Frequently Asked Questions | Research Degrees

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Full-time PhD and MPhil students: The majority of our full-time students are based at our Walton Hall campus in Milton Keynes. Study away from campus is available for some research areas with each faculty making an independent decision as to whether they can accept distance learning.

Part-time PhD and MPhil students: Part-time PhD/MPhil students are typically expected to be resident within the UK and are encouraged to come to campus for meetings, seminars and events in your research area, to make sure you can get the full benefit of integrating into the research environment.

Studying from outside the UK is available for some research areas with each faculty making an independent decision as to whether they can accept distance learning.

Professional Doctorate (EdD and DHSC) students: You can live anywhere in the world. You’ll be required to fund your travel to a compulsory year 1 residential weekend in Milton Keynes. Similarly, you are required to fund your travel to the residential/day schools in years 2 and 3. You’re also required to fund attendance at your viva, which will be held at the OU campus in Milton Keynes.

You’ll be assigned at least two supervisors who are usually University academic staff. Some students have an additional external supervisor. A third-party monitor will also be assigned to you to provide pastoral care and support. In exceptional cases, Professional Doctorate students may be assigned two external supervisors.

Throughout your studies you’ll attend induction and training events, and you’ll be supported administratively by the Graduate School. The OU Graduate School supplies online support that will guide you through the student journey and link you to training and development resources, as well as in-person and online community spaces.

The number of meetings you’ll have with your supervisors will depend on the nature of your project and whether you’re studying full- or part-time.

Full-time students are required to study for a minimum of 37 hours a week and will have a minimum of ten face-to-face supervision meetings on campus each year (unless you are a distance-learning research student).

Part-time students should normally expect to spend a minimum of 18.5 hours a week studying and will have a minimum of five supervision meetings each year.

All students will be required to attend registration and induction on campus at the start of their course. This is typically a 2–3-day event held in October. For PhD and MPhil students, this will usually be during the first week of your course while Professional Doctorates will be registered during their first residential weekend in October.

Yes, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has licensed The Open University to recruit and register non-UK PhD students. We’ll ask you for some information about your circumstances on your application form and at interview. We’ll also check your documents when you register.

If you’re in the UK, or coming to the UK, on a dependants’ visa, we advise you to apply for a visa for yourself, to ensure you retain the right to remain in the UK for the duration of your study.

Where you are not a UK national, you will be required to demonstrate your English language proficiency. Please see more at International research student applications.

Yes, within the rules set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). However, you should be aware that your immigration and living costs will be higher.

You’ll be encouraged to attend and present papers at conferences, as the ability to present your research and to receive constructive criticism are important skills to develop.

We’ll provide a programme of training for the duration of your PhD studies in line with the Vitae framework. Additionally, you’ll receive training in developing discipline-based skills, and you’ll have access to online materials to support your training.

Professional Doctorate students are expected to have studied research methods at masters level. They have access to a dedicated website where there are additional training resources, and workshops are provided at the residential/day schools each year.

Full- and part-time research students are eligible to study for an additional OU taught course if it is considered part of research degree training and following approval from your supervisors and head of discipline. You may not study at any other University while you are registered as an Open University student.

As an OU student, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with an exciting variety of social clubs and societies, through the OU Club.

As an OU student, you’ll automatically be a member of The Open University Students Association (OUSA). OUSA is the University’s representative body for all students. It encourages the formation of societies, clubs and groups, as well as providing social activities for its members and their families.

While there’s no student accommodation on campus, we can provide you with information to help you navigate the rental process. If your application to study is successful, we’ll send you this information with your offer of a place.

Intellectual property (IP) generated through research carried out at the University belongs to The Open University. It is a condition of registration that research students assign any IP arising from their research to the University. Exceptions are listed in the Conditions of Registration.

We recognise that your financial circumstances can be a deciding factor in your ability to complete your studies. We offer some additional funds and bursaries, aimed at OU graduates, those with dependants, or for those in financial difficulty. Find out more on our Additional funding support page.

We often have a small amount of money available to support such activities, which varies according to faculty and time of year. You should speak to your supervisor in the first instance about any money that might be available to students in your faculty.

Depending on the type of degree you’re looking to study, the application process will differ. Funded studentships are advertised on the OU Studentships page. Further information on application processes can be found in our How to apply section.

We welcome applications from students with disabilities and additional requirements and can offer a wide range of support services and facilities to enable you to succeed in your studies. You may be eligible for a Disabled Students’ Allowance for help with study costs.

Please tell us on your application form, or at interview, if you think you might need support or later on by contacting the Graduate School. Additional guidance can be found in our How to apply section.

All of our courses have an October intake, and most of our courses also have a February intake. Starting at two fixed points, allows new research students to get full advantage of the induction and training events taking place.

This depends on the timing of your application. We’ll always contact you to let you know if your application has been shortlisted and to confirm next steps.

Guidance on applying is provided in our How to apply section.

For more information, please contact the Graduate School by email or telephone +44 (0)1908 653806. For advice specific to your research area, please use the contact details listed in the Research area you’re interested in.

The research degrees awarded by the OU are internationally recognised as comparable to those awarded by all other UK universities. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that the qualification is fully recognised if you are in a context outside of the UK. This is particularly important if you intend to study via distance learning as some countries only recognise research degrees with in-person engagement.

For information on the research degrees offered, please see Degrees we offer.

Study via distance learning is available for some research areas with each faculty making an independent decision as to whether they can accept distance learning. Availability is dependent on whether there is sufficient infrastructure in place for us to be able to support a specific project from a distance so we would recommend you start by spending some time identifying your research area of interest before making an enquiry. Unfortunately, the need to evidence regular in-person engagement on University premises prevent us from offering this option to students on the Student Route visa.

Students applying to study a research degree are expected to already hold a bachelors degree with a minimum of upper-second class honours or an equivalent qualification. Specific entry requirements for each type of research degree are outlined in Degrees we offer. Also, some disciplines require an additional qualification at masters level and these subject-specific requirements are included, where they apply, on the Research topic pages (within the Research areas) of this website.

If you apply for a full-time research PhD studentship funded by an external body, you’ll also be subject to their entry requirements.

If you can show that your professional qualifications and experience or previous research activities are suitable preparation for your proposed research degree studies, your application may be considered. Please give as much information as possible on your application form to help the academic staff assess your suitability for study.