Phd

Doctorate Degree In The United Kingdom

Receiving a doctoral degree in the United Kingdom is one of the most prestigious and enhancing experiences in the academic world. Most world-renowned universities and higher education institutes that achieved outstanding academic success are in the United Kingdom. A doctorate in the United Kingdom generally lasts for three years. However, PhD programmes may take four years to complete, which require extra applied training (6-9 months) with laboratory studies, field research, or clinical studies. As the students who study for a doctoral degree in the United Kingdom universities are considered researchers of their respective departments, they can also give lectures within the body of their departments and work part-time as a lecturer.  

Acceptance Conditions For Doctorate In The United Kingdom

Receiving an offer for a doctoral degree in the United Kingdom is slightly different from being offered a place for a bachelor’s or master’s degree. First of all, at that point, one needs accurate and comprehensive supervisor research support. Edukas Education Consultancy provides the help you need with its expert administrative team for every programme and department. 

Thesis Proposal And Interview

One of the essential application documents for the doctorate (PhD) is the “research proposal”. The research proposal should focus on specific subheadings in line with the research methodology of the British educational system. You may contact us to get support about this format, which may vary according to each faculty’s requirements, and about preparing a thorough research proposal based on the standards. Contacted supervisors will request an online meeting with you; we can help you organise the day and time by reaching the supervisors. 

Another significant point is that submitting a unique research proposal would not be the only way to be admitted to a PhD programme. Various institutes and research centres affiliated with universities form numerous research groups and offer “advertised projects” known as “published projects”. As these projects’ objectives are specified, writing an extra research proposal is not required. Candidates may participate in the formed research groups whose research topic has already been identified upon completing the required interviews and writing an elaborate personal statement. 

Doctorate Expenses In The United Kingdom And Scholarships

Tuition fees for a doctoral degree in the United Kingdom vary between £12.000 and £40.000. Partial scholarships or discounts are not generally available for a doctorate, which means either one can get a 100% scholarship or none since there are no modules and credit amounts that can get a discount in doctoral programmes. 

Unlike bachelor’s or master’s degrees in the United Kingdom, expenses of doctoral programmes include research expenditure named “bench-fee” or “consumables fee”. This fee may vary between £500 and £30.000 following programmes. This amount is specified before students start their doctorates and are informed about the annual increase. The published projects of the research groups mentioned in the paragraph above are not subject to paying these kinds of expenditures as an external source generally funds them. Private companies can be sponsors for students depending on the research capacity if a sectoral relation can be established. 

For instance, the below table displays the expenses of a three-year-long doctoral programme. (The table reflects the costs of global universities ranking between 100-200.) 

The table shows the total expenses for a three-year-long doctoral programme are 83.610 GBP, including extra costs. Research expenses can be cancelled out with the contribution of an agricultural company. Additionally, an average amount is shown for international conference expenses in the table. 

Research-Based Programmes In The United Kingdom (NQF7-NQF8 Level)

Postgraduate programmes in the United Kingdom divide into two levels as follows:

1. Research-based programmes (Research-PGR)

2. Taught programmes (Taught-PGT)

The mentioned programmes are profoundly explained below:

Research-Based Programmes

NQF8 level, doctoral-level programmes are mostly research-based (PhD, DPhil, etc.). It is crucial to correctly guide students according to their preferences as some research-based programmes appertain to a professional theme and practice. Students may encounter accreditation problems after they return to Turkey. PhD and DPhil programmes are equivalent to doctoral degrees in Turkey. However, some programmes in the United Kingdom may grant DClinPsy, EdD, DBA, and DProf degrees. The duration and content of the thesis do not rely on literature review in these sorts of programmes; instead, practice and start-ups are more critical. Therefore, graduates of these programmes may not fulfil the conditions to pursue an academic career in Turkey. However, they are much more prestigious programmes in professional life in the United Kingdom than PhD or DPhil. 

MPhil is a programme at the NQF7 level. Although this programme’s level is the same as a master’s degree, this programme can be considered a mini-PhD. Most PhD programmes in the United Kingdom offer an acceptance named “initial registration”, and the entry-level is considered MPhil. The main reason for this situation is that if the first jury stage of students comes up with a negative result (which is a situation that can only be encountered if the doctoral grade is below average), the university awards an MPhil diploma. If the doctoral study is successful, students may proceed with their studies for a PhD. 

Taught Programmes

These programmes primarily include degrees such as MSc, MA, and MEng. However, as an exception, some programmes may require taking taught-based modules for 9 to 15 months in the first year of programmes. This period is added to a three-year-long PhD programme, which means the period of a doctoral programme may last 4 to 4.5 years. These kinds of programmes are named “Doctoral Training” in the United Kingdom. 

What Are The Differences And Similarities Between PhD Programmes In Turkey And United Kingdom?

Similarities and differences between a standard PhD programme in Turkey and United Kingdom may be seen in the table below.