Research Degrees
The UK is a powerhouse for research and has been instrumental in a number of discoveries ranging from Newton's work on gravity and calculus to DNA and splitting the atom. There are two main programmes that students can undertake to gain their doctorates, these are the traditional PhD and the new route PhD.The Traditional PhD (pure research)
The traditional PhD is the most common way for students to complete their studies, but is often seen as the most daunting as one needs to find a suitable supervisor. It is imperative that one finds the right person to supervise one so as to ensure that you can successfully complete the programme. To do this, you need to write a proposal which will include a literature review, hypothesis, methodology and indicate what contribution you believe this research will make. The proposal is hugely important as it will highlight your understanding of the field and will show if you are sufficiently prepared to take on the PhD. The traditional PhD normally takes around 3 years to complete, but can be longer. Although this may sound frightening, do not worry. UKEAS has lots of experience in helping students prepare their proposals and find the right supervisor. Talk to your UKEAS counsellor to find out more.
The New Route PhD
Established in 2001, the course was designed to cater for overseas students that have not been exposed to the same level of research as their UK counterparts. The new route programme is completed over 4 years where students will have in depth tuition on their subject and will also be taught a variety of research techniques.
Part time PhD
In some instances, students are allowed to go to the UK for the 1st year of their PhD and are then allowed to return to their home country to collect data. This is often done at the discretion of the professor and is determined by the nature of the data that needs to be collected. Students will need to return to the UK to analyse the data and write up their thesis under the guidance of the professor.
Professional Doctorate in Business Administration, DBA
This programme is designed for people that have a lot of experience in the field of business and management and helps them to develop practical skills and ideas that can be applied to management theory. The programme is academically demanding but differs from the traditional PhD in that it does not prepare candidates to become research active or to lecture in the field of management.
Professional Doctorate in Education, EdD
This works in a similar way to the DBA in that it allows experienced individuals to examine and research issues in the field of education and allows them to develop new practical skills.
