Research degrees

Postgraduate research degrees involve an extended period of intensive and independent research.

You can take different routes into academic research at different study levels depending on your objectives and personal circumstances. 

You will join a vibrant and inspiring research community and develop research and transferable skills, which you can apply to: 

  • academic life
  • your current employment
  • careers outside of academia

Doctoral level research degrees

A doctorate is any qualification that awards a doctoral degree. Doctoral research degrees are the highest level of academic qualification.  

PhD 

What a PhD is 

A PhD is a doctoral level research degree which provides a significant contribution of original knowledge to your field. It is the most common type of doctorate and usually requires three to four years of full-time study or six to eight years of part-time study.  

The two routes of PhD research 

There are two routes for PhD research. A PhD may offer one or both of these routes: 

  • project-based PhD research: This consists of advertised opportunities for projects already developed by universities, research councils or other institutions (this applies to most STEM PhDs). These might be fully funded, partly funded or do not have funding associated with them. 

Find PhD projects and other research opportunities 

  • self-directed research: This means you will develop your own research idea and find funding. 

Propose your own research 

If both routes are available, you need to select one of the two options. 

Professional doctorates 

Professional doctorates are aimed at working professionals and act as alternatives to the traditional academic PhD. However, the qualification is equivalent in status to a PhD.  

Professional doctorates usually combine taught elements with research. This is different from a traditional PhD which normally involves no taught element and focuses on academic research. 

You may also see professional doctorates referred to as: 

  • doctorate by practice
  • industrial doctorate
  • taught doctorate 

You can study a professional doctorate over a number of years. It might take two to five years to complete if you study full-time, or two to eight years if you study part-time.  

There are two main reasons why you might choose to study for a professional doctorate:  

  • as a compulsory requirement for professional registration in your field
  • as a form of professional development and an opportunity to contribute original knowledge to your field or industry 

Examples of professional doctorates include: 

PhDs through doctoral training centres and partnerships 

Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) are research collaborations between two or more organisations, usually, universities, research centres and industry partners. DTCs are sometimes referred to as ‘Centres for Doctoral Training’ (CDTs). 

You may also come across ‘Doctoral Training Partnerships’ (DTPs). DTPs are similar to DTCs, but DTPs tend to include an internship or placement as part of the training, which DTCs do not usually offer. 

DTCs and DTPs are funded by research councils and other bodies, and offer four-year programmes that focus on your development into an independent researcher.  

Studying for a PhD through a DTC or DTP is different to studying for a traditional PhD. Rather than three years of independent research, a DTC or DTP is a four-year programme that:  

  • focuses on your development into an independent researcher
  • is organised in cohorts, which means you will start at the same time and work alongside other students at the same level as you, rather than working individually
  • provides guidance by an expert supervision team rather than an individual academic 

The exact structure of a DTC or DTP will vary depending on the programme. A DTC or DTP programme will usually consist of either: 

  • four years of PhD research (or eight years if you study part-time)
  • one year of MScR study with three years of PhD research (two years of MScR and six years of PhD study if you study part-time) 

You should check the content and structure of the doctoral training programme you are interested in for specific details.  

Search for doctoral training programmes  

You can find general details about the centres and partnerships we host or are members of on the Doctoral College website.  

Doctoral Training Centres

Masters level research degrees

Masters by Research (MScR) 

A Masters by Research (MScR) aims to develop your research skills and is good preparation for PhD study. Other universities might call this degree an MRes or MARes (in arts and humanities). 

MScR degrees at Edinburgh: 

  • are usually studied full-time for one year or part-time for two years
  • consist mainly or entirely of research project work
  • usually end with a final research project or dissertation
  • are studied on their own (but some PhD programmes have an MScR for the first year) 

If you are unsure whether a PhD is right for you, an MScR can give you useful experience of what studying for a doctorate might be like, while at the same time allowing you to earn a valuable masters level qualification.  

You may need to write a research proposal and find a supervisor when applying for MScR programmes. Check the degree finder to see the requirements for the programme you are interested in. 

How to propose your own research

Master of Philosophy 

An MPhil (Master of Philosophy) award is an advanced research qualification that can either be a standalone programme or can get awarded to students who have completed the first two years of a PhD programme, but ultimately decide not to finish the full doctorate. 

MPhil programmes at Edinburgh:  

  • are significant pieces of research, but unlike a PhD do not need to contribute original knowledge to your field
  • are usually studied for two years full-time or part-time for four years
  • involve minimal or no taught elements
  • usually end with a thesis at the end of the research project, or with a practical element (for example, a portfolio) and a thesis for programmes with a practice-based approach 

You usually need to submit a research proposal and find a supervisor. 

How to propose your own research 

You should check the programme entry in our degree finder for specific details. 

Find research programmes in our degree finder

Next steps: find a research programme and apply

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