beforehand. However, we strongly discourage applicants from contacting individual faculty members or potential supervisors when applying to our programme. All applications are first evaluated by a joint admissions committee, so contacting potential supervisors separately will not increase your chances.

We also require you to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores if English is not your first language. Our School requires a “Level 2” English language qualification which corresponds to:

IELTS: Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the sub-tests.

TOEFL: Score of 96 overall, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing subtests and 22/30 in the listening and speaking subtests. 

Application Deadline

The application window closes 31 January 2024 (17:00 UK time) and a late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time). We advise those interested in the programme to apply before 31 January 2024, as those applying in the late submission window will only be considered if there are still places remaining.

Application Procedure

Apply via UCL Postgraduate Admissions System here . When starting the application, you must select the MRes Financial Economics option. In addition to filling out the online application form, please upload a copy of the following documents:

• Official Transcripts of Grades / Course marks
• A 1 page personal statement that clearly indicates: (i) your research interests and preliminary research ideas, (ii) potential faculty member(s) you may want to work with (this is a suggested list, you don’t need to contact potential supervisors beforehand), and (iii) your motivation to do a PhD.
• Your  GRE  score report, if you took the test.
• Your IELTS/TOEFL score report, if English is not your first language.

Funding/Scholarships

We offer fully funded five year scholarships to all admitted students who apply before the 31 January 2024. The scholarship is open to all nationalities. It covers all tuition fees, and includes an annual stipend of £25,000 which is tax-free. 

Successful candidates who have submitted their application after 31 January 2024 may receive a scholarship subject to availability or will come with their own funding.

Additional Costs

This programme does not have any compulsory additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.  Students may have the opportunity to participate in conferences in the UK and internationally. The UCL School of Management provides MRes/PhD students with an annual budget for conferences, which students will use to cover the travel, accommodation, food and other costs whilst at conferences, in line with UCL’s expenses policy. 

Further Information and Contact Details

The full-time MRes/PhD programme runs from September each academic year. Entrance is therefore every September. While we may accept applications until 05 April 2024 we encourage candidates to apply as early as possible. Our programme is very selective and we only admit a limited number of students, so applying before 31 January 2024 increases your chances.

How to Apply

For queries about the MRes/PhD Programme that are not addressed on our web pages, please contact [email protected] .

Video Library

Frequently Asked Questions about the UCL School of Management MRes/PhD Programme

Programme Information

Application process, admissions requirements.

Students are required to possess a “Level 2” English language qualification if it is not their first language. This means: TOEFL: Score of 96, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing, and 22/30 in the listening and speaking subtests. IELTS: Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests.

Further Information

If you have any other questions regarding the programme that are not addressed on our web pages please email the programme team ( [email protected] )

Library Services

Resources for Doctoral Researchers

Open Science guide for PhD students

Designed to accompany you at every step of your research while doing your PhD.

UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme (DSDP)

Open to all postgraduate research students at UCL.

Support for undertaking research

Library support for literature searching includes:

• guidance on which resources are appropriate for your topic;
• support for carrying out an initial literature search;
• guidance on carrying out cited reference searching;
• support for developing advanced search strategies to ensure comprehensive literature retrieval, including searching for systematic reviews.

LibrarySkills@UCL

See our LibrarySkills@UCL guides to:

• Searching for information : includes videos and online tutorials on search techniques and searching specific resources.
• Systematic reviews

We also offer  training sessions on literature searching . For support from specialist library staff, contact your  site or subject librarian .

When you first embark on a research project, specialist library staff can help you to scope your project to determine the current level of knowledge existing in that field, including support for:

• carrying out searches for literature (see above)
• identifying relevant conference abstracts and proceedings
• identifying similar research in progress and research groups with similar interests in the UK and beyond.
• Systematic reviews .

Library staff can provide guidance on the many tools available to keep you up to date with research in your field or issues and events that may influence your research.

Journal article alerts

• Table of contents alerts, or eToCs, can be set up to send the tables of contents of new issues of journals to you by email or RSS feeds. Publishers' websites also usually allow you to set up alerts to individual journals.
• Subject search alerts can be set up in many bibliographic databases, such as  Web of Science  or  Scopus . Some databases have the option of receiving alerts by email.
• Cited reference alerts inform you when a particular paper has been cited in another paper. Some databases, such as  Web of Science  and  Scopus , and some publishers' websites allow you to set up this type of alert.

Social media

• Blogs and twitter: Many institutions, publishers or individuals maintain blogs or tweet about issues that may be relevant to your research.
• Social networking sites and showcasing research work:  IRIS  (Institutional Research Information System) is UCL's research portal, where you can identify the research activities of researchers, research groups, research centres and interdisciplinary networks across the whole of UCL. Social or professional networking sites aimed at researchers include  ResearchGate  and  Academia .
• Social citation sharing: Sites such as  Mendeley  and  Zotero  enable you to share interesting papers to find out what other like-minded researchers are reading.

Funding opportunities and research news

• Find out about external funding opportunities via UCL's subscription to  RESEARCHconnect . To access the site click on the link above and use the ‘Log In via institution’ button to select UCL, and use your UCL user name and password. From there you will also be able to access other tools, save your searches and set up alerts for yourself as well as for a group.
• The website of the  UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)  and the individual research councils include news on funding and research. Other useful sites include  Research Professional  and  Vitae .
• Please visit  UCL Research  for more information.

Other alerts

• New books: Many publishers' and booksellers' websites have alerting facilities for new books.
• Conferences and events: Monitor professional organisations or societies in your field for new on forthcoming conferences and events. There are also generic conference alert services available, such as  AllConferences.com  and  Conference Alerts .
• For support from specialist library staff, contact your  site or subject librarian .

Library staff can advise on systematic approaches to managing bibliographic references as well as standards for citing references.

Reference management software enables you to create your own database of references relevant to your research and then to insert references and format them automatically in the citation style of your choice within a Word document. See our guide to Reference Management Software, and guides to EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero. We also have access to  SciWheel .

• Reference Management Software

Library staff can advise on correctly citing your sources and you can find further information on the UCL Library Services  References, Citations and Avoiding Plagiarism  web pages.

For support from specialist library staff on the use of reference management software or citing references,  attend a training session  or contact your  site or subject librarian .

Library staff offer advice on legislation surrounding  copyright  and licensing schemes, issues relating to the work you create including  Intellectual Property Rights , Creative Commons and model licenses to publish, and the re-use of copyright material in your own work.

Support for the use of other software is provided by ISD, UCL's Information Services Division. They provide  training  on software, learning technologies and administration systems, including  essential computer skills  and  statistical software .

• UCL Doctoral School

The Doctoral School is committed to ensuring that the quality of research training at UCL is at the highest international level.

Students Support & Wellbeing

Conducting a doctoral degree can be challenging. UCL team of expert wellbeing, disability and mental health staff provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space, in which you can discuss any issues that may be affecting your ability to study. All of our support services are free of charge and open to all UCL students of all levels.

• UCL Support & Wellbeing

Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care Blog

Internship insights: how to find and get one as a PhD student.

By guest blogger, on 6 September 2018

Internships are increasingly being seen as a valuable addition to PhD training. In fact a report commissioned by the Government recommended that, “All full‐time PhD students should have an opportunity to experience at least one 8 to 12 week internship during their period of study” ( Wilson Review, 2012, p.8). But how do you go about getting one? And how do you convince your supervisors if they’re not so keen? Fran Harkness, PhD student at the MRC Unit of Lifelong Health and Ageing lets us in on her insights.  

I did an internship in the MRC External Affairs team March-June this year. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve since been asked if I’m being paid to persuade other students to go on one by demonic internship overlords? Anyway, as I had to do the hard work of understanding how to get one, I hope that I’ve managed to clarify the process a bit for you. Good luck!

Research it. Think about what you want to get out of this time. I was interested in science policy so it made sense to apply to the Academy of Medical Sciences policy internship scheme. Research councils have links with many organisations. You could intern with the Royal Institution to plan their Christmas lecture. The UKRI scheme sponsors students to get insight into areas as diverse as the civil service, Age UK, and Public Health England. Alternatively you could apply for funding to work in a research unit abroad to pick up new skills and ideas in your own field.

Take time over your application. You need to collate your CV, a statement of interest, and often a fresh piece of work, plus signature from your supervisor. I’d broach the latter first. Don’t do what I did once and stall asking your primary supervisor for so long that it’s now the day of admission and she surprisingly isn’t looking at her emails in Chamonix. That was after I’d spent, I mean wasted, five days writing a government POST note far out of my subject area for the application. On my second application I’d mortifyingly left in a note to myself in blank space after my essay. Proofreading doesn’t take that long.

Convince your supervisors part 1. My stalling behaviour was partly fuelled by anxiety that mine would say no. Your supervisors want to support you to finish on time and may believe that an internship will derail this ambition. Many schemes include a funded extension but their worry is that any absence breaks your flow and delays finish time. Reassuringly, researchers from the University of California found that interns don’t take any longer to graduate, despite halting their programme entirely during the three months. My experience has been that my internship returned me to a mental state helpful for finishing: professional, confident and newly reminded of the point of my research.

Convince your supervisors part 2. Like being asked by my parents to plan how I was going to take the bus into town by myself for the first time, my panel had kindly reservations for me to consider. They requested that I talk to previous interns about the benefits and challenges and how I would overcome the latter. They also asked that I continue to work on my thesis during my internship and that I take it up towards the end of my PhD so that there wasn’t too much write-up hanging over my head. Those last two things didn’t end up happening, but by this time I’m already on the bus into town and nobody minds.

Apply! With your head stuck in a stats problem or down a microscope you may forget that you have time for an internship. Look up and remember that your PhD is a training opportunity for the real world. You can gain new skills, meet contacts, and learn of roles you didn’t realise existed. It can help you get a job afterwards. At the Academy of Medical Sciences every single policy advisor I spoke to had done an internship there during their PhD. I know someone whose internship was so successful she’s now working part time for that organisation whilst finishing her PhD. On top of all this they’re great fun. Go on!

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How to Apply -->

The Centre invites applications from applicants with a background in any relevant discipline. Typically, applicants will be expected to hold a masters degree in a relevant subject area, or equivalent experience. Applicants would also need to be able to demonstrate a strong motivation for doing a PhD at the LCN. 

To undertake a PhD within the LCN, applicants will be registered at one of the three partner institutions.   

Unless applying directly for a project indicated on the PhD Opportunities  page, to apply for a PhD within the LCN it is first essential that you identify a potential supervisor and discuss with them your chosen area of research. You should review the Our People and Research pages, where you will find details of the research undertaken within the LCN and contact details for supervisors. Email is the preferred method of contacting a supervisor, and we suggest that you include, as a minimum, the following details in your initial email:

• Proposed area of research and your experience/background in the chosen research area
• How your chosen supervisor’s experience or knowledge is relevant
• A copy of your CV

Once you have agreement in principle from a supervisor that they would be happy to supervise you, please make a formal application to the relevant institution:

• Apply for a PhD at UCL via their Admissions Webpage 
• Apply for a PhD at Imperial College London via their Admission Webpage 
• Apply for a PhD at Kings College via their Admissions Webpage

Funding Opportunities

If there are any projects available within the LCN, either with, or without funding available, these will be in the PhD Opportunities  section. Please also check findaPhD.com or each Institution’s funding pages for more funding opportunities. Applications for LCN @ UCL Funding opportunities can be submitted via the PhD Portal .

The LCN also has a number of associated  Centres for Doctoral Training  which provide a limited number of funded studentships each year. 

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• Prospective Students

About the programme

The guiding principles of our programme are to provide students with the opportunity to work with world class research scientists, and to mentor them through their PhD to postdoctoral fellowships and other career opportunities. Our programme is designed to provide rich and interdisciplinary training in research aimed at improving human health, from fundamental lab-based science to population health.

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Research themes

All students are admitted to one of the 4 themes. DTP students are part of a four-year programme that includes an initial ‘rotation’ year. Other students are part of a three-year programme that does not include the initial rotations.

Supervisors on the UCL Birkbeck MRC DTP span several UCL faculties including Life Sciences, Brain Sciences, Medical Sciences and Population and Health Sciences. 

The UCL Birkbeck MRC DTP offers high quality training to all DTP and iCASE students

Industrial CASE PhDs are projects run in collaboration with an industrial partner.  The student applies to a specified project which has been created between an academic and industry partner. 

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Q&A Forum

Do you have a question about the UCL Birkbeck MRC DTP? If so, then submit a question on this forum and we will post the answer.

How to Apply

Find out more about the different routes to entry and our eligibility criteria