General PhD FAQs

General PhD FAQs

Our postgraduate research degree programmes are validated by the University of Essex, who will be your awarding body. While you will be based at the University of Suffolk and you will be supported and supervised by University of Suffolk staff, the University of Essex will award your degree and be named on your certificate.

Full-time PhD programmes take 3-4 years and part-time programmes take 6-8 years. The maximum period of registration is 4 years for full-time students and 8 years for part-time students.

At the end of your standard period of registration (end of third year for full-time students and end of sixth year for part-time students), you will be considered for progression into a completion period, which is known as the 'writing up' period. The completion period can last up to a maximum of one year for full-time students and two years for part-time students. By the end of the completion period, you are expected to submit your thesis for examination.

Postgraduate research students are expected to devote on average at least 36 hours per week to their research (full-time students) or at least 12 hours per week (part-time students).

Some students choose to work part-time to supplement their income. Working during your course can also give you excellent skills and experience to boost your CV. Our Careers, Employability and Enterprise team can help you find part-time work. There are also sometimes opportunities to work in paid jobs on campus.

If you are an international student on a Student visa, you must not exceed limits on the number of hours you are permitted to work by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), as outlined on your immigration document.

We recommend that you look at the PhD subject areas and supervisors section of our website to find out more. This will provide you with information on the subject areas we can support at the University of Suffolk and potential supervisors, so you can see whether any align with your own interests.

Once you have identified your preferred subject area, please complete our initial PhD enquiry form to find out more. In this, you can explain who you are and provide a brief outline of your proposed research. You should also confirm your source of funding for your PhD and, if applicable, whether you meet our English language requirements.

This will enable us to let you know whether we can potentially support your PhD, and provide you with advice and guidance on completing a formal application and writing a research proposal. It is important that you complete this initial enquiry form and wait to hear from us before you make a formal application, to avoid wasting time completing an application if we are unable to support your proposed research area.

No, once we receive your initial enquiry form, and if we have the capacity to support your PhD, a potential supervisor with expertise in your discipline will be assigned to support you in completing your formal application and research proposal.

However, if you have a particular member of our staff in mind who you feel could be a good potential supervisor, please feel free to mention this on the initial enquiry form.

Full-time PhD programmes take three to four years and part-time programmes take six to eight years.

Throughout your studies you will have regular meetings with your supervisory team, usually every month for full-time students and every 6-8 weeks for part-time students. These provide an opportunity to discuss your research schedule and progress, skills and training needs, and tasks or actions that you should aim to complete.

Through our Doctoral Training Programme and our wider Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Programme, you will have access to a year-round programme of workshops and events to help you complete your PhD and prepare you for your future career. We will support you with an initial training needs analysis to help determine a suitable programme of training that meets your needs.

You will initially be enrolled on an MPhil/PhD. At the end of each year of study, you will have an Annual Progress Review. This will help to evaluate your progress with your research and writing over the previous year, as well as your wider training and skills development and progress. Successful progress review at the end of your first year (full-time students) or second year (part-time students) leads to confirmation of PhD status.

You will be required to defend your thesis at an oral examination, often known as a viva or viva voce. This will normally take place within 3 months of your thesis submission.

You will be supervised by a small team of experienced academic staff. Before you arrive, you will be allocated a lead supervisor and co-supervisor. In some cases there will also be an additional co-supervisor. Having a team approach ensures that you have access to a range of skills and complementary expertise and experience. Collectively, the role of your supervisory team is to provide academic and pastoral guidance throughout your period of study.

During regular meetings with your supervisory team, you will discuss your research schedule and progress, skills and training needs, and tasks or actions that you should aim to complete.

There are also a wide range of student support services within the University, and teams are always happy to help with any queries or support needs you may have. This includes:

The Suffolk Doctoral College organises social events for research students throughout the year. These provide great informal opportunities to share ideas, experiences and gain support from your peers. You will also have opportunities to engage with research activities within your academic school and the wider university, including research seminar series, conferences and events.

The University will monitor your progress regularly throughout your period of study. This will occur during your regular meetings with your supervisory team (usually every month for full-time students and every six to eight weeks for part-time students), and more formally through Annual Progress Reviews at the end of each year of study.

Your Annual Progress Review provides an opportunity to explore progress with your research and writing over the previous year, in order to determine whether you have the clear potential to achieve your doctorate within the prescribed period of registration. The process also provides an opportunity to reflect on development activity and consider future training needs.

• Who is the awarding body for the PhD?
• How long does a PhD take?
• Can I work alongside my PhD?
• I do not know what to do my PhD in – where can I find out more to help me decide?
• Do I need to identify a potential supervisor before I complete the initial enquiry form?
• How is a PhD programme structured?
• What support will I receive during my PhD?
• Library and Learning Services support
• Academic Skills Advisors
• Student Life Advisors
• disability and wellbeing support (including counselling service)
• Student Assistance Programme (free 24/7 confidential helpline)
• Careers, Employability and Enterprise team
• financial advice
• accommodation advice
• international student support
• multi-faith chaplaincy
• IT support
• Students’ Union advice service
• How will my progress be monitored?

Research areas