UCL SECURITY SCIENCE DOCTORAL RESEARCH TRAINING CENTRE

September 2013 entry

November 23 2012, 4pm
March 1 2013, 4pm
April 19 2013, 4pm

Please note that this course is extremely competitive and applicants are advised to apply earlier rather than later

The deadlines enable us to manage the administration of the centre more effectively. Candidates are considered in batches so that we can organise three rounds of interviews. If you apply between deadlines then your application will be considered in the next round. For example, if you apply in January 2013 your application will be considered with those applications received in time for the March 1 deadline.

To be considered, applications must be complete and include both references. Please note, there is no application fee for this programme.

Applications received after April 19 2013

Applications received after April 19 2013 may still be considered for the course if places remain available, however it is unlikely that scholarships will be available after this date. We may choose to consider applications received after April 19 2013 for September 2014 entry.

Applications received after May 30 2013

All applications received after this date will be considered for 2014 entry.

Response timescales

Because we consider applications in batches, the time it takes to respond to your application varies. It takes approximately four weeks for us to review the initial applications and then a further three weeks if your application is chosen to be reviewed by the academic panel. You should therefore not expect to hear from us until approximately nine weeks after the deadline.

*For industry scholarships, please refer to the deadlines stated on the adverts.

Applications can only be made via the new UCL PRISM application portal.

All applications received with proper documentation will be examined after the deadline date for applications has passed and successful candidates will be invited for interview. The interview will last approximately half an hour and will consist of questions from a panel designed to establish a candidate’s interest in and suitability for the course. At the time of interview candidates will be advised when they will be informed of the result of the interview. 

UCL sets high standards and is concerned to attract students with excellent academic qualifications and high levels of motivation.

• Students applying should normally have (or expect to achieve) an outstanding academic record with a minimum 2.1 undergraduate degree

• Candidates with a good Masters degree (e.g. a distinction) or equivalent, are strongly encouraged to apply.

• The subject area should be grounded in a science based subject widely defined (e.g. computer science, chemistry, engineering, information and communications technologies, materials, mathematical sciences, physics and some life and social sciences). 

All applications will be subject to approval by the UCL Graduate Admissions Office. Nationality or country of origin is not a criterion for eligibility; we welcome applications from EU students and overseas students.

• Selection

To ensure appropriate quality of students, applicant selection will be based on two criteria. First, a panel of relevant UCL academics will assess applicants on the basis of their potential in their specialist areas (e.g. signal processing). Secondly we will assess the candidate on the basis of their broader knowledge and skills, and aim to evaluate their potential to pursue truly innovative, interdisciplinary research, aswell as their ability to fulfill our expectations for them to engage fully in UCL SECReT wider learning and teamwork activities. We are looking for candidates who really stand out as potential leaders in their field, and whose work will create genuine impact.

PLEASE NOTE: The taught components and the PhD together form an integrated 4 year programme. The taught component (largely in Year 1) is not a stand alone course and applicants are expected to commit themselves to the whole four year programme.

How students are selected: seven step process

1. Applications are shortlisted by the UCL SECReT team; very weak applications or applications non-aligned with UCL SECReT's ethos or research areas are rejected.
   
2. Applications that do not include a minimum of two UCL academics in the field "potential supervisors" are rejected. The others are then forwarded to a panel of academics for review.
3. Academics review the applications, focusing on those from students who may share their research interests, and submit a review back to UCL SECReT.
4. The SECReT team now further shortlists applicants for interview based on the feedback from academics and the personal statement.
5. These students are invited for an interview at UCL with a 3 person panel, usually including the Director or Deputy Director of UCL SECReT, and an academic interested in your proposed research (often the person you have previously contacted or named). Students and academics may contact each other before the interview.
6. After a 30 minute interview of the student, UCL SECReT will decide whether they will be offered a place on the programme, and whether they will be allocated a scholarship where appropriate.
7. UCL SECReT team will request UCL to issue a notification letter, and inform applicants of their decision by email. Results will also be posted online. All unsuccessful applicants will be formally notified by UCL.

• Notification

We expect to make offers within a week of interview.

All unsuccessful candidates will be notified by UCL. Please note that due to the large number of applications we process and the confidential nature of certain documents, we will not provide any feed-back.

Deferral

• If I apply and am accepted, can I defer my enrollment by one year?

The programme director may allow you to defer once. Please note that you cannot carry your scholarship over to your deferred year, you will need to apply for the scholarship again. Also, if your residency status changes between the time of applying and the time of joining the programme, you may not be eligible for the scholarship.

Induction

All new students will undergo a one week induction course which will introduce them to UCL and the research support facilities available. This will also provide a generic introduction to security science and the operation of the training centre – its background, ethos, aims, programme, regulations, and expectations. This will be held for each annual cohort and will involve all supervisors, UCL SECReT management team and associated support staff. All students will be assigned a mentor to advise on any personal matters but also to assist in the ‘matching’ of students with supervisors. During this week students will be given specific lectures about ‘security and critical infrastructures’, setting the national scene and examining current approaches.