Graduate School

Research degrees entry requirements

For guidance on your ability to meet the entry qualifications indicated below, please discuss your application initially with the school or department you are interested in.

General requirements: MPhil, PhD, New Route PhD, MD

You will be eligible for entry to a MPhil, PhD, New Route PhD or MD programme if:

• you hold a good first degree from an internationally recognised university (for an MD the first degree must be in a clinical subject)
• you can demonstrate that the subjects studied for your first degree provide a sufficient basis for postgraduate research in the area of the topic chosen
• or, in exceptional circumstances, you have a recognised professional qualification.

Language requirements

All students must have sufficient command of the English language to complete and defend their theses in English.

For students for whom English is not their first language, the University of Portsmouth requires recent evidence of English language ability to at least IELTS level 6.5 or TOEFL 600 standard (or equivalent) across all of our research degrees programmes. Pre-sessional courses in English for academic purposes are available for candidates seeking to meet this requirement.

Research taking place Overseas

If you are seeking approval to undertake your programme of research outside the United Kingdom, you must provide evidence to the University that you will be supported by satisfactory local research and supervisory facilities. You will also need to ensure that your funding arrangements will allow this arrangement. If approved, you would normally be expected to spend an agreed period at the University in each year of full time study. You would also be expected to take the oral examination (Viva Voce) in the University.