PhD/MPhil Nursing

Entry requirements

Entry requirements vary by subject area. Applicants should approach academic staff working in their area of interest to discuss their proposal ahead of submitting an application. Applicants should normally hold an upper second class honours degree or the equivalent from an international institution.

Where the applicant's academic profile shows no evidence of training in research methods, it will normally be recommended that students first complete an MSc or MRes programme. This is to prepare them for MPhil/PhD studies.

Substantial employment or research experience may be considered for some subject areas alongside or in place of academic qualifications.

MPhil/PhD by major thesis

The standard route involves the accepted candidate pursuing a research project under the guidance of their supervisors over a period of 3 years (full-time) or 4-6 years (part-time). Candidates register initially for an MPhil (which is a substantial and valid qualification in its own right), and following an Upgrade examination, transfer to the PhD programme.

PhD by publication

Prior publication: Candidates who have already published a series of significant research papers submit these together with an accompanying analytical commentary. This body of work must be principally the candidate's own work.

The number and range of publications must be sufficient to demonstrate that the work forms a coherent contribution to knowledge or scholarship. This typically involves around six papers.

The extended analytical commentary which draws together this previously published work into a single thesis, will expand on the candidate's involvement in each work, the skills developed and knowledge acquired in undertaking these works. This commentary is not normally expected to exceed 20,000 words.

Prospective publication: Candidates publish several (generally around four to six papers, dependent on their depth, quality, significance and impact) significant research papers addressing various aspects of their research topic during their period of PhD registration.

For full details about the City PhD programme structure, please see the Guide for Research Students.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements vary by subject area and applicants should approach academic staff working in their area of interest to discuss their proposal ahead of submitting an application. Applicants should normally hold an upper second class honours degree or the equivalent from an international institution.

Where the applicant's academic profile shows no evidence of training in research methods, it will normally be recommended that students first complete an MSc or MRes programme to prepare them for MPhil/PhD studies.

Substantial employment or research experience may be considered for some subject areas alongside or in place of academic qualifications.

English requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, an IELTS score of at least 7 (with a minimum of 7.0 in writing) is required.

For more information see our main entry requirements page.

Visa requirements

If you are not from the European Economic Area / Switzerland and you are coming to study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa or entry clearance to come to the UK to study.

The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course. There are different rules for:

• Students on courses of more than six months
• Students on courses of less than six months
• Students on a pre-sessional English language course.

For more information see our main Visa page.

Fees for doctoral candidates are charged annually and cover registration, supervision and examination. Fees are subject to review each year and may vary during your period of registration.

Support for PhD study

Prospective students are encouraged to explore doctoral Grants and funding opportunities such as:

• NIHR and MRC Fellowship schemes
• Commonwealth Scholarships
• Specialist scholarship schemes (such as those provided by Arthritis UK, Diabetes UK, and the British Heart Foundation)
• Research Council studentship awards, if available.

Our bursaries are non-repayable sums of money granted by the University, usually based on need.

Our loans are repayable sums of money granted by the University or other body.

Our scholarships are when the University pays towards your Study fees. You may also be eligible for further funding.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loans

The Government has introduced a new Postgraduate Doctoral Loans scheme which can provide a loan of up to £25,000.

This will be over three years to support study for a doctoral degree.

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study. It can be used alongside any other forms of support you may be able to receive.

For more information, please see our Postgraduate Doctoral Loans page.

Additional expenses

Some of our degrees may involve additional expenses which are not covered by your tuition fees. Find out more about additional expenses.

City has a well-established structure and processes to support your research.

Supervision

MPhil/PhD students can become integral members of the School’s research teams based in their Research Centres, which assists students in completing their studies.

MPhil/PhD students are assigned to a team of supervisors from the Department of Nursing. This usually consists of two academics who are experts in the field of the student's study.

Students meet regularly with supervisors, reviewing their learning needs and planning work towards progression. Full time students will meet with their supervisors at least twice a term. Part time students will meet at least once a term.

Progress is monitored by an annual review. Here students have the opportunity to discuss their research design and written work with an advisor.

All students working towards a PhD (other than those undertaking doctoral study by prior publication or as a structured programme) initially register for MPhil studies. When their study has developed, they may apply to be upgraded to PhD student status which involves an oral examination.

Research students are supported by student representatives who meet with the student-staff liaison committee. Here they respond to any student concerns that cannot be addressed by supervisors.

Training

All MPhil/PhD students can access a wide range of MSc modules and other training programmes across City, normally without charge.

Workshops, seminars and retreats are organised for students across the School and within particular areas.

Institution-wide research activities can also contribute to your development as a researcher. An annual programme of research and enterprise development activities is also run for students.

For more information, please see the visit the City Doctoral College.

In the first, instance, we recommend that you visit the relevant School and Research Centre. Here you can read about our research and establish areas of specific staff interest. This will enable you to identify whether the School of Health & Psychological Sciences at City is the best place for your study.

Details of relevant academic staff can be found here.

Following this you need to submit a formal online application with a curriculum vitae and a 1-2 page proposal of study. This should include:

Background and rationale including other work in the area leading up to the PhD study.

Proposed methodology such as aims, design, participant groups, measures, analysis.

Potential outcomes of the research in terms of academic outputs (papers and presentations) and real world impact (e.g., its potential usefulness for teachers/ speech language therapists etc.).

We realise that at this stage you may not have a completely clear plan of study, and that the proposal is likely to change after you begin study. The proposal gives us an idea of your writing and organisational ability, motivation and rationale for the study and potential wider benefits.

See here for guidance on how to prepare your research proposal.

Please note that we will not consider incomplete applications.

Further information can be found here regarding the application process at City.