How to apply for research degree study
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Deciding to study a research degree is a big decision and the road to applying can seem long. However, with the right guidance, applying for a research degree at Northampton will be a lot more straightforward than you think. To help you we’ve put together a detailed step-by-step guide to the Research degree application process at the University of Northampton. We cover the application process, what you need to consider, what to prepare and how to submit your application among other important information.
Firstly, there are various options to apply for research courses with us, depending on what and how you would like to study.
- If you would like to apply for research study, please apply directly to the University using the Apply Now button on your chosen course page
- Funded MPhil and PhD studentships related to specific projects are advertised from time to time throughout the year for the University on www.jobs.ac.uk and on the UON Studentships page.
- If you are an international student, please see our information about applications for international students
If you would like to check the status of your application at any point, please visit our application portal.
Follow the steps below to understand everything you need to know when applying for a research degree at Northampton.
Research degree application process
This guidance is informed by the Admission Policy, Admissions Guidance, Special Admissions Policy and Special Admissions Guidance.
Here is a checklist of what you need to do and consider when applying:
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- Initial enquiries should be directed to Course Enquiries team or the Admissions Office, who can provide details on how to apply and Course information.
- Potential applicants are encouraged to contact a potential PhD/MPhil supervisor or Professional Doctorate Programme Leader directly. Please step 5 for guidance on how to do this.
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The first, and most obvious, step to applying for a research degree is to decide what research area you want to work in. As you will be studying your degree for a long time between three- and four-years’ full time and up to six years part time – so it is essential you choose to study a subject you are passionate about.
Research students generally study a subject area that they have studied previously, but in greater detail. Most research courses will expect students to have a degree in a relevant field or some previous academic experience in the research area. Although your previous qualifications do not have to be in the exact same discipline as the research area you’re applying for. If the nature of research is similar and your chosen topic correlates with your experience, it’s possible to apply for a degree in a different department. It’s worthwhile spending a bit of time considering what research area you want to study and what type of research you want to conduct. There are many areas that you can consider when choosing the subject area for your degree. The research department at the University of Northampton should be the perfect fit for your studies.
We currently have 16 research bodies at the University of Northampton, find out more about our research institutes and centres.
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The University of Northampton is the perfect place to find a postgraduate research course that allows you to follow your passion and develop your research interests. We aim to transform our students by providing an inclusive and stimulating environment; ensuring our students develop a broad range of skills.
There are three main types of MPhils and PhDs at Northampton. There are pre-designed projects known as Studentships and self-proposed projects and PhDs by Published works. The route you choose to take will mainly depend on your personal preference and situation. Our Research degrees follow a traditional route (completing an independent research project under a Research supervision team). Make sure you’ve considered your Research degree options fully before applying for a programme.
Here are the main differences between the different types of MPhils and PhDs.
We offer:
Self-proposed MPhil and PhD projects
Self-proposed MPhil and PhDs are the most common type of Research degrees, where students propose and design their own research.
Many students in all fields choose to design and propose their own research project for MPhil/PhD study. This option can be extremely rewarding as it allows students a lot more control over their work and can specialise in any area that interests them with the support and approval of their academic supervisor.
Not every self-proposed MPhil/ PhD is funded so applicants will need to make sure they have appropriate funding in place to pursue their self-proposed PhD. While there are lots of funding opportunities available, there is not enough to cover the amount of MPhil/ PhD applications each year. Students may have to apply for part-time work or funding opportunities throughout their studies.Additionally, you will have to put in more time to your application as you need to design a viable MPhil/ PhD project. There may also be some additional steps in the application process for self-proposed to ensure success in their research application.
PhD by Published works
A PhD by Published Works is a doctorate degree that is granted for the submission of an organised body of work that meets the standards for quality, rigour, and volume for a conventional PhD in your subject and makes a significant original addition to knowledge. The term “Published Works” refers to a compilation of several peer-reviewed publications, such as several articles, academic papers, peer-reviewed journals, individual “chapters,” and monographs published in scholarly editions of texts, creative practise, artefacts, or curatorial production that contribute to a single research theme in a particular field.
The PhD by Published Work pathway is primarily designed for mid-career researchers who have published widely during their academic careers but haven’t had the opportunity to pursue the standard research path leading to a PhD. Without having to submit a separate PhD thesis, it enables individuals to be recognised for their contributions to their field of study and that the work they have done is doctoral level.
Both internal and external applicants from UON are invited. Applications are evaluated on their merits, and candidates are urged to speak with the appropriate academic staff members informally before applying.
This degree will be given to a candidate who has critically examined a subject that has been authorised and shown that they have a grasp of the research techniques pertinent to their field of study.
Studentships
Studentships are usually pre-designed projects which are advertised from time to time throughout the year. The benefit of a predesigned project is that they are typically fully funded for three or four-years depending on the studentship, please refer to all adverts for specific details regarding a project. This option is great if you know you want to do a MPhil/ PhD but aren’t entirely certain of what you’d like to do beyond a general area. You also won’t have to research and plan your own project, which can save a lot of time. However, as multiple students will be applying for the same advertised MPhil/ PhD opportunities, places can be competitive. Your choice of projects will also be limited to whatever research is advertised.
They generally cover costs including fees, maintenance grants and project budgets to cover costs of travel, subsistence, payment of all fees and registration fees. You will be expected to meet our standard entry requirements and then any additional criteria set in the Studentship advertisement.
Professional Doctorates
We also offer two Professional doctorates at the University of Northampton, which offer a taught element as well as research.
- Doctor of Professional Practice in Health and Social Care (D Prof Prac)
Please visit our Doctor of Professional Practice page for information about this course and details about how to apply for this programme.
- Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Please visit our DBA page for information about this course and details about how to apply for this programme.
More detailed information about the research degrees is available on our Graduate School page.
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It’s important to draft a research proposal when you are applying for a research degree. This is a requirement of most self-proposed PhD or MPhil applications and can also be necessary when applying for other Research degrees.
Deciding on your research
To be able to propose a viable research project, you will need to spend a significant amount of time researching your chosen field. You may have already conducted some research during your previous degrees, giving you a good starting point.
The point of this part in the process is to become familiar with the main academic arguments in your research area. You should then be able to identify a gap in the academic discussion which you will be able to fill in the timeframe of your chosen research degree. This could include discussing an underused or new source base, criticising an academic argument, or applying a new or different theory to the current discussions.
You should then look to identify a preliminary source base and decide how you intend to use the information.
How to write a research proposal
You should write a draft research proposal. While this might not be your final piece for submission with your application, having a draft can be useful when it comes to contacting prospective supervisors. Also, as part of your application for a place to study for a research degree at the University of Northampton you are asked to provide a research proposal. Guidance can be found on our how to write a research proposal page.
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Once you have decided on which research degree you intend to apply for, or drafted a research proposal, it’s time to reach out to prospective supervisors. This is an important step as it allows you to gain more insight into how your studies might go.
You will want to make sure you choose your potential supervisor in plenty of time. Of course, you should always leave plenty of time for any application, but this is especially important for research study, as you will often be applying to a particular supervisor who is a specialist in your area of study.
If you are proposing your own research, then you might find it useful to start by having a conversation with our academics. Their research areas cover a wide range of subjects, and they are always pleased to discuss potential doctoral study.
Contacting prospective supervisors is a good opportunity to receive feedback on your ideas and research proposal. You should first ask if they are able to look at your draft after briefly explaining who you are and summarising your project. Any feedback can be extremely useful as their expertise and experience could help them notice any holes in your proposal that you should consider and fix before applying.
Receiving feedback from a UON academic will also help you tailor your proposal specifically to the expertise of the University of Northampton and our supervisory expertise.
You can view our academics on PURE, the University’s online research explorer where you can find information about our academic and postgraduate researchers, research activities, outputs, Research Institutes and Centres.
For studentships the supervisor will be listed in the advertisement. By contacting them you can introduce yourself and discuss the research in more detail.
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The next major step is to check the entry requirements of our research degrees. Our specific entry requirements are listed within each course page. Our course pages will also include, any additional specific entry criteria related to qualifications and any specific professional experience required. Entry requirements will differ depending on the research degree you are interested in pursuing.
As part of the application process the Admissions team will make necessary registry checks including a check on whether the minimum entry requirements have been met.
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Now that you have thought about the practicalities of research study and have done most of the preparation for your application, what about the actual application? What does it involve? Hopefully all your questions will be answered in this next section.
When applying for your research study, you should apply directly to the university. This can be done by using the Apply now buttons on the relevant course information page. All applications must be made online.
You should ensure that you’re not too modest in applying for a research degree, if you’ve been published in a relevant area, or if you did exceptionally well or presented a particularly successful paper at a conference, mention it. You don’t need to brag, but you shouldn’t hide your achievements either.
Check application deadlines
The most important thing to note down when starting to prepare is the application deadlines. It is important to ensure you meet all application deadlines.
However, it’s a good idea to aim to submit your application with plenty of time to spare, considering any difficulties that might arise gathering your relevant paperwork. You can apply all year round for research degrees providing the apply now link is available.
Entry points are fixed for Research study; October and March for PhD and MPhil programmes and for Professional Doctorates please refer to the course web pages for specific start date information. Deadlines for applications are given on the relevant web pages. Applications received after these deadlines may be considered, but we cannot guarantee you will be able to commence your studies at your requested entry point.
Where you are applying for funding or scholarships, check the deadlines for your application. In some cases, you may need to have an offer from us before you can apply for funding.
Document Checklist
You can now start to gather the required documents to apply. The documents you need for your application will depend on the research degree you are applying for.
The additional documentation you will be asked to provide are:
Master Of Philosophy (Mphil), Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), And Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd) Practice-based In The Arts
- Personal Statement
- a 1000 word research proposal – please view the guidance notes on how to write a proposal for a research degree
- Statement of Transfer – about why they want to transfer to us, if required.
- two references – please note: your referee is unable to be a member of your potential Research Supervisory team
- photocopies or scans of your undergraduate degree certificate and transcript
- photocopies or scans of your Masters certificate and transcript
- evidence of English language ability (where English is not the first language)
- change of name document, if your application and certificates are in different names
- Passport
Funded Mphil And Phd Studentships
- Personal Statement – which must contain the relevant Studentship code.
- CV
- two references – please note: your referee is unable to be a member of your potential Research Supervisory team
- photocopies or scans of your undergraduate degree certificate and transcript
- photocopies or scans of your Masters certificate and transcript
- evidence of English language ability (where English is not the first language)
- a 1000 word research proposal, if required by the Studentship advert – please view the guidance notes on how to write a proposal for a research degree
- change of name document. If, your application and certificates are in different names
Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd) By Means Of Published Works
- Personal statement
- a document of 750-1000 words demonstrating a case for the published works as a coherent programme of research, making an original contribution to the present state of knowledge
- two references – please note: your referee is unable to be a member of your potential Research Supervisory team
- photocopies or scans of your undergraduate degree certificate and transcript
- photocopies or scans of your Masters certificate and transcript
- evidence of English language ability (where English is not the first language)
- a statement on the review processes of the journals (or equivalent) in which the work has been published
- a copy of the first page of each of the works
- statements from co-authors on the extent of your contribution to the research where appropriate
- change of name document, if your application and certificate are in different names
- Passport
Professional Doctorates
- a 1000 word description of your area of specialist practice that you anticipate developing during the programme
- a completed research area form
- a personal Statement which contains (at least) the following information:
- your reasons for wishing to study a professional doctorate.
- Include relevant work experience
- that you are currently employed in a leadership/management role capable of supporting the achievement of the programme learning outcomes
- whether you wish to be considered for a Changemaker Scholarship and how your area of research interest has the potential to contribute to the Changemaker Challenge ‘to make Northamptonshire the best county in the UK’
- Statement of Transfer – about why they want to transfer to us, if required
- two references – please note: your referee is unable to be a member of your potential Research Supervisory team
- photocopies or scans of your undergraduate degree certificate and transcript
- photocopies or scans of your Masters certificate and transcript
- evidence of English language ability (where English is not the first language)
- change of name document, if your application and certificates are in different names
- CV
- Passport
You can find information and the additional documents to download on the PG and CPD additional documents and interview information page.
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(CAS, VISA and ATAS information)
International Applicants should refer to the How to apply page for international students for specific guidance for international students.
If you are an international applicant and you would like to use one of our recognised Agents, please see our International Agents Directory.
Applicants requiring a visa
If you are an international applicant applying to study a research degree in the UK, check the visa requirements that you need to meet. Please do not book any non-refundable travel until you have obtained a visa.
Student visas can only be issued for certain courses, and if your course is eligible, you will receive guidance on how to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) within your unconditional offer letter. You will then use your CAS to apply for a student visa.
The earliest you can apply for a student visa is six months before the start date of the course.
Please visit the international students page for further information regarding visas and immigration.
Applicants requiring an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
If you are an international student studying a certain science- or engineering-based research programme in the UK, you must gain an ATAS clearance before applying for a visa to study the programme.
ATAS clearance is a scheme operated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to help stop the spread of knowledge and skills that could be used in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery.
Applications for ATAS clearance usually takes around 20 working days to be processed. This can be longer during busy periods, and we encourage applications to be made as soon as an unconditional offer letter has been issued from UON.
You can only apply for Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance after you receive your offer. Additional details and information required for applying an ATAS certificate will be stated in your unconditional offer letter.
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The University’s APCL Policy shall apply to students wishing to transfer on to a Professional Doctorate programme and if they wish to transfer during the research thesis module the following procedure will also apply. We are unable to consider APEL for any Professional Doctorate programme.
Students applying to transfer their registration on a programme at another institution can do so at any point prior to transfer to a named award and must be registered for a minimum of two years prior to the submission of the thesis. Following enrolment, the initial project approval will confirm the supervisory team and resource requirements as described in the Postgraduate Research Registration and Progression Policy. Following this the student will be required to apply for Transfer of Registration as described in the Postgraduate Research Registration and Progression policy. Even if this process has been carried out at your previous institution. There will be no minimum period for Transfer of Registration, but the maximum periods shall apply.
This is open to all applicants including International, but there might be VISA implications, which you may need to investigate in the first instance. All applicants should submit a transfer statement along with their application.
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Once you have written, polished and gathered all the documents you need, it’s time to submit your application! Our Research applications are done through the university’s application portal. Which allows you to start your application and come back to it later, so don’t feel like you must submit everything all in one go. This is a free online application service.
To find the links for application, please refer to your chosen research area’s course page. Course pages also contain any relevant deadline dates.
We look forward to receiving your application.
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Once you have decided which research degree you want to apply for, and know that you’re eligible, it’s time to look more deeply at the financial practicalities. It is important to check the tuition fee amount as these will differ depending on the course, how you study and your applicant fee status.
Fee Information
If your application is successful, you will have your fee status assessed. Research tuition fees in the UK will be more expensive for international students than for home students. If your fee status is unclear, we will ask you to complete a questionnaire. If you disagree with the outcome of your fee status assessment, you can appeal. Information about research degree tuition fees can be found on our website.
As a research student you will need to cover tuition fees, living expenses and any other unforeseen costs such as books, equipment, travel, and conferencing fees. Knowing your potential funding options can help you plan.
Funding options
While all research applicants hope to be fully funded. Receiving fully funded studentships can be very competitive, so make sure you investigate all your options and find out what financial help is available.
There are various funding options available to Research students – here are the main ones:
- Charities, trusts, societies, and employers – some independent organisations offer to partially (and sometimes fully) fund research students if their research correlates with the groups’ interests. Support is available for a large variety of subjects so make sure to do some research.
- Doctoral loans – The UK government offers doctoral loans to English and Welsh research students. A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study. This might not cover the full cost of a degree. Students wishing to self-fund with the help of a doctoral loan will potentially have to take up part-time work.
- Research councils – there are seven research councils in the UK that can provide funding for research students, these are:
- Scholarship and bursaries funding – At the University of Northampton we receive generous support from charities, partners and individuals, which means we can offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries.
- Self -funding – as a postgraduate student, you may have saved up money through work to enable you to self-fund your degree.
- Studentships – Are a great option as they generally cover costs of studying which include fees, maintenance grants and project budgets to cover costs of travel and subsistence, please refer to the job advert for specific details regarding what the Studentship entails and the costs covered. Studentship for Northampton are advertised at www.jobs.ac.uk.
- Tuition Fee Discount – At the University of Northampton, we offer a variety of discounts on tuition fees depending on circumstance.
If you are applying for funding, please make sure you read the funding requirements and check for deadline dates on the funder’s website. They may have separate rules and requirements from the university and may have a different application system. Please visit the funding page for more details on how to fund your study at UON.
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We’re committed to providing a study and work environment that is led by our values of equality, diversity, and inclusion in higher education. You can read about our commitment to equal opportunities.
We encourage postgraduate applications from all sections of the community, regardless of:
- sex
- marital status
- age
- responsibility for dependents
- socio-economic status
- race
- colour
- ethnic or national origin
- sexual orientation, or
- disability
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The University of Northampton offers you extensive support throughout your studies. We have a range of support and services available to help ensure that your time at the University is as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. Our services offer support in many areas including academic, mental and physical health, disabilities, and general student support.
We work hard to ensure that, as far as possible, students with disabilities can study successfully with us.
If you have additional needs for your postgraduate study, we advise that you contact the Additional Student Support and Inclusion Services Team (ASSIST) or course tutor as early as possible. You can discuss your needs and visit the University to assess the facilities if necessary.
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Our Applicant with Criminal Convictions Policy details how we handle our applicants who have criminal convictions. This includes:
- Which applicants need to declare criminal conviction(s)
- What happens if you are applying for a DBS programme and declare a criminal conviction(s)
- How we assess DBS check outcomes and self-declaration of criminal conviction(s)
- The below also provides additional information on what you may need to consider if you are making a postgraduate application and have a criminal conviction(s)
Non-DBS Programmes
If you are applying for a Non-DBS Programme (e.g. the programme does not require you to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check) and have a criminal conviction:
- You will not need to declare any criminal convictions during the admissions/application process
- You may be required to declare criminal convictions during other processes (e.g. accommodation application). However, this falls outside of the admissions process
- You must do your own research to determine whether your criminal conviction may prevent you working in your chosen profession. This might include contacting relevant professional bodies, regulatory authorities, or accreditation bodies
We encourage you to contact us on admissionsconfidential@northampton.ac.uk if there is anything about your conviction/ licence/probation rules etc which we may need to consider. We won’t need to know the details of your conviction. However, we might need to know the rules or requirements surrounding your conviction/license/probation. This is so we can consider whether we can make reasonable adjustments so that you can study with us. This may include (but is not limited to):
- You can only attend on certain days/times due to release or probation requirements/rules
- You are not permitted to access certain resources or the internet
DBS Programmes
If you are applying for a DBS course (e.g. the programme requires you to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check) and you have a criminal conviction:
- You will need to declare yes on your application (UCAS or Direct Application) if you have a criminal conviction which would appear on an enhanced DBS check. If you answer yes, we will send you a letter detailing how we will handle your declaration
- If you receive an offer from us and make us your FIRM choice, we will contact you to complete a DBS check prior to enrolment. Upon receipt of your DBS outcome (or if we ask you to self-declare e.g. due to a late application), a Criminal Convictions Panel will make an assessment of your criminal conviction(s) and whether you can study with us
We also advise that:
- You must do your own research to determine whether your criminal conviction may prevent you working in your chosen profession. This might include contacting relevant professional bodies, regulatory authorities, or accreditation bodies
- You may be required to declare criminal convictions during other processes (e.g. accommodation application) however this falls outside of the admissions process
Additional information about your university application
If you need additional support or information then you may wish to consider contacting Unlock or Nacro. They will provide support and information for individuals with criminal convictions.
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Consideration, Interviews and Off-site study
When should you hear back about your Research application? What do I need to do next?
The Admissions Office will process your application which includes determining if a qualification check is required. We will then forward your application on to the relevant faculty for consideration. Only fully-completed applications with all required documents will be submitted to the faculties for consideration.
Please note that the application process to an official offer, providing you are successful through all the relevant stages will take around 7 weeks due to the number of processes involved.Consideration by potential supervisors
At this stage the faculty shall consider the quality of the application and whether it has the supervisory capacity and specific expertise and an appropriate research environment to support the proposed research activity.
If the faculty has the capacity and expertise to support your proposal and if they consider your proposal to be appropriate for a research degree then you will be invited to an interview. The Admissions office will be notified of this decision and process the application accordingly.
Unsuccessful candidates at this stage, shall be advised by the Admissions Office with any relevant feedback.
Interviews
Unlike undergraduate degrees and many masters degrees, you will need to have a interview as part of your application, if the potential supervisors are able to support your research activity. If you’ve not had a university interview before, make sure you prepare well for it.
Ensure you read up on anything you mentioned in your application and have good solid reasons for why you wish to do a research degree, and why you’ve chosen to do it in that research area at the University of Northampton.
You should already know by now what it takes to study a research degree and be able to answer convincingly when asked about these things during your interview.
All applicants eligible for interview, shall be interviewed by a formally constituted interview panel. Interviews are organised by the Faculty Level 8 Leader, or nominee, and shall comprise at least two persons including the Faculty Level 8 Leader or nominee, and for PhD/MPhil a proposed Director of Studies. For PhD/MPhil, where the proposed First Supervisor is not the Director of Studies this person should also be in attendance.
On conclusion of the Interview the admissions office will be notified of the Panel’s decision. No decision shall be made to the student at interview.
Off-site study
As normal practice, students studying for a research degree shall receive supervision, support, and training at our waterside campus.
Approval for a student to study off-site, whether elsewhere in the UK or overseas shall be considered as a special dispensation that can be granted by the Research Degrees Committee as part of the application process. In such cases, at application the student and proposed supervisory team shall be required to provide documentation that demonstrates the manner in which appropriate research degrees supervision shall be sustained within and by a suitable research environment, the ways in which research training shall be provided and fulfilled, particularly discipline-based training, and the procedures that shall be set in place to monitor student progress and to provide routine support to that student.
This information will be provided to the Admissions office as part of the Interview feedback from the faculty and will then need to go to our Research Degrees Committee for approval of the arrangements for off-site study prior to enrolment.
Please note that whilst off-site study maybe be granted, you may still be expected to attend campus for the Induction and other training offered at UON.
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On receipt of interview feedback, if all entry requirements have been met, the Admissions Office shall make a formal offer to the applicant. We will notify you through our applicant portal if we decide to offer you a place.
Your offer may include conditions – for example, completing your undergraduate or Masters degree with a certain grade or meeting our English language requirements or providing any additional documents. If your offer is conditional, you should send in your results by email as soon as they are available, you must fulfil your conditions before your offer of a place is confirmed.
If you are unconditionally accepted, an unconditional offer and any additional information you require will be sent to you.
If you decide to accept our offer, you can do so by using the applicant portal. You can still accept your offer even if you have not yet secured funding. However, you should have funding in place when you start at UON.
If you are unable to take up your place, you can request to defer your entry to another available entry point (up to a maximum of one academic year).Deferral requests are subject to approval from the Supervisory team and should be sent in writing to the Admissions team at pgradmissions@northampton.ac.uk.
If an applicant has been unsuccessful at this stage the Admissions Office shall formally advise the applicant that they have been unsuccessful in writing with any feedback provided from the faculty.
The Admissions office is responsible for sending out all correspondence relating to formal offers and acceptance, as well as sending information on accommodation, visa requirements and other important issues.
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Once an applicant has been unconditionally accepted and accepted their offer, they will be eligible to enrol. At this stage, fees will become payable. Please contact our Finance Office at income@northampton.ac.uk, regarding any fee related enquiries.
The Admissions office will contact you to complete your Pre-enrolment and the Graduate School will inform you of the upcoming induction event.
You will be sent information about joining us in the months before you start your research.
Pre-enrolment
For all students part of the registration process is completed online, known as Pre-enrolment.
Pre-enrolment opens in:
- September, if you are starting in October
- February, if you are starting in March
The Admissions Office is responsible for inviting students to complete Pre-enrolment. This must be completed for a student to enrol at the University.
Enrolment
Applicants who are Unconditional or Unconditional Firm are eligible to attend enrolment. Applicants at other stages of the application process or Enquirers who are yet to make an application may be turned away from Enrolment and Induction.
Applicants will also be invited to book onto a relevant enrolment session and will be sent webpage links setting out the induction programme. It is worth noting that some programmes to do not allow students to enrol late, therefore you should always try to make your specific enrolment session or enrol at Welcome Weekend.
If you are an international student and you need a visa to study in the UK, you complete most of the registration process online. To register, you need to attend in person, so we can take a copy of your passport and visa.
The Graduate School will invite the applicants to an enrolment session and send information about the induction.
Enrolment is overseen by the Student Information Team and the Graduate School. Induction programmes are the responsibility of our Graduate School, these can be found on the New Student pages.
Induction
We have two intakes a year, one in March and one in October.
All PhD and MPhil students are required to attend an induction, this is a compulsory requirement for your programme. The induction ensures that you are ready to get started with your degree.
You will be given an excellent springboard from which to start your studies through our four-day induction programme. This delivers hands-on skills workshops, orientation, an introduction to support systems and sessions where you can meet staff, plus an opportunity to present your research to other students. A Faculty-based induction on the fifth day introduces you to the facilities, development events, staff and other PGRs in your faculty.
Other Research programmes and opportunities at Northampton
Visiting Research Students
At the University we allow Research students from the around the world and those based in the UK, the opportunity to study alongside one of our academics for a 6-month period.
If you would like to be a Visiting Research Student at the University of Northampton, you must first complete the following steps:
- Contact a UON academic member of staff to discuss the possibility of attending UON as a Visiting Research Student.
- Complete the expression of interest request form.
We would recommend that the above steps take place 6 months prior to your preferred start date.
Once your completed interest form has been received by the Admissions office and your details verified with your chosen academic, we will then contact you with regards to making an application. If you have any further questions regarding being a Visiting Research student at the University of Northampton, then please email pgradmissions@northampton.ac.uk.
Further Information
The University of Northampton is committed to delivering outstanding life-changing research and undertakes research in all the main areas of academic activity.
You can find information about our academic and postgraduate researchers, research activities, outputs, Research Institutes and Centres on our website. We are committed to delivering outstanding research that makes a difference to society. Our Research Institutes and Centres work closely with external partner organizations, locally, nationally and internationally. We produce internationally renowned and relevant research and disseminate knowledge on an international scale.
The University’s Academic Regulations, Admissions Policy and Postgraduate Research Policies are all available on the University policies, procedures and regulations page.
After you have applied, you can use the Applicant Portal to review the status of your application, update your contact Information, complete and review Admissions tasks sent to you by the Admissions office, and accept offers and Interview invites, if applicable.
Find out more about research at the University of Northampton and our Graduate School
For all other enquiries please please visit Ask Us for information and support or contact our Course enquiries team by email study@northampton.ac.uk or call 0300 303 2772.