Should I do a doctorate?
Helping you to make an informed decision
- What is a doctorate and what does it involve?
- Doing a doctorate – the financial aspects
- Finding the right institution
- How to apply and funding
- What is required from you – the Vitae RDF
- Researchers’ stories – read how other researchers decided to start their doctorates
Should I do a doctorate?
Maybe you’ve just finished your Master’s degree and are thinking, ‘What’s next?’
Or have you secured a new job, for which your employer will fund you to do a part-time PhD?
There are many reasons to do a doctorate, from career-advancement reasons, other professional development reasons, financial reasons and other life circumstances.
You possibly have a lot of questions as to how, and why, you should take on a doctorate. Luckily, we have the resources and guides to help you.
What is a doctorate?
Different from an undergraduate (Bachelor’s) or postgraduate (Master’s) degree, a doctorate involves creating new knowledge or applying existing knowledge in a new way. In the UK there is usually little to no taught element to a doctorate.
- A doctorate is the undertaking and completion of a PhD – (a Doctor of Philosophy or DPhil), which is a terminal degree, meaning that it is the highest awarded degree that can be awarded.
- It is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. PhDs are awarded across the whole range of academic disciplines.
- As a research degree, doctoral candidates are required to produce original research, which normally takes the form of a dissertation. In some cases, doctoral candidates must defend their work before a panel of other experts in the field.
- The completion of a PhD is required for employment as a university professor, researcher, or scientist.
- There is another type of PhD – Professional or practice-based doctorates (EdD, DBA, DSocSci, DProf), undertaken by mid-career professionals as continuing professional development.
What does doing a doctorate involve?
A doctorate involves researching on a specific topic in your chosen field to create an original contribution to knowledge.
In the UK, there is usually little or no taught element, therefore the doctorate is a self-motivated project of study. However, usually doctoral students are supervised by one or more academic supervisors. Make the most out of your relationship to your supervisor and choose them wisely. Additional mentors and training from your university or institution is also usually available.
To gain a doctoral degree, you will need to:
- Conceptualise, design and implement a project to generate new knowledge or understanding
- Create or interpret new knowledge – either through original research or other advanced scholarship
- Build an understanding of techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.
Doing a doctorate – the financial aspects
The main challenge for researchers looking to start their doctoral degree is securing funding. Doctoral candidates need to ensure that your funding is sufficient to cover your fees and the costs of your programme, including living and accommodation costs. Below, we look at the finances as they relate to doing a doctorate in the UK.
Fees and funding
Things to consider when thinking about fees and funding for doing a doctorate in the UK:
- What is covered by the programme fees, and what extra costs might you be liable for?
- What other expenses would you need to cover – e.g. research equipment, conference attendance etc. Would your funding source/department be able to fund these?
- If you needed an extension beyond the normal period of study, what fees could you be charged?
- Are there scholarships or bursaries available?
- Can you generate sources of income alongside your doctorate, such as teaching or part-time work?
- Does your research funding cover the entire period of your doctorate? If this runs out and you have yet to finish, what emergency funds can you access?
Costs of living and accommodation
- Does your institution offer any accommodation? If so, where is this located and how long would you be permitted to stay there?
- Is there suitable accommodation to accommodate any specific needs, such as a disability?
- Are there modes of accessible transport you can use, and would the costs of these be re-imbursed by your institution?
Working during your doctorate
If this is possible for you, could you generate an income to fund your doctorate? Examples mentioned above such as part-time teaching may help to offset the costs and provide invaluable experience. There are different rules for international students studying for a doctorate in the UK – check the Euraxess website for international students coming to the UK. Most universities have an international office, so check there for advice.
Although working during your doctorate provides you with an income and experience, some funders and universities may have rules that restrict the number of hours of paid work you can do. This especially applies to international doctoral candidates from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, as these students will need to know the restrictions placed upon them by their visas.
Finding the right institution to do your doctorate
Things to consider when choosing the institution which is right for you:
- Select an institution which has a department or unit that undertakes research in your subject/area, and which has staff engaged in that area of research. Don’t send unsolicited applications to UK universities if they do not have the right department and research staff to enable your research.
- Do thorough research on your preferred institutions’ departments – how many people are working in your research area? What support is available? How many of their researchers complete their PhDs? Try to arrange visits if possible or attend university open days to answer your questions.
Choosing your supervisor
- Choose a supervisor based on their previous or current research.
- What is their experience supervising doctoral researchers?
- Are they interested in supervising any more doctoral candidates? Would they have enough time to allocate to you?
- Talk to their current doctoral students and potentially find a substitute supervisor who could step in if something happens to your supervisor (such as they move away).
You are recommended to discuss with your supervisor:
- Whether your intended research project is realistic within a three-year doctoral programme
- If the necessary technical or research facilities are available
- If the concept is too ambitious, or not ambitious enough for a doctoral programme.
Choosing a suitable research project
UK universities choose doctoral candidates based on the credibility of the research idea.
Top tip
The extent to which you need to specify your potential research project will depend on the type of doctoral programme and the application route you are taking. If you are applying for a funded studentship, the project may already be specified and you are essentially making an application much as you would for a job.
You may be required to submit a research proposal, which would need to be discussed with a supervisor beforehand.
How to apply and funding
We recommend starting at least a year before you plan to start your doctorate to begin preparing for it.
In terms of when to apply, you will need to check with your chosen institution when they receive and assess applications. The first formal step is to then make an application through the institution’s website. All information to do this should be on the institution’s website.
How to apply and funding – what you need to provide
Usually, when applying, you will be asked to provide:
- Proof of degree attainment
- Academic or professional references
- Sample of prior research, writing or other work
- Evidence of previous research experience
- An outline of your proposed research project or idea
The application process
As part of the application process, you will most likely be interviewed by your potential supervisor and by other department and faculty members.
In some cases, if your application is accepted, you may then have to apply for funding separately.
For international students coming to the UK, other issues such as applying for a visa and proof of English language proficiency will be required.
The application process – a list of resources to help international students:
You can also refer to your institution’s website for guidance.
- EURAXESS UK – advice for international researchers
- Education UK (British Council) – advice for international students
- UKCISA – the UK Council for International Student Affairs
- UK Government Visas and Immigration service
Funding your doctorate
There is no centralised application system for applying to do a doctorate in the UK. There are various ways to fund your PhD, including self-funding, but there are two main patterns of application which we focus on here:
- Applying for a funded doctoral programme
- Applying for a doctorate that is yet to be funded
Applying for a funded programme
An institution will have a series of doctoral project opportunities (referred to as ‘studentships’), for which it already has funding for. These are available to apply for by multiple applicants.
Applying for a funded programme – opportunities
These opportunities can be found via:
- The relevant university’s website
- www.jobs.ac.uk
- www.timeshighereducation.co.uk
Yet-to-be funded doctorate programmes
This is usually a two-stage process, where firstly you apply to an institution, and then if they accept you as a potential doctoral candidate, they or you, seek funding afterwards. This route may take longer and is more complex than applying for a programme that is already funded.
Giving yourself the best chance for applying to doctorate programmes
- Start preparing early – about a year in advance
- Be proactive and prepared to do a lot of the groundwork yourself
- Have a good idea of the field you want to research
- Have a short list of institutions/universities that offer doctoral programmes in your field
- Know something about how doctorates are funded.
Who provides funding for UK doctorates?
Sources of funding for UK doctorates include:
- UK Research Councils
- Certain charities or other funding bodies
- Industry
- Overseas governments
- European Union initiatives
- The Universities’ own funds
- Self-funded by the doctoral researcher
- Funded by an employer
Funding bodies support doctoral researchers in different ways:
- Some will pay programme fees and also a stipend (i.e. to cover your living costs and expenses)
- Some will only pay programme fees
- Others will only make a one-off award.
- Each funding body will have its own criteria for eligibility, so check up on what these are.
UK Research Councils
The UK Research Councils make their funding available through the participating universities rather than directly to doctoral researchers. Research Council awards cover university fees, as well as provide an annual stipend for the doctoral researcher, which is paid tax-free.
The 7 UK Research Councils are:
The 7 UK Research Councils are:
- Arts and Humanities Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Medical Research Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
What is required from you – including the Vitae RDF
Doing a doctorate is a big commitment; in the UK it can take at least three years to complete full-time, and potentially up to seven years part-time. Overseas it can take longer. Because of this, it’s vital to be clear on why you are doing a doctorate, and how it will help you longer term in your career.
What is required from you – including the Vitae RDF
Reflect on your values, capabilities and knowledge. Understand what the principles are for how you live your life, and what drives you to make your decisions. Work must fit with our values or motivations otherwise it’s likely that disillusionment can settle in.
There needs to be an alignment with your personal attributes and capabilities with what is required to undertake and succeed in obtaining a doctorate.
The Vitae Researcher Development Framework
Have a look at the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF). It’s a useful tool which sets out the skills, behaviour and knowledge required to successfully complete a doctorate, or to become a successful researcher. You can take aspects of the RDF and apply them to your research, as the important point is to use it as a starting point for your professional development.
Things to takeaway
- A doctorate involves creating new knowledge or applying existing knowledge in a new way. In the UK there is usually little to no taught element to a doctorate.
- Doctoral candidates need to ensure that your funding is sufficient to cover your fees and the costs of your programme, including living and accommodation costs.
- Although working during your doctorate provides you with an income and experience, some funders and universities may have rules that restrict the number of hours of paid work you can do.
- Start preparing early – about a year in advance, if you are going to apply for a doctorate.
- Have a look at the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF). It’s a useful tool which sets out the skills, behaviour and knowledge required to successfully complete a doctorate, or to become a successful researcher.
Researchers’ stories – read how other researchers decided to start their doctorates
For further inspiration and advice, have a look at our selection of researchers’ stories below, which outline how they each decided pursuing a doctorate was right for them.