Studying for a PhD at UCL

A PhD represents the third cycle in University education. It is accessible to students who have gained the necessary 300 credits, which generally equates to five years of studies.

A PhD is obtained by completing a scientific training course equivalent to 60 credits and by writing a doctoral thesis, worth a minimum of 120 credits.

Before applying to study for a PhD, the applicant must first find a supervisor. Admission procedures cannot be undertaken without a supervisor. You can identify teams working in your research field via the thematic brochures or the “UCL research inventory” tool. We also suggest you browse the web pages of the UCL Research Institutes and Research Centres.

All you need to know about doing a PhD at UCL

Visiting PhD researchers: If you’re studying for a PhD at a university other than UCL, but would like to do some research at UCL, please consult the Visiting PhD researchers page.