phd application deadline oxford

Graduate admissions timetable for 2022/23 now available

The timetable for the graduate admissions cycle 2022/23 (2023/24 entry) is now available in the  Graduate Admissions and Funding (GAF) Handbook .

Following consultation and approval at Graduate Admissions Committee Officers' Subgroup, the deadline in December will be used in 2022 in addition to the two main January deadlines.

These three deadlines will also be considered for the majority of scholarship funding. The deadline dates for the next cycle will be 11 November 2022, 9 December 2022*, 6 January 2023*, 20 January 2023* and 1 March 2023 (*final funding deadlines for selected courses).

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Graduate Admissions

Admission for entry in October 2024 is now CLOSED. Applications for entry in October 2025 will open in September 2024.

We hold a Graduate Open Day in March each year, for applicants who receive an offer of a place. If your application is successful, you will receive further information about this in due course. The Open Day in 2024 is provisionally scheduled for Wednesday 13 March.

Below you will find information about the graduate courses offered by the Oxford Philosophy Faculty, including the Faculty’s flagship two-year Master’s course, the BPhil in Philosophy. For information about the application process, please visit the Admissions Procedure and Entry Requirements page .

Introduction to graduate study in Philosophy

Each year, around 75 graduate students in philosophy are admitted to Oxford. About two-fifths are admitted for the Bachelor of Philosophy in Philosophy course, the “ BPhil ” (note that, despite its name, the BPhil is a Master's level, postgraduate degree, equivalent to a two-year MPhil) and between five and eight students are admitted for each of the Faculty’s specialised Master of Studies courses, in Ancient Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics . There are also a number of students admitted to the Master of Studies  in Practical Ethics . 

The aim of the Faculty’s graduate programmes is to prepare students for an academic career in philosophy. The usual progression through the Oxford philosophy graduate programme is to take the BPhil or one of the specialist MSt courses and then to continue research on the DPhil, which is examined by a thesis of approximately 75,000 words. Students who progress from one of the specialist MSt courses must spend one year as a Probationary Research Student (“PRS”) before applying for full DPhil status. Typically, a candidate’s thesis for the BPhil or the MSt in Ancient Philosophy will provide a basis for his or her DPhil thesis. There is no thesis element to the MSt in Philosophy of Physics, but candidates who progress to the DPhil from that course are required to write a 20,000 word thesis during their year as a PRS. For all these degrees the student must be a matriculated member of a college, and must normally reside in Oxford for at least one or two years.

A number of students are admitted each year directly to the Doctor of Philosophy course (the “ DPhil ”, the Faculty’s doctoral programme), initially as Probationary Research Students. These students will typically have already completed substantial graduate work in philosophy, usually equivalent to that required for the BPhil.

It is also possible to study philosophy at Oxford at graduate level without being enrolled for a degree. In order to do this, you must apply for entry as a Recognised Student . 

Entry Requirements

For a detailed description of the entry requirements for each course, please click on the relevant course link below:

• DPhil in Philosophy 
• BPhil in Philosophy
• MSt in Ancient Philosophy
• MSt in Philosophy of Physics
• MSt in Practical Ethics

We hold a Graduate Open Day in March each year, for applicants who receive an offer of a place. If your application is successful, you will receive further information about this in due course. The Open Day in 2024 is provisionally scheduled for Wednesday 13 March.

For the latest information on fees charged by the University, and living costs, please visit the Fees and Funding page .

Please visit our Graduate Funding page to identify various sources of funding for the Philosophy Faculty’s graduate programmes.

Please read through our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Admissions pages .

• DPhil in Philosophy
• Other Courses

In addition to progressing from the BPhil or one of the specialist MSt courses, an alternative route to the DPhil, involving initial admission directly as a Probationary Research Student (PRS) and later transfer to DPhil status, is available to candidates who already have a substantial background in philosophy, usually equivalent to that acquired by taking the BPhil. A general condition for admission of any candidate to the DPhil course is that their proposed thesis constitutes a suitable philosophical project of the required length and that there is a member of the Faculty who is able to act as supervisor.

For a full description of the DPhil, please visit the DPhil in Philosophy page .

The BPhil is an intellectually demanding course, presupposing an undergraduate and/or graduate background in philosophy or a closely related discipline. It is not suitable as a conversion course for students changing to philosophy from another subject and it cannot be studied part-time or externally. It is regarded both as training for the DPhil and a basis for teaching a range of philosophical subjects and requires sustained and focused work over two years.

For a full description of the BPhil in Philosophy, please visit the BPhil in Philosophy page .

The MSt course in Ancient Philosophy attracts students of the highest calibre with a background in philosophy or classics and aims to provide a graduate education in ancient philosophy of the highest possible quality: one which will provide a foundation on which students can go on to pursue doctoral work in the area. The course consists of two subject options (examined by a total of three 5,000 word essays) and a thesis of 10,000-15,000 words.

It is not a course requirement that students without any (or with little) Ancient Greek attend the Ancient Greek language classes currently run by the Faculty of Classics but it is highly recommended that they do so as being able to read philosophical texts in the original language is an advantage for Ancient Philosophy studies. 

Students who pass the MSt in Ancient Philosophy will have the opportunity to apply to continue to the Faculty’s DPhil (doctoral) programme, via a year as a Probationary Research Student. MSt in Ancient Philosophy graduates who continue to the DPhil, will be expected to have reached a certain standard in classical Greek. While there is no related examination requirement, it is a requirement for the MSt in Ancient Philosophy students without any (or with little) knowledge of classical Greek to attend language classes run by the Faculty of Classics, if they want to progress to the DPhil. 

For a full description of the MSt in Ancient Philosophy, please visit the MSt in Ancient Philosophy page .

This course aims to attract students with a strong background in physics at undergraduate level or higher, who wish to learn about philosophy in general and philosophy of physics in particular. The course will offer a graduate education in Philosophy of Physics of the highest possible quality, providing a foundation on which candidates can go on to pursue doctoral work in the area.

The course consists of three subjects: Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy of Science, and an elective component (chosen from the following list: Metaphysics and Theory of Knowledge; Philosophy of Mind and Action; Philosophical Logic and the Philosophy of Language; and Philosophy of Mathematics).

Students who pass the MSt in Philosophy of Physics will have the opportunity to apply to continue to the Faculty’s DPhil (doctoral) programme, via a year as a Probationary Research Student.

For a full description of the MSt in Philosophy of Physics, please visit the MSt in Philosophy of Physics page .

Since October 2018, the Department of Continuing Education, in coalition with the Faculty of Philosophy, has been offering a two-to-three-year part-time masters course in Practical Ethics, the MSt in Practical Ethics. For more information, please check the Department of Continuing Education course webpage and the MSt in Practical Ethics page .

Other degrees that may be of interest include the MSt in Film Aesthetics , MSt in Women's Studies , MSt in Philosophical Theology  and MPhil in Philosophical Theology .

Admissions process (graduate)

How to apply.

Applicants must apply using the Oxford Graduate Application form. All English Graduate programmes use the University’s early January deadline (5 January 2024). All applications received for our graduate programmes by the January deadline will also be considered for funding.

We strongly recommend that you submit your application well in advance of the deadline. Only full applications will be considered, therefore please ensure that we have received all required elements of the application by the deadline. This includes references, so apply before the deadline, and contact your referees well in advance.

Please note that the English Faculty does not use the November deadline and so any applications submitted before this date will be considered along with those submitted for the January deadline.

Photo: Kat Wood

Applying for Graduate Study

Graduate admissions are now closed..

There is nothing to be gained from applying early as we assess all applications together, after the closing date. However, we would advise you not to leave submitting your application form until the last minute, as you may encounter technical difficulties that could prevent your application being submitted.

All applications must be made on line, through the  University’s Graduate Admissions site  .Before you start your application, please read the information below, and look through the university application guide carefully.

Application Documentation

Masters applications.

• transcript(s) of the individual grades received in your University-level qualifications to date
• three academic references 
• A statement of purpose and research proposal, written as one combined piece, with a word count between 500 and 1000 words (including footnotes but excluding a bibliography)
• Extracts from a longer dissertation are welcome, including a preface which puts the work in context
• The writing samples should be academic work from your most recent completed qualification, but do not need to relate closely to your proposed area of study
• The written work must be submitted in English (if this work has been translated, you must indicate if the translations are your own, or what assistance you had in producing the English text)
• Any footnotes should be included in the word count
• A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count
• If your submitted written work is more than 4000 words, your application will be deemed incomplete and may not be assessed

DPhil Applications

• research proposal with a word count of between 500 and 1000 words

Advice on ...

Qualifications, what degree do i need.

To apply for a Masters course you do not need to have a single honours/major degree in history, but you do need some experience of working on a historical subject at university level. You need to have a solid idea why you want to undertake your proposed project, know what skills you have, and how you’re going to gain the skills you don’t have.

To apply for a DPhil you need significant historical training in higher education, be able to write a detailed research proposal, and have experience of the skills needed to carry out your research. Such experience is usually obtained through a masters degree in history, but relevant experience can be gained from other graduate courses.

What results do I need?

The standard offer for Masters applicants is to achieve at least a high Upper Second class in their undergraduate degree. On a percentage scale this is equivalent to an overall score of 68% or above. The standard requirement for a 4-point GPA scale is 3.75. Masters applicants are also expected to score at least 68% on their undergraduate dissertation.

We expect our DPhil applicants to have an undergraduate degree at the level required for a Masters application, and a Masters degree with a high-pass or distinction. On a percentage scale, this is equivalent to 68% or above. The standard requirement for a 4-point GPA scale is 3.75. DPhil applicants are also expected to achieve a score of at least 68% on their Masters dissertation.

If your university uses a different marking scale, your offer will be translated to match that scale.

Will my application be considered if my results are lower?

If there are mitigating circumstances for your results being lower than expected, you will be able to explain these in your application, and they will be taken into account when assessing your application.

Adjustments will also be made if your overall score is lower than our requirements state, but your marks for history courses are high.

Please be aware that your academic results are not the only part of the assessment.

DPhil students must be able to work in the original language of their research material. You are not expected to be fluent before starting, but must have substantial experience of the relevant language(s). Training is available through the university language centre and at other departments for more specialized study.

Masters students can use translations in their research, but need the basics of the original language and must take a relevant language course, either at the university language centre or Faculty-organised courses.

For more detail on language learning, please use the Language Learning link on the left of this page.

Your Proposal

Your proposal should show your academic potential and convince us that you have the right intellectual qualities, academic knowledge, and skills to undertake the course. The proposal is the centrepiece of your application and should demonstrate the viability of your topic and the level of background research already done. The depth and structure will naturally differ with the nature of the programme for which you are applying: a proposal for a DPhil should be more detailed, but not necessarily longer.

• Give your dissertation/thesis a preliminary title
• Describe the work you have already done and how you will build on it
• Give an account of the current state of scholarship and any central issues or problems
• Explain what contribution your work will make
• Indicate what kinds of sources you expect to use, where they can be found, how they will contribute to your work, what skills are needed to use these sources (for example, languages or data analysis), and to what extent you have those skills already
• Give an indication of your methodology and approach to dealing with these sources. For example, the level of your inquiry (micro, macro, regional, national, transnational, comparative), will your research be quantitative or qualitative? will you use samples or case studies? will your research draw on a body of theory? does your research draw on the agendas or methods of other disciplines (for example anthropology, literary studies, sociology)?

Supervision

You do not need to try to find your own supervisor. The faculty will appoint supervisors on the basis of our assessment of their fit with your research interests and their teaching capacity. Graduate students do not need to be at the same college as their supervisor.

Offer of places on both Masters and DPhil courses can only be made if appropriate supervision is available, so all applicants are strongly advised to search members of Faculty staff to make sure there is someone working in the area in which you want to work, and enter the names of all suitable supervisors on their application forms. It’s a good idea to identify two or three potential supervisors, as not all members of staff are available for supervision every year.

Applicants are welcome to contact members of academic staff with queries about potential projects. When you have identified your potential supervisors, send an email with an abstract of your proposal and indicate which course you are interested in. Please don’t send in a full research proposal or CV. Staff may be able to give you advice which will help you think through your project, but do be aware that replies may be delayed at busy times during the academic year. If you don’t receive a reply within three weeks, you’re welcome to send a follow-up email. Please note that an indication from a potential supervisor that they would be willing to supervise a project is not a guarantee that you will be offered a place.

Faculty Staff

Written work.

Your written work serves the purpose of showing your writing and research skills. It will be assessed for your understanding of problems, your ability to construct and defend  an argument, your powers of analysis, and your powers of expression .  Ideally such work would relate to history, but writing samples from other subject areas still give the assessors a clear idea of your abilities.

We normally require three academic references. Your application will be passed for assessment if two references are received by the relevant application deadline, but we will usually ask for a third before an offer is made. Referees must upload their reference directly, through the University admissions portal. More information on and for referees is available here.

We understand that finding three academic references isn’t always possible for mature students. In such cases, two academic references and one professional reference are acceptable.

English Language Qualifications

Do i need to prove my english language ability.

If you are not a native English speaker and do not permanently reside in a majority English-speaking country (as defined by UK Visa & Immigration), you will need to prove you have the required level of English language ability by providing a certificate from a recognised language test taken within two years of your proposed start date. Recognised test providers, required scores, and further details can be found on the University’s information on English proficiency . Please note that History applicants need to achieve test results at the higher level. 

Do I need English language certificate to apply?

You do not need to provide a test result in order to make an application, but if you are made an offer you will be required to submit test scores at the required level as part of your academic conditions.

Can I apply for an English language waiver?

You can apply for an English language waiver if you have completed a course taught entirely in English, which lasted at least nine months, within two years of your proposed start date. If the course was not in a majority English-speaking country (as defined by UK Visa & Immigration), you will need to provide evidence that the course was taught in English.

You can also apply for an English language waiver on the basis of professional experience within two years of your proposed start date. You will need to provide proof of the English language required for your role.

Applying for more than one programme

You can apply for multiple programmes and your applications will be treated separately.

Please note that you will have to pay the application fee for each application.

Part-time study

Part-time students do not need to live in Oxford, but must attend the Faculty in person regularly for courses, supervision, skills training, research, and participation in seminars. Part-time study is not distance learning.

Students on Masters courses, are expected to be present in Oxford for two days a week during term. You will therefore need to live within a few hours travelling time of Oxford, or be able to stay in Oxford for one or two nights a week.

Part-time DPhil study cannot be accomplished by evening and weekend study alone. You will need to spend time during the week on your research, and be present in Oxford during the week when needed. Attendance requirements are flexible and should be discussed and agreed with your supervisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Part-time students working alongside their studies must have the approval of their employers.

You cannot undertake another course at another institution (or Oxford) while studying part-time.

We cannot sponsor student visas for part-time study as the study patterns are not compatible with Home Office regulations on attendance monitoring. However, other options may be available and you should contact the History admissions office ( [email protected] ) to discuss.

You are welcome to reapply if you did not receive an offer, or had to decline an offer. All applications will be assessed without consideration of any previous applications.

Please be aware that if you reapply after declining an offer there is no guarantee that you will be made an offer again.

If you have a query not covered by the information above, or the University Application Guide, please contact  [email protected]

Useful links to guide you through the application process:

Graduate Application Guide

Fees and funding guide, open days and events guide, after you apply, graduate applicant self service.

Department of

Department of Education

Dphil in education, scholarships.

The DPhil in Education is a full-time programme which takes 3-4 years and is intended to provide graduates with a wide range of research skills as well as in-depth knowledge, understanding and expertise in their chosen field of educational research.

The DPhil in Education is an advanced research degree of a high standing and is awarded on the basis of a thesis and an oral examination.

A full-time programme takes 3-4 years to complete and is intended to provide graduates with a wide range of research skills as well as in-depth knowledge, understanding and expertise in their chosen field of research.

About 80 DPhil students are attached to the Department, researching a wide range of topics, normally linked to one or more of the Department’s Research Groups. Students come from over 40 different countries and are supported by a variety of scholarships and grants. Entry is highly competitive, and applicants are required to have a strong academic background and are required to submit a research proposal.

It is also possible to study part-time for a DPhil in the department. For more information, visit our part-time DPhil page .

The Department offers some part and full scholarships to attract the very strongest students who would otherwise not be able to come and study in Oxford.

It is committed to developing the number of fully-funded studentships it can offer to DPhil students, given their importance to the Department’s research culture. The funding deadline for all graduate courses in the Department of Education is January application deadline. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered for funding offered by Oxford. Funding deadlines for other University courses can be found on the relevant course page on the Graduate Admissions website . These are all highly competitive, and require high-quality, well-crafted research proposals.

All eligible applicants for graduate study are automatically considered for the University’s prestigious Clarendon Scholarships and the departmental scholarships. You will be notified around the beginning of March if you are being considered for any of these funding opportunities.

Reparative Futures of Education Scholarship

The Reparative Futures of Education (REPAIR-ED) research project is awarding two fully-funded doctoral scholarships based within Oxford University’s Department of Education.

The REPAIR-ED project involves working with primary school communities in the city of Bristol to examine the features and mechanisms of structural inequities in education. The project will use its empirical findings to facilitate dialogues with stakeholders (schools, their communities, policy-actors and the broader public) to explore how reparative justice in education might be conceptualised and enacted.

More information about the REPAIR-ED scholarships and how to apply.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on social and economic issues. The University, in collaboration with Brunel University and the Open University, hosts the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership – one of 14 Doctoral Training Partnerships accredited by the ESRC as part of a Doctoral Training Network.

In order to be considered for a Grand Union DTP ESRC studentship, you must select ‘ ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentships in Social Sciences ’ in the University of Oxford scholarships section of the University’s graduate application form. You must also complete a  Grand Union DTP Application Form and upload it, together with your graduate application form, by the funding deadline for your course.

Information about ESRC studentships at Oxford can be found here . Please ensure you have read all of the guidance available on the website before you complete the Grand Union DTP Application Form . If you have any questions, get in touch with the Grand Union DTP Office .

Talbot Scholarships

This scholarship fund is the result of a bequest to the Department in honour of Ms Elfrida Talbot, who ran the first women’s hostel for Education students in the University in the early years of the twentieth century. It is normally used to part-fund a UK/EU doctoral student for three years who was seen as strong contender for an ESRC doctoral studentship. Strong contenders for ESRC studentships will be automatically considered for this scholarship: no separate application process is needed. This scholarship is usually offered once every three years.

Clarendon scholarships

The very strongest applicants for all our MSc and DPhil programmes are automatically considered for University Clarendon scholarships. There is no separate application process. These are highly competitive and each year only one or two of our students are successful. During our initial admissions screening, supervisors nominate applicants with outstanding academic records to be considered. These supervisors then prepare a supporting statement.  A departmental panel ranks these candidates and the Director of Doctoral Research puts forward a shortlist of the strongest applicants to the divisional committee.

Departmental studentships

The Department is keen to attract the very strongest MSc students and encourage them to stay on for doctoral study. The shortlist will normally be made up of those students shortlisted for the ESRC and Clarendon scholarships. Interviews and decisions will be made once the ESRC and Clarendon awards are announced.

Awards will vary in range, but will seek to make a significant contribution to the overall cost of fees. Successful candidates will be expected to make an active contribution to the academic and professional life of the doctoral students within the Department. These scholarships may not be offered every year.

Further information on graduate scholarships and awards offered by the University and external agencies can be found on the  Student Funding Services  website.

Self-Funding

Scholarships are awarded on entry to the doctoral programme, not at any later point. If you are not awarded a scholarship in your first year, but elect to self-fund, you will be asked by the University to sign a declaration that you have the money to cover your fees and your living expenses for the first year. It should be noted that although you are only asked about the first year, it is extremely unlikely that you will acquire funding after that. There are no additional scholarships within the University for continuing doctoral students. The Department in general and individual staff members work hard to bring in funding for doctoral students, but we cannot fund everybody. It is worth carefully considering which colleges might have scholarships for which you are eligible when you apply.

Most colleges will offer some very small grants for fieldwork, travel or conference attendance. These are in the region of a couple of hundred pounds at most.

You can work part time during your doctorate, subject to the requirements of your visa, but you must obtain the support of your supervisor to do so, and it can have detrimental effects on your progress. There are occasionally some paid research assistant posts within the Department which are advertised to the doctoral cohort but these tend to be highly sought after. We do not have undergraduates so you are unlikely to be able to supervise as graduate students outside Education do.

There are some charitable trusts outside of the University to which you might be able to apply for some funding; we cannot keep track of all the potential requirements, so you should seek these out for yourself. However, they are not likely to be sufficient to cover fees and living expenses in their entirety.

Financial assistance run by colleges tends to be for ‘unexpected circumstances’; self-funders not getting any funding in second or subsequent years is not seen as unexpected. Both the University and the Department have some limited funds for those writing up the final stages of their doctorate. These are highly competitive and there are always more requests than there is money to fulfil them.

This advice is not intended to put you off, but it is important for self-funders to have a realistic view.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED TO APPLY?

For more specific details of our admission criteria please visit the DPhil in Education course page .

HOW MANY STUDENTS DO YOU RECRUIT TO THE DPHIL IN EDUCATION PROGRAMME?

Approximately 25-35 students are recruited to our DPhil in Education programme each year.

CAN I STUDY ONLINE OR THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING?

It is not possible to study at a distance or on-line on our DPhil programme.

What if I have already completed research training as part of a Masters degree?

All PRS students no matter what their previous training are required to undertake the Research Training Seminar course. This is the seminar specifically for PRS students, preparing you for the Oxford DPhil structure, creating a supportive cohort and enabling you to begin professional development for an academic or non-academic career. Other research training courses are: Beginners and Intermediate Quantitative Methods; Perspectives and Debates in Qualitative Research and Philosophy of Educational Research. The exact courses you will be required to take will depend on your previous training and experience, and the decision will be based on the evidence you provide in your application and in discussion with the Director of Doctoral Research on matriculation.

WHAT ARE THE BACKGROUNDS OF STUDENTS RECRUITED TO YOUR PROGRAMMES?

The Department offers a very wide range of courses. As well as a comprehensive Doctoral programme attracting students from all over the world, we offer full-time one year MSc in Education and in MSc Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (ALSLA) courses, as well as a range of part-time courses, some aimed primarily at UK teachers (e.g. MSc Learning & Teaching, MS Teacher Education) and some at distance learning (e.g., Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching). Consequently our courses cater to students from a diverse range of backgrounds.

For example in 2021/22, the Department had a total complement of 780 students of whom 414 were studying full-time and 366 were studying part-time. For 2021/22, across the MSc Education, MSc ALSLA, and DPhil programmes, approximately 29% of our students came from the UK, and the remaining 71% from the EU or overseas. The cohort from those programmes included students from Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, Germany, India, Malaysia, China, Mexico, Estonia, Australia, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States, among many others.

What our students share is exceptional academic achievement in their previous learning and an ambition to excel academically.

CAN I STUDY PART TIME?

Although doctoral research training programmes across the University tend to be structured around the needs of full-time students, we are able to offer a part-time DPhil option for students who reside and are employed locally.   See here for more information about studying for a part-time DPhil with us .

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO STUDY AND LIVE IN OXFORD?

To find out how much it will cost to undertake your studies at the University, please  visit the Fees and Living Costs webpage  for details.

CAN I APPLY FOR MORE THAN ONE COURSE?

We would strongly encourage you to focus your application on the course for which you have the most interest and experience.

CAN I APPLY FOR YOUR COURSES IF I AM IN THE PROCESS OF ACHIEVING MY QUALIFICATION TO GAIN ENTRY ONTO THE PROGRAMME?

Yes, you may apply for any of our courses whilst studying for another degree. If you are successful in achieving a place on one of our programmes, we would make a conditional offer which would include the condition of you achieving your qualification. You are required to submit an interim transcript at application. However, your final outcome would need to be available prior to you commencing the course at Oxford.

CAN SOMEONE CHECK IF MY RESEARCH PROPOSAL FITS INTO THE RESEARCH INTERESTS OF CURRENT MEMBERS OF STAFF BEFORE I SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?

Prospective DPhil applicants are expected to browse the online profiles of current members of staff to identify academics whose research interests overlap with theirs. If you can’t locate any academics with overlapping interests with yours, it is likely that your proposed area of research does not fit into the interests of current members of staff or the Department’s research centres.

ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE; WHICH HIGHER LEVEL LANGUAGE QUALIFICATION IS ACCEPTABLE? AND WHAT SCORE DO YOU REQUIRE?

If you do not have English as your first language, we would like you to have achieved the higher level competence in English Language proficiency i.e. IELTS 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each component, or TOEFL 110 (Internet-based).

We do not accept tests which are more than 2 years old. We encourage applicants to apply with a successful IELTS test. If evidence that you successfully meet the English language condition cannot be provided with your application, the language requirement will be set as a condition if an offer is made.

For further information, please  visit the Application Guide .

CAN I APPLY FOR A WAIVER OF PROOF OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH?

For information on applying for a waiver of the English test requirement, please  visit the application guide .

HOW DO I APPLY?

For information about applying, see the University Admission’s DPhil page . For a more detailed explanation of the process, please  click here for the application guide .

NOT ALL OF MY QUALIFICATIONS WILL FIT ON THE APPLICATION FORM, WHAT SHALL I DO?

If you require more space on the application form, please contact Graduate Admissions for advice.

I HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE OF AN ACADEMIC SETTING FOR SOME TIME NOW; WHO SHALL I HAVE TO ACT AS MY REFEREES?

We strongly recommend that you have at least one reference from your most recent academic tutor. If you are currently in employment, you would be expected to provide a reference from your employer as well as an academic referee who is able to comment on academic capability/suitability for Higher Degree study.

WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE FOR THE SAMPLES OF WRITTEN WORK?

Two essays, a maximum of 2,000 words each.

The written work should be related to the DPhil in Education and should be on separate topics. If you do not have any existing material that fits this requirement, you may wish to critique an article or write a book review based on the course subject.

You may submit written work previously completed for a prior course of study if the topic is relevant, eg an assignment or chapter of a dissertation etc, provided it meets the requirements. If your work is significantly longer than the guide length it should be edited to meet the requirements.

A list of relevant references is required for your written work and should be included in your word count. [If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.] This will be assessed for understanding of the subject area, an ability to construct and defend an argument, and proficiency in academic English.

WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE IN THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND PERSONAL STATEMENT?

If you are applying to the DPhil programme you need to submit a personal statement of a maximum of 1,000 words and a research proposal of a maximum of 2,500 words. Your statement and proposal should be submitted as a single, combined document with a clear subheading for each.

You should submit a convincing personal statement (statement of purpose) explaining your reasons for applying to the programme and highlighting your relevant academic and professional experience. The final line of your personal statement should indicate your future plans after a doctorate.

You should also submit a research proposal written in English. An indicative bibliography is required but you do not need to include this in your word count. Your proposal should include an indicative title and a short introduction/synopsis, a discussion of the most relevant scholarly literature, and a research question or hypothesis. This issue or question should emerge from your review of the literature. Please also provide a rationale for the importance of this research topic.

Your proposal should also indicate your proposed methodological approach. This will depend on the kind of research you envisage. If empirical research is planned, then please discuss the likely ‘data’ to be collected. At this stage these ideas are exploratory, and likely to develop and change once you are accepted.

This will be assessed for your potential to carry out doctoral research, the quality and coherence of the proposal and the originality of the project.

It will be normal for your ideas to subsequently change in some ways as you develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.

Your proposal should focus on your proposed research topic, rather than personal achievements, interests and aspirations.

HOW IS MY SUPERVISOR DECIDED?

Although supervisors will be allocated by the Department and it is not necessary for you to contact academic members of staff directly, prospective applicants are encouraged to approach academics whose research interests overlap with theirs to informally solicit their capacity and interest in supervising new DPhil students. You may also ask them to share with you specific publications that they have authored that you can’t access otherwise and that may help inform your research proposal. There is a section in the application form in which you can indicate your suggested supervisors. You are strongly encouraged to fill it in with two names of suggested supervisors when you apply.

AM I REQUIRED TO ATTEND FOR INTERVIEW?

Interviews are normally held with two interviewers using Microsoft Teams. Interviews will normally take place in February.

WHAT WILL THE INTERVIEW BE LIKE?

We are keen to find out more about you and your interests, and how these might tie in with the research specialisms of academic staff within the department.

For DPhil applicants, we will ask you to talk in detail about your research proposal, its design, your methodological choices and potential challenges you might face. For MSc applicants, we will ask you about your knowledge of the course, your reasons for wanting to study in this area, and initial ideas for their dissertation research.

Applicants may be asked to explain how their areas of interest link to those of the departments’ research groups, centres and academic staff.

WHEN WILL THE OUTCOME OF MY APPLICATION BE KNOWN?

Applications will be considered by the admissions panel within the Department and decisions will be made in accordance with the following deadlines:

January application deadline – mid March

You will be informed of our decision by email to ensure that you receive the outcome as soon as possible.

In the event that we are not able to offer you a place, we regret that it is not possible to provide you with feedback on your application.

CAN I DEFER ENTRY TO A COURSE?

The University will only consider requests for deferral of entry due to exceptional unforeseen circumstances, and only after all conditions set for the offer (both academic and financial) have been met.

Couldn’t find your answers under our FAQ section?

Please direct all enquiries to our Higher Degrees Office and a member of the administrative team will be happy to assist you.

Email: [email protected]

• Entry requirements
• Fees and Funding

Meet our DPhil Students

2025 entry admissions timeline

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How to apply for 2025 entry

• UCAS application
• Start working on your application from June 2024.
• Choose your course
• Choose a college or decide on an open application
• Write your personal statement
• Organise your academic reference
• Check if you need to take a test and what this involves
• Submit from early September
• Final deadline 6pm on 15 October

Find out more at ucas.com .

New arrangements for 2024 admissions tests and beyond are still to be confirmed but will be communicated as soon as possible and no later than the start of the new admissions cycle in early Spring. 

• Written work
• Check if written work is needed for your course.
• Submit any required written work to the college considering your application by 10 November.

Find out more on our Written work page . 

Interviews take place in December, if you are shortlisted.

Find out more on our Interviews webpage . 

Find out if you have an offer in January 2025.

Thinking of deferring entry? 

Deferring entry is not always possible, so we recommend that you check with your course department first. 

Read our step by step

Guide for applicants.

• Admissions tests

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