Hi people, I have a question pertaining the right time to apply for a PhD. I am currently on my 2nd year of MSC and will be finishing late May 2009 and indeed would like to know if I can start applying for available opportunities right now or even approaching possible supervisors...any advice for this? I will appreciate. 8-)

Hi Benm,
It depends a bit on where you want to apply to, and on if you need funding or not.

Some places in the US close applications (for start in Autumn 2009) already in November or December 2008.

In the UK it tends to be more of a direct negotiation with your future supervisor. Often there is no clear-cut closing date for applications for PhD places. For example, I applied late March, and received an acceptance letter early June. A friend who started the same time with the same supervisor applied already in early January. If you have a particular supervisor in mind, it helps to apply early, because once they have accepted other students they will hesitate to take on more. Supervising is work for them and they are not supposed to take on too many students at once.

Early applications are also to be recommended in light of funding issues. In the UK the national Research Councils have closing dates for PhD studentship applications normally around early May. However, in many of those RCs, in order to apply, you need to already be accepted as a student by a recognised institution. Further, in some cases you need to first go through a university/department-internal competition for your future department to even put you forward for RC funding. Such internal competitions might have closing dates in late February. So you need to be accepted for a place in January, then get your future supervisor to endorse you for the internal competition in February, in order for you to be able to get an RC funding application in by May. Thus, if you are interested in RC funding, you'd have to get your application for the PhD place in early, so that you are accepted no later than early February (it often takes about two months to process applications - so apply by December).

There are other funding opportunities. University-internal studentships often have deadlines early June. Many are much earlier, though. My uni has internal deadlines in February for huge three-year studentships, in March for little grants up to one-off payments of £2000, and in June for one-year big grants (up to £8000 I think) but these you have no guarantee that they will be renewed in following years. All of these funds are highly competitive.

On the other hand, there are sometimes funded PhD places advertised, for example on this website. When you apply for these, you apply both for the place AND the funding at the same time - and/but it goes with a defined project, so you don't have to/can't choose your own. Such funded places are often advertised from about February onward, and some appear as late as July or August.

If you have certain potential supervisors in mind, I would advise you to contact them soon. If they know you already, just let them know that you would like to go on to a PhD and perhaps they will be able to inform you when an opportunity comes up. If they don't know you already, just send them an e-mail where you describe your research interests in a few words and ask them if they would consider taking you on as their student. It can't hurt and some great opportunities might come up!

Good luck!

Pressing the submit button on your application form isnt really applying, i think, so the 'process', as far as i would imagine takes a year. there are many who have done it in a few weeks, as technically the package takes only a few days to create. However, if you indeed are to spend some thoughtful time on your research interests, what 'really' appeals to you, who you would 'really' like to work with, and how you would get all oft his funded and from where, not to say approaching potential supervisors and schools, making a few phone calls and/or visits, and so forth, a year sounds good enough time.

You would probably look to join a phd in october 2009, so now seems a good time to do some soul searching abt what you would like to do, where you see yourself fitting in (depatmrments, research groups etc), drawing out a cv, writing introductiory letters to potential suoervisors reading some of their work etc. later, once the new 2008 session begins and the first few weeks of the mad opening term is over, you could start by contacting the people youd like to work with.

Then you may well have the early part of next yr to finalise the UK proposal, (keep in mind many fundign deadlines are in march, and they usually need a supoort note from the supervisor)...

Thank you very much! Will certainly take all your recommendations and move forward!

Thank you!(up)