Guide to postgraduate research applications

This section provides information on what to expect from postgraduate research in the College of Arts and Law and how to make an application. There is also detailed guidance on how to write a research proposal, which is a key part of applying for our research programmes and funding opportunities.

What to expect from a PhD/MA by Research

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest level of qualification awarded by universities in the UK, typically aimed at students who have successfully completed a Masters programme.

A PhD is awarded for the outcomes of intensive, independent study that demonstrates an original and significant contribution to knowledge in your chosen subject. You will be assessed at the end of the programme by a thesis of 80,000 words which will need to be deemed suitable for publication, in whole or in part in a learned journal or equivalent by your examiners. You will need to defend your thesis and demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of your subject at a viva voce (oral examination) before a panel of expert examiners.

By comparison, an MA by Research is a research-based Masters programme assessed by a thesis of 40,000 words. An oral examination may be held at the discretion of the examiners.

Unlike our postgraduate taught programmes, there are no formal lectures or seminars in a PhD or MA by Research, and your work is not formally examined until after your thesis has been submitted. Instead, our postgraduate research programmes provide you with the opportunity to undertake research under the expert guidance of a primary supervisor, co-supervisor and mentor, supported by complementary research training.

PhD and MA by Research programmes may start at any time of the year, though we strongly encourage students to begin their studies at the start of the UK academic year (September). We also offer flexibility in our programmes so that you can choose the mode of study that works for you - full-time, part-time, or distance learning. It usually takes three years (full-time) or six years (part-time) to complete a PhD, while the standard duration for an MA by Research is either one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).

Distance learning students will receive the same level of support and supervision as on-campus students, the only difference being that supervisory sessions will take place via audio and visual communication services such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, rather than in person. You will be funded to make one compulsory visit to the University per year of study (or every other year for part-time students), enabling you to meet your supervisory team, undertake intensive research skills training and make a start on your doctoral studies. You may also be invited to attend the University for annual meetings which give you the opportunity to interact with other research students both socially and academically, undertake important progress-review meetings and carry out any necessary training. For those studying a PhD, you will also generally be required to be present on campus for your viva voce (funded for travel and accommodation).

What is involved in a PhD/MA by Research?

Before you start

One of your main sources of support, inspiration and encouragement throughout your PhD/MA by Research programme will be your supervisory team. Establishing an effective working relationship is important for staying on top of your work and making the most of your research.

If you are planning to apply for a PhD/MA by Research programme, you should first make sure that the relevant department within the College of Arts and Law offers the necessary expertise. We ask that you identify an appropriate supervisor before you submit your application and contact them in the first instance to discuss your research proposal. If you experience any difficulties with the application process and contacting potential supervisors, please email: calpg-comms@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Your research proposal should be a short written document (approximately 1,000-1,500 words) which sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address. It should outline the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic, as well as demonstrate the originality of your proposed research. Further advice can be found on this page.

During your studies

Your supervisory team will meet with you at regular intervals throughout your PhD/MA by Research programme in order to offer guidance on how best to approach, implement and report on your research. Supervisory sessions for distance learning students will take place via audio and visual communication services such as Skype or Facetime, rather than on campus.

Although your supervisory team are there to help you to complete your research, postgraduate research students are expected to take full responsibility for their work. Therefore, you will need to develop your own timetable for academic study, planning and managing your research so that you can successfully complete your thesis on time.

The first year (or part-time equivalent) of a PhD usually consists of a literature review specific to your thesis and topic, along with any other relevant work or training that will prepare you for undertaking the bulk of your research in the second year, which is normally then written up in the third year. For an MA by Research, these timescales are condensed into one year (or two years if studying part time).

During the course of your studies your supervisory team may also encourage you to present your research to the wider academic community and to the general public at seminars and conferences, or even submit work for publication in specialist journals. You will also have opportunities for teaching, networking, and playing an active role in the College's vibrant postgraduate research community.

If you wish to proceed and submit an application, please refer to our six-step process for applying for PhD and MA by Research opportunities in Arts subject areas.

What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research.

Your research proposal should set out the central issues or questions that you intend to address. It should outline the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic, as well as demonstrate the originality of your proposed research.

The proposal also gives you an opportunity to show that you have the aptitude for postgraduate level research by demonstrating that you have the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, concisely and critically.

In addition, the proposal also helps us to match your research interest with an appropriate supervisor. The proposal is a key part of your application, on which potential supervisors will decide if your research is something they can support.

Research proposal preparation

The research proposal is an important document that you submit as part of the application process, so it is essential that you put sufficient time and energy into preparing it.

You should always remember the six 'P's of research proposal preparation:

Project - Why is your project worth investing in?
Person - Why are you the best person to deliver the project?
Preparation - How have you prepared for the project? What other training will you undertake in order to deliver the project?
Place - Why is the University of Birmingham the best place to undertake your research?
Passion - Does your passion for your subject and for conducting original research come through in the application?
Precision - Provide your reader with a very clear idea of what you are planning to do, why it is worthwhile, and how you plan to achieve your goals. Please bear in mind that your project must be achievable within the standard time frame and thesis word length.

Your research proposal should also demonstrate the following elements:

Originality - What is the 'gap' in knowledge that you wish to fill?
Feasibility - Show that your scope, timescale and resources are realistic. Reflect on the key questions that you are seeking to answer to ensure that your project is not too broad to be achievable.
Context - Situate your own research within a body of existing work.
Critical thinking - Identify issues and problems within the status quo.
Suitable supervision - Research the department you are applying to and show that your project fits with the research interests of a supervisor, and preferably also the wider department and University.
Ownership - Demonstrate your ability to take ownership of an independent research project and make a positive first impression of yourself as a potential research leader.
Impact - What are the benefits to wider society?
Why you? - Why are you the right person to undertake this research? How has your background prepared you for it?
Training needs - What further training will you need? How will you undertake this?
Interest - Demonstrate a passion for your research area, through specific examples.

We understand that you are likely to be developing your research topic, and we therefore recommend that you first contact a member of our staff with appropriate expertise to discuss your proposed research. If there is a good fit between your proposed research and our research strengths, we will be able to give you advice on a draft of your research proposal before you make a formal application. For details of our staff and their areas of expertise, please visit our staff pages.

What to include in a research proposal

You should check with each department to find out whether they provide a specific template for submission.

The word count for research proposals is typically 1,000-1,500 words for Arts programmes and around 2,500 words for Birmingham Law School programmes. Each subject area or department will have slightly different requirements for your research proposal, such as word length and the volume of literature review required. It is a good idea to contact the department before you apply.

Typically, your research proposal should include the following information:

1. Title

You should have a clear working title for your research, made up of key words that are relevant to your project. It should give an indication of the intent of your project, directing attention explicitly to the central issue that you will address. You will be able to revise your title during the course of your research if you are accepted for admission.

2. Research overview

You should provide a short overview of your research: the key issue(s) that you want to investigate, and why these are important. You should state why you have chosen to apply to the department. If you wish, you can refer to the research areas and priorities of a particular research group or supervisor.

3. Research context

A well-written introduction is an efficient way of getting your reader’s attention early on. This is your opportunity to answer the questions you considered when preparing your proposal: why is your research important? How does it fit into the existing strengths of the department? How will it add something new to the existing body of literature?

It is unlikely that you will be able to review all relevant literature at this stage, so you should explain the broad contextual background against which you will conduct your research. You should include a brief overview of the general area of study within which your proposed research falls, summarising the current state of knowledge and recent debates on the topic. This will allow you to demonstrate a familiarity with key texts in the relevant field as well as the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.

4. Research questions

The proposal should set out the central aims and key questions that will guide your research. Many research proposals are too broad, so make sure that your project is sufficiently narrow and feasible (i.e. something that is likely to be completed within the normal time frame for a PhD programme).

You might find it helpful to prioritise one or two main questions, from which you can then derive a number of secondary research questions. The proposal should also explain your intended approach to answering the questions: will your approach be empirical, doctrinal or theoretical, etc.?

5. Research methods

How will you achieve your research objectives? The proposal should present your research methodology, using specific examples to explain how you are going to conduct your research (e.g. techniques, sample size, target populations, equipment, data analysis, etc.).

Your methods may include visiting particular libraries or archives, field work or interviews. If your proposed research is library-based, you should explain where your key resources are located. If you plan to conduct field work or collect empirical data, you should provide details about this (e.g. if you plan interviews, who will you interview? How many interviews will you conduct? Will there be problems of access?). This section should also explain how you are going to analyse your research findings.

A discussion of the timescale for completing your research would also beneficial. You should provide a realistic time plan for completing your research degree study, showing a realistic appreciation of the need to plan your research and how long it is likely to take. It is important that you are not over-optimistic with time frames.

6. Significance of research

The proposal should demonstrate the originality of your intended research. You should therefore explain why your research is important (for example, by explaining how your research builds on and adds to the current state of knowledge in the field or by setting out reasons why it is timely to research your proposed topic) and providing details of any immediate applications, including further research that might be done to build on your findings.

Please refer to our top tips section for further details about originality.

7. References

The proposal should include a list of references to key articles and texts discussed within your research proposal, as well as a selection of sources that may be relevant to your project.

Top tips for writing your research proposal

Allow plenty of time to write your proposal and do not rush.
Bear in mind that the individuals reviewing your application will often have to read a large number of proposals. Well-presented and clearly written proposals are more likely to stick in the reviewer’s mind.
Research proposals do not have to be set in stone, as research often evolves as work progresses. Think of your proposal as a preliminary outline rather than a definitive summary of the final product.
Make sure that you acknowledge the authors of all publications you reference in your proposal, to avoid any risk of plagiarism. You should paraphrase or use quotation marks where appropriate.
Make sure that your research ideas and questions are very clearly stated. Your questions are as important as your results at this stage of the research.
Make sure that the scope of your research is reasonable and realistic. Proposals are assessed not only on intellectual ambition and significance, but also the likelihood of completion.
Make sure that your passion for the research topic shines through. Your proposal should be approached as a piece of persuasive writing – you want to establish the attention of your reader and convince them of your project’s significance.
Make sure that your writing is clear, concise, and coherent.
Make sure that your proposal does not contain any errors. Proofread and edit your work a number of times before you submit it.

What is originality?

There are many ways in which you can demonstrate originality in your proposal. You could study something that has genuinely never been studied before, but we are not all lucky enough to be able to do this. As a result, you should think of other ways to make your proposal stand out as original.

Identify problems, such as inconsistencies or gaps, in existing analysis.
A fresh, critical discussion of texts, works and/or ideas that have been neglected by scholarship.
Bring together disciplines and areas of work that have not been brought together before.
Compare a topic in one country/language/business model/legal system/etc. with the same topic in another (a 'comparative study').
Analyse an issue from a new perspective, or apply work from another discipline to your own, in order to create new knowledge, learning or practice (e.g. by bringing a theoretical approach to a problem that has not been applied before, at length).
A study of the impact of a particular set of conditions, piece of legislation, series of events, government, etc.

Addition guidance for applicants to the PhD Distance Learning study mode

As part of the application process for the distance learning study mode, we will ask you to provide evidence to demonstrate that you have the time, commitment, facilities and experience to study for a PhD by Distance Learning. Please be prepared to provide evidence, and details, of the following:

Examples of your postgraduate research experience and ability to work independently e.g. papers/presentations at professional and academic conferences or publications in professional journals or previous completion of an independent research project, etc.
Full reasons (academic and personal) for registering for the distance learning mode of study rather than by standard full or part-time on-campus options. In particular, how you will be able to carry out your project in your chosen location
Access to local library facilities (where needed)
Access to IT facilities
Access to communications, including email and visual communication media e.g. Microsoft Teams and Zoom
Access to facilities to support any study-related disability (where appropriate)

You can upload this information at the time of application - when asked to provide supporting documentation - or via your applicant portal once you have submitted your application.

Additional guidance for applicants from the USA

One of the standard requirements for entry to postgraduate research in the UK is a research proposal. Just like a statement of purpose for institutions in the USA, research proposals are used to assess the knowledge, experience, and readiness of an applicant for pursuing further study. However, while both are similar in function, there are clear differences in the approach and content that these two documents require.

A key reason for this is the different nature of a PhD in the USA compared to the UK. In the USA, a PhD is a longer programme that involves several years of teaching prior to commencing your research project. On applying, you are expected to have an interest in and potential for pursuing research in the field, but not a clear idea of what your research project will be. As such, a statement of purpose, focused on your experience and aspirations, is most appropriate in the USA. By comparison, in the UK, a PhD is a research programme with no taught content and while your project can be refined with the guidance from your supervisor, you are expected to have a clear idea of what you want to research when you apply. This is why we ask for a research proposal, which focuses your research project, so we can assess that it is viable and that we have the suitable expertise to supervise you.

Please remember that when submitting your application to the University of Birmingham, you will be required to submit a research proposal, not a statement of purpose. The rest of this page provides full guidance on how to write a research proposal.

Below we have outlined the key similarities and differences between research proposals and statements of purpose to help assist you with your application.

Similarities

Do your research – Browse through the websites of the department and programme that you are interested in applying to. Use our staff pages to read up on your potential supervisor's research interests and familiarise yourself with current research in your field.
Specify your contributions – Outline your research questions, indicate problems that you would like to address, and make clear the contributions you hope to make to your field of research.
Why here? – Tell us why the University of Birmingham is the best place to undertake your research. What aspects of the department will help you to accomplish your goals?
Take it seriously – Research proposals, like statements of purpose, are a crucial component of the application process and can determine whether you are accepted or rejected onto your chosen programme.
Be passionate – Make sure that your enthusiasm for your field of research shines through.
Write well – Your writing should be clear, concise, and coherent. Make sure that you proofread your research proposal for errors a number of times before you submit it.

Differences

Talking about yourself – Statements of purpose are typically much more personal than research proposals, asking you to introduce yourself, your interests, and your prior academic study in the opening sections. This is not the case in research proposals. While it is still important to tell us why you are the right person to carry out your project, the emphasis of a research proposal should be on the significance of the research itself, and not on your own personal background.
Structure – The conventional structure of a research proposal is very different to the typical outline of a statement of purpose. Please refer to our what to include in a research proposal section for full details on how to structure your research proposal.
Citation – Statements of purpose do not always require you to cite academic papers. However, in your research proposal, please remember that you should not only discuss key articles and texts, but also provide a list of references to them (and any other selected sources) at the end.
Word length – Statements of purpose are typically 2-3 pages long, which is shorter than what is usually expected of a research proposal. However, please remember to observe the word counts (typically 1,000-1,500 for Arts programmes and around 2,500 for Birmingham Law School programmes) and seek advice from the department you are applying to if in doubt.

If you have any further enquiries about how to write your research proposal, please send an email to: calpg-comms@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Your prospective supervisor will also be on hand to help, and we recommend seeking advice from them on your research proposal before submitting a formal application.

Further information on making an application to a research programme in the College of Arts and Law can be found on our how to apply pages.

You can also find details of all the funding opportunities available to College of Arts and Law students, including a range of scholarships for doctoral, distance learning and international students, on our scholarships and funding pages.