Entry and Eligibility Criteria

Please carefully read this section to find out about our entry and eligibility criteria.

UKRI Funding Eligibility

The E5 DTP studentships are regulated by the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions. This is to be read in combination with the UKRI Training Grant Guidance document.

Applicants from all citizenships and fee statuses are eligible to apply for a fully-funded UKRI studentship, provided they meet the PhD entry requirements set by the University of Edinburgh (see the section on entry requirements).

However, international students should be aware that there are additional considerations, which are outlined below.

International Applicants and UKRI-funded studentships

International students are eligible to apply for a UKRI-funded postgraduate studentships. The studentships include stipend to support UK living costs, UK-rate Home tuition fees and research costs to support the project as relevant. The UKRI-funded studentships do NOT include visa costs, the IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge)​​​​​, flights or other costs incurred by moving to the UK.

The University of Edinburgh will cover the difference between Home fees and International fees meaning that it will not be necessary for E5 DTP International applicants who will be offered an E5 DTP project at the end of our recruitment process to find additional funding to cover the home/international fees gap.

However, it is important to note that UKRI restricts the number of international students that DTPs can take on board to a maximum of 30% of their overall students’ number per cohort.

Please note: For 2025 entry, all International applicants MUST be pre-nominated by their prospective supervisor before submitting an application.  This means that before you apply, you should contact the lead supervisor of your chosen project to start a discussion about the project and assess whether it aligns with your interests and skills.  

The lead supervisor will then guide you on the next steps, including whether they encourage you to formally apply for the project. Once they have agreed to nominate you, they will inform you that you can proceed with your application.

Please note that supervisors can only nominate a limited number of students for each project. Therefore, it is important to establish this connection as early as possible to ensure a smooth application process.

Part-time study

Part-time study is possible but only available for students who do NOT need a Visa to come study in the UK. Students who would like to consider part-time studies are encouraged to discuss with the supervisor of the project(s) they are applying for as this will require their full approval.

Fees status category

 Applicants may fall into different fee status categories.  For guidance on these categories, please refer to the University of Edinburgh guidance.
The E5 DTP Admissions Team will pre-assess your fee status during the application stage and may contact you to clarify your your circumstances after reviewing your application. The final fee status will be confirmed by the University of Edinburgh at the time of your administrative application (if/when you are offered a place).  You may also be asked to complete a Fee Status Questionnaire to assist the University admissions team in determining your fee status at that time. 

There are exceptions for migrant workers, family of UK nationals, dual UK/EU nationals, asylum seekers and refugees and further guidance on the definition of a UK absence for UK nationals. See Annex B of the UKRI Training Grant Guidance document. 

Entry Requirements

Academic Eligibility Criteria

We would normally require applicants to have a minimum of 2.1 undergraduate degree or equivalent. However, we may take relevant work experience and/or a Master's degree into account.

The E5 DTP aims to recruit PhD students from a diverse range of backgrounds. Our selection process looks at both academic and professional experience, and we do not consider a Master's degree a requirement for application to an E5 studentship.

International applicants should refer to our Postgraduate Entry Requirement by Region directory to find out about international/UK degree equivalences.

English Language Requirements

Fieldwork in Mexico (photo G. Wells)
Fieldwork in Mexico (photo G. Wells)

All PhD applicants must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of their English language ability:

Degrees taught and assessed in English:

Degrees taught and assessed in English must be no more than 3.5 years old at the beginning of the degree programme.

English language tests:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 (at least 6.0 in each module)
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 92 (at least 20 in each module). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • CAE and CPE: total 176 (at least 169 in each module)
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components

Your English language qualification must be no more than 3.5 years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than 2 years old.

We don't need to see English Language Tests results at the time of the application but if we don't have it by the interview stage, we will only be able to issue a conditional funding offer. You will then be given a maximum of about two months (or by July at the latest) to provide a suitable English Language Test certificate. 

Applicants who already have an English Language Test fitting the above requirements can add it to their application when they submit but we recommend those who don't have a test yet to wait until the outcome of their written application is known (early February) before booking a test.

Please note that some of the organisations listed above offer online tests.

Postgraduate Studies English language requirements

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

Approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries

International Applicants

Selection Process

 

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