I am a recent MA graduate in Humanities and would like to know how to go about applying for a phd? My MA was self funded and so was easy enough to sort out but I was wondering how funding effects a phd application.

I am curious as to how the whole process starts and then finishes.

Just wondering if anyone can give me any pointers.

Hi,

I applied for two different PhDs.

One was a PhD area put forward by a university that suited my experience. For this I had to write a statement and fill in an online application. I was later called for an interview. The funding was from the uni itself and it was advertised as a funded PhD on www.jobs.ac.uk.

For the other one (at a different uni) I had to contact a potential supervisor with my proposal ideas. Once they agreed to supervise me, if I was successful, I sent them my proposal, which they helped me edit. Then I submitted the proposal and the online application form to the uni. I also filled in a research council application form for funding through that uni.
The uni accepted my proposal and gave me a provisional place for the next academic year. I then had to wait for the research council meetings to occur before I knew if I had funding for the place.

I bazaarly got offered both PhD places funded!!! I couldn't have been more surprised!! After an agonising week decision making I accepted the former offer. I then just politely declined the place at the other uni, both formally and personally to the potential supervisor explaining my reasoning.


Hope this helps and good luck :-)

wow, thanks will keep this in mind!

======= Date Modified 18 Mar 2011 07:56:56 =======
Ive finished a Masters also and am applying for a Phd. I will receive a research training scholarship (which pays for fees and includes small grants for conferences but does not include covering living expenses); I will be doing this part-time.

Because I'm not moving and was adamant that I wanted to be able to talk face to face with my supervisor regularly (found having the uni at a distance quite hard during Master's supervision), I applied to my local university which fortunately has a great research reputation.

I had to complete an expression of interest (which gave a brief outline of myself, qualifications, proposal and key authors I would be using). The uni then contacted me and suggested further contacts and potential supervisors-but I had a few weeks of to-ing and fro-ing with regard to emails, phone calls and an informal interview before they finally set me up with the person who I hope will be my new supervisor. We then took about two weeks to organise (formally) a time when we could both meet.

We have had a formal discussion (about an hour in length) and she has made suggestions for my proposal, which I will submit with my formal application and referees. She has also suggested two or three names for secondary supervisors (I have to ring and visit these people as well-gets complex doesn't it?!!). I was tossing up whether to do a professional doctorate or PhD but she has strongly encouraged me to apply for and complete a PhD after overlooking my initial expression of interest and after our discussion.

I am now in the process of finetuning my formal proposal (after considering all of her suggestions), contacting my old supervisor and another academic for references and hoping to organise a meeting with one of the suggested secondary supervisors. As I work full time and have a bit going on, I am hoping to have all of this completed by Easter so that the formal application and all the supporting material is formally submitted then. It's a lengthy process but I have decided to just really apply for this university for the reasons stated above. I am fairly confident I will be accepted, especially as I only require the research training fee costs and not a living stipend or scholarship. My potential supervisor was pretty excited about the whole idea so I think she will be keen and will fight in my corner if needs be. I am hoping that this process means that I can start later this year- ideally, I would like to commence formally around September. (Though I will do preparatory stuff before then).

It is certainly a 'full on' process just applying for the damn thing (and you have no real idea until you do apply). I remember thinking that I would just be going through the same sort of process as when applying for other degrees. (Very naive of me).

However, I know many people apply for more than one and think that this would be a really good idea, especially if you are looking for scholarships that include living costs and travel costs, etc. Best of luck to you btw(up):$

Hi there,

I just want to say thank you to share your experience as I`m thinking to do a Ph.D., but don`t know where to start really. Read your story a bit scared me away. How could I manage all this interview from long distance?!
But good to know, what could come with all these!