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Is it possible to study for my PhD part-time?
Yes, you can register for part-time study. We would usually expect full-time students to complete their PhD in 3-4 years (3 years of research plus 1 optional writing-up year), and part-time students to complete in 5-7 years (5 years of research plus 24 months optional writing-up ). Part-time students pay half the full-time tuition fee.
Is it possible to study for a PhD long-distance?
UCL History has no formal distance learning setup for PhD students. All students are expected to attend regular meetings with their supervisors on campus, and all students yet to complete the upgrade process (which usually happens around end of Year 1 for full-time students) are required to attend the department's Research Training Seminar. This takes place on campus, on a weekday evening, and is held approximately once every two weeks during the first two terms of the academic year.
Of course, you may find during the course of your PhD that you need to undertake overseas travel in order to conduct research. This is covered by the UCL policy on study leave and is not the same as distance learning.
How do I apply for PhD funding?
Our students are supported by funding from many different sources. These include UCL scholarships (the Graduate Research Scholarship, Overseas Research Scholarship, and Wolfson Scholarship) as well as funding from the Arts & Humanities Research Council, distributed through the LAHP (London Arts and Humanities Partnership). In order to be considered for any of these funding sources, you will need to meet our early application deadline. Your application must be complete by this date; that means that it should include all references and transcripts. Details of how to apply for particular funding streams can be found here.
Other funding bodies (perhaps in your home country) will have different application processes and we do not manage these applications in-house. If you need a reference or supporting letter from UCL History in order to apply for your external funding, please get in touch with us so that we can help.
You can also find information on our funding page about UK student loans for eligible PhD students.