HomeLog in to MUSE Coronavirus (Covid-19): latest advice Study Research Collaborate About Postgraduate study Taught courses PhD study Visit Accommodation Studying at Sheffield You are here Home Postgraduate study PhD study Applying essentials – PhD study Applying essentials – PhD study If you're applying for postgraduate research at Sheffield, you'll find all the key information on this page. Please read it before you complete your application. On this page: Before you apply Applying After you apply Ask us a question Before you apply There are three ways you can undertake postgraduate/doctoral research at the University: Researching your own idea with an academic supervisor As part of an existing research project Within one of our Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) Find out more about these different options: Routes to a PhD You can search for supervisors, projects and Centres for Doctoral Training on our Find A PhD page. If you want to research your own idea, you should contact the relevant academic department before you submit a formal application, to check that they have an appropriately-qualified supervisor in the area you'd like to study. Find a PhD Information about academic entry requirements is available from the department in which your research is based. Entry requirements vary depending on what you study – some subjects require a masters degree, others ask for a good undergraduate degree (a 2:1 or a First). Links to departmental webpages are provided on the Find A PhD page. Our English language requirements for postgraduate courses are available on our English Language Requirements webpage: English language requirements for postgraduate courses A full list of our formal policies, including our Student Admissions Policy, is available on our Policies webpages: Admissions policies Applying You can apply for postgraduate research using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. You can find information about how to do this, and a link to the form, on our How To Apply page: How to apply Information about the documents you should include to support your application, and how to supply these, is provided in our supporting documents guidance: Supporting documents We have further guidance for disciplines that require you to submit a research proposal: Writing a proposal The standard application deadlines for students intending to start in the autumn (September/October) are provided on our key dates and deadlines page. We recommend that these students apply early in the year (January/February). Key dates and deadlines for postgraduate courses Although we advise students to start in September/October, it's often possible to start postgraduate research at any point in the year. You can state your preferred start date in your application, although this will need to be confirmed by the academic department. You should leave yourself plenty of time between applying and your start date to make arrangements to come to Sheffield if we make you an offer, particularly if you're an International applicant and will need to arrange a student visa. After you apply You can find out what happens after you've submitted your application on our After You Apply webpage. When we've made a decision on your application we'll send you an email to tell you what that decision is, and what you need to do next: After you apply If you'll need a visa to study in the UK, you can find more information about when and how we'll arrange your CAS on our CAS Application webpages: CAS application Ask us a question Browse our frequently asked questions, or ask a question of your own: AskUS Related information PhD study Coronavirus information for prospective students Find a PhD Search for PhD opportunities at Sheffield and be part of our world-leading research. Find a project or supervisor The University of Sheffield Undergraduate courses Postgraduate taught courses PhD study Accommodation International students Jobs Information for visitors Support us Student hub Staff hub Alumni Departments and services Students' Union Library Contact The University of Sheffield Western Bank Sheffield S10 2TN +44 114 222 2000 Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin Weibo Footer menu Feedback Privacy Accessibility FOI Modern slavery statement © 2021 The University of Sheffield Your cookie choices Our website uses cookies to help give you a better experience. By accepting all cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. Use 'Cookie settings' to manage your preferences.Cookie and similar technologies policy Accept all cookies Reject all cookies Cookie settings