PhD opportunities

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PhD opportunities

Explore the different ways to apply for a PhD at NTU, including advertised projects, submitting your own research proposal, and studying at-distance. Find a PhD that works for you, and begin your research journey today.

Applying for a PhD

A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest level of academic qualification you can achieve. It usually takes three to four years to complete full-time, or up to eight years part-time. During your PhD, you will work on an original research topic under the guidance of our supervisors.

At NTU, we encourage and support a huge range of PhD opportunities. We invite you to apply for a project designed by our research staff, as well as submitting a proposal for your own novel research project.

Find a PhD

We provide funded, part-funded and self-funded PhD projects across a range of disciplines. Opportunities are available year-round. Search the PhD projects currently available, filtering by keyword, title or academic school.

Propose your own PhD project

Decided on your own research topic? You’ll need to identify a supervisor whose expertise aligns with your own before putting together a research proposal. Explore our research strengths and staff interests to see if we can support you.

At-distance PhDs

Our At-distance PhDs have been designed for candidates who require a more flexible mode to complete their doctoral research, following the full-time standard PhD route.

The programmes are delivered online over four to seven years. Every researcher must normally spend at least eight weeks at NTU in any one academic year to establish personal relationships with supervisors and benefit from face-to-face participation in the academic community.

They strongly suit professionals looking to undertake research alongside their job, individuals with research interests local to where they live, or candidates with caring or other personal responsibilities.

We can offer at-distance PhDs across the majority of disciplines with projects aligned to our research centres.

Get in touch to learn more

Contact the relevant Director of Doctoral Studies to discuss at-distance opportunities in more detail.

PhD start dates

We have two PhD intakes per year in October and January. Typically it takes four years to complete a PhD full-time or up to eight years part-time, including your "write up" period.

Please note applications for our January 2027 intake are now closed. Advertised projects may have a different start date. Please check your project details for specific deadlines and entry dates.

The next intake for self-funded PhDs is October 2027. The application deadlines are:

Start date | Application deadline

January 2027 | Applications are now closed for January 2027 entry

October 2027 | 1 July 2027

How to write a research proposal

Whether you apply for a PhD project or submit your own research question, you will need to produce a research proposal and personal statement as part of your application. Read our advice on how to construct a successful proposal.

Explore our research

Make sure your PhD proposal reflects our research strengths.

PhDs by Academic School

Find out more about studying for a PhD in our Academic Schools.

PhDs fees and funding

Find out how much a PhD costs, what and how to apply for stipend, information about loans, and the various ways you can fund your studies.

How to apply for a PhD

Everything you need to know about applying to study a PhD at NTU.

NTU Doctoral

NTU Doctoral provides a multi-disciplinary home for all our researchers, here to support you throughout your entire doctoral degree. Explore our research community.

Research areas