Eligibility based on Academic Performance and/or Relevant Previous Experience
1st or upper 2nd class degree is required in a subject appropriate to the PhD projects applied for (see the project description for more info). Candidates with a lower class of Bachelors degree, but a good performance at the Masters level (“merit” or above) will also be considered.
We will also consider candidates with different academic paths but with experience acquired from a research position, or equivalent, that is relevant to the topic of the PhD project.
Many applicants will still be studying for their undergraduate or Masters degree, so it is fine to provide a projected or target grade for your current degree course – offers are then generally made conditional on the class of the degree actually achieved.
International Students
There is an upper limit set by UKRI on the number of international applicants we can fund each year so competition is very strong.
Information about whether you qualify as a Home or International student can be found on the UKRI webpage EU and international eligibility for UKRI studentships.
Due to Tier 4 visa restrictions,
- international students must be based at either the University of Reading or Swansea University, and not at one of our other host partner institutions
- international students can take Masters modules at their home institution only.
- placements will be assessed on a case by case basis to ensure they comply with visa regulations.
International applicants are also required to meet the eligibility criteria for Academic Performance and/or Relevant Previous Experience. Please check the following resource to see whether your degree and grade are equivalent to a 1st or upper 2nd class degree in the UK:
Language Proficiency
Candidates must show the necessary levels of English proficiency described on the University of Reading’s Doctoral and Researcher College webpage and the Swansea University English Language Requirements webpage. Please contact the universities directly if you have any questions.