I have access to this paper, how to I send it to you?

Do you have a scholarship?
I would go for University College London if it's fully funded PhD

It's really getting out of hand. They need to be purged as soon as they get posted and posters of such banned

Congrats!
May I ask you few questions for the sake of our colleagues who're still searching for PhD studentships
1) Was this your first PhD application?
2) Is the university which has offered you the studentship the same as one where you pursued your undergraduate?

Congrats once more!!!

I think you need to tell us some basic background information like; status of funding ( whether self funded or on scholarship), duration of your visa and country where you're pursuing your PhD.

Assuming you're studying in the UK, I am pretty sure you were given a four year visa, that's the standard for Tier 4. Having already spent a year, it means you have 3 years left. But the UK Border Agency (UKBA) rules state that when you change universities, your current visa automatically becomes invalid. You will need to obtain a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number from your new university and depending on your subject area, you may require to apply for Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS).

To comply with the UKBA policy, universities are required to monitor the Non-EU students' attendance. Students are required to sign-in with their university fortnightly. You must be aware that in order for your current university to keep their UKBA sponsorship, they're mandated to report you to UKBA once the withdraw/termination of your studies is formalised. Once that's done, in the eyes of the UKBA, you will have no right to remain in the UK.

I take it your background (undergrad) is Civil Engineering. Both fields (civil & physics) are quite diverse, you would do well to elaborate what key fields you are keen to go in. You may also be aware that admission to either of the above would require meeting certain prerequisites. Under civil engineering we have structural, hydrology/water, environmental, construction, geotechnical, etc. Physics can also have various specializations like nuclear, quantum, medical, plasma, to mention but a few. If your undergraduate was in civil with a bias towards structural, it'll be extremely difficult to be admitted into MSc Physics specializing in medical physics.

I hope my comment will not be viewed as controversial.
Here is the little observation I have made; when you check on many research groups you will see that there's a connection between most Supervisors (or Principal investigators) and their PhD students or Post Docs. Most people will agree with me that a foreign supervisor is more likely to recruit his/her compatriot over other nationalities. Take a walk or browse through most research groups and you will see this trend. The other trend is that, a supervisor is more likely to recruit a student whom he/she has had previous working relationship either as a former student at undergrad or MSc level.

This post is not intended to be disrespectful or to incite hatred against hard-working foreign academics, but merely to highlight the fact that academics enjoy academic freedom and that includes right to recruit anyone especially those whom they feel will be successful. That partly explains why most of us have to churn out 50 or so applications before being successful.

My University is also offering the programme. The first module starts next month and I will taking part, who knows what may happen in future. I am in first year of my PhD and I think starting this PGCTHE early will be good for me as it will be spread over a three year period.

I received at least 50 rejections between 2011-2013 before finally landing one in May last year. I made a bulk of applications to UK, EU, USA and Australian universities. I was luck to have former professors who never got tired of writing references for me and kept on encouraging me to continue applying. Being a non-EU applicant, my options for funded opportunities in UK universities were quite slim because of the competitive nature of fewer slots available to international (Non-EU) students.

I was shortlisted and interviewed on several occasions via Skype and phone. I figured out that I was bit apprehensive and jittery during most of the interviews and I am pretty certain that contributed to my rejections. I also got some valuable feedback from some professors who told me that despite my good academic results (Bachelor+MSc), most of which hinged on publications. I didn't have any publications, and that is a factor in my field (engineering). They were actually right, supervisors would rather pick someone who has published some papers in reputable journals over a candidate with none.

But I learnt some valuable lessons from failed interviews and rejections and that gave me the opportunity to take stock of my performances. I was more than delighted when I received an email from a UK university in May 2013 asking me to accept or reject the offer. I couldn't believe my eyes initially. That was the best day in my life.

In my view, there are several PhD opportunities in UK especially if you're a UK/EU student.

In 2011, I turned down a PhD offer in Japan in preference to UK. I had just received an offer from Japan when a professor from a UK university approached my professor to recommend a student to work under him. I was recommended and was asked to submit my CV and relevant papers to the UK professor and had a wee interview with him. He was impressed with my background and promised me that I was going to enroll in September 2011 and he was just working on few "administrative issues" before everything could be finalised. I then decided to inform the university in Japan that I was not taking up their offer. Mistake!! After a few weeks, the UK prof sent me an e-mail that he had just applied for funding from EU and asked me not to worry. Wrong!!!! In September, I was still waiting, was told I was going to enroll in January 2012. January came and went, next I received an email around March that he was leaving the university to take up an appointment in another university. That was it, it took me 2 years to finally get a fully funded PhD offer.

May be you will identify yourself with my situation. Here is my story; I was lucky to have been offered a fully funded scholarship by the University which I accepted, even though I didn't like the topic initially. I faced some dilemma when another university, a more prestigious one, with a topic that was close to my heart gave me an offer a month later but with a partial scholarship (partial tuition and full stipend). I decided to go for the fully funded position. It's now 6 months down the line, I have come to love the topic, the research group (Engineering) is fantastic and my supervisor has been very helpful . Got to say I made the right decision, no regrets.

Hi,
Is the MPhil a funded programme or you will have to pay for yourself?
If it's fully funded, consider taking it up. Probably the Professor would like to gauge your capabilities, if you impress, chances are that come second year, you may be upgraded to PhD. Like I mentioned in one of your other posts, don't relent, continue applying despite rejections.

In my University (in UK), when attending PhD research skills seminars and workshops, I always meet many students who are in 40s and 50s. Some of them are university staff with Masters degree and upgrading to PhD. In my view PhD has nothing to do with age, it's about the drive and passion that you have.

Is there any possibility of pursuing the PGCE on part-time basis?
Most part-time programmes take two years, so by the time your post-doc contract draws to a close, you will be winding up with your PGCE programme.

I was asked the same question during one of my numerous phone interviews, i.e if I was willing to pursue an MPhil and my response was a big NO!! A week later, I got a rejection!!! Never give up!!