The PhD application process
The application window for this academic year 2023/24 is now closed and will reopen in November 2023, with scholarships and bursaries being advertised shortly afterwards.
For more information on scholarships can also be found on the PhDs in Accounting, Actuarial Science, Finance and Management, Marketing and Operational Management pages.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for next academic year, you must hold a first degree (a first or equivalent) in a subject related to your proposed research topic.
The following qualifications are highly desirable and would enhance your likelihood of being accepted:
- A masters degree from a leading institution with a distinction or equivalent
- A GMAT score (700 or more) if you do not have UK or EU degree
Our students have a variety of academic backgrounds ranging from Accounting, Actuarial Science and Economics to Engineering, Finance, Management and Mathematics.
We are looking for mature, highly-motivated individuals with excellent analytical, problem-solving and verbal skills.
Documents required for all applicants
The following items (in electronic format) are compulsory for your application:
- Research proposal with a 400 word non-technical summary (please include with the proposal)
- Your CV/resume including a passport photograph
- Names and e-mails of two academic referees
- Your personal details, including a contact email
- Official transcripts for your Bachelor and or Master's Degree
- Official transcript of proficiency in English, if English is not your first language.
The following items should be supplied if available:
- Transcripts or provisional results of your Master's degree(s)
- Professional qualifications
- Employment history.
The following item is optional:
- Transcript of GMAT scores (recommended)
- GMAT or GRE results are not a formal requirement for the programme but if you have it you are encouraged to upload this on the relevant section.
- GMAT is preferred if you have both.
Make an application
The application window for this academic year 2023/24 is now closed and will reopen in November 2023, with scholarships and bursaries being advertised shortly afterwards.
Research proposal
Please provide details of your intended research proposal in support of your application. This is an important part of your application in which you outline up to two research directions you would like to pursue in your PhD.
Before preparing your proposal you should familiarise yourself with the research interests of Bayes academics to make sure that your research is aligned with their expertise.
The research proposal should include
- an abstract
- the research objectives
- the proposed research methodology
- a summary review of the relevant literature and current understanding or knowledge
- an indication of how the proposed research will contribute to the discipline.
You should also provide an outline work plan for the period of research including consideration of approval of any research ethics implications. You are also asked to comment on why you wish to pursue this research and what you feel you will bring to it. The research proposal should be a maximum of three sides of A4.
In addition, if you wish to be considered for a Bayes Studentship, you should provide a non-technical summary of your proposed research. This summary should be no more than 400 words.
Academic references
You will need to provide names and emails of two referees who know your work well and can comment on your aptitude for critical thinking and original research within a well-defined framework. We will contact the referees once you have submitted your application.
Please note: the email account of referees are required to be a professional email account. We cannot accept references emailed from web-based email accounts such as @gmail.com, @hotmail.com or @126.com because we cannot confirm the provenance of these. Please bear this in mind when you fill in their email address on the application.
English language requirements
For students whose first language is not English, the following qualifications will normally meet the English language requirement for entry to a postgraduate course of study and to apply for a Student Route visa:
- A first degree from a UK university or from the CNAA
- A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by the institution as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language for example, from institutions in Australia, Canada or the USA
- GCE O-level/GCSE English language or English literature, grade C minimum
- Cambridge ESOL CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English) at grade C or above
- An overall minimum score of 7.0 in the English Language Testing System (IELTS *Academic) with a 6.5 minimum in all 4 areas (IELTS scores are only valid if they are less than two years old on the programme start date)
- We accept TOEFL iBT score of 100 or higher overall.
TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition
City’s institution code for TOEFL is 0870
Please note we do not accept My Best Scores
In addition to the above, we will also monitor your English language skills throughout the admissions process.
Please note, at the initial stage of your application we will accept electronic copies of your official transcripts. If your application is successful we will require you to send us the original hard copies before a final offer of place is made.
Do your application
When you are ready, you can apply online. Please note there is no offline application process available.
A confirmation email will be sent to you on successful submission of your application.
Attachments
You will need to upload your supporting documents to the online application form.
We accept attachments in doc and pdf formats only. Please make sure all attachments are less than 1MB in size (the smaller the better) and filenames are no longer than 32 characters containing only English letters and/or numbers, otherwise, depending on your internet connection speed, you might not be able to complete your application and will need to re-apply.
After you apply
The PhD Admissions Office processes all applications, which are then reviewed by the Director of the programme. The numbers of applicants, their quality (web application, research proposal, transcripts and references) and the availability of an appropriate supervisor are considered.
- The final decision of admission is made by the PhD Director of the programme. If your application is successful we will inform you by the end of March 2023.
- We aim to admit 20-25 new research students per year.
- It may be several months before you are notified of a decision by the PhD Office.
Interview
An interview will be held if your application progresses.
Feedback
Unfortunately detailed feedback is not possible.
Unsuccessful applicants
We may have to turn away good candidates if there is no suitable research supervisor available. Competition is also intense and many good students may not be accepted.
If your academic background or examination grades/predicted grades do not reach the required standard this will form part if not all of the explanation for your rejection.
