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Eastman Dental Institute MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Eastman Dental Institute MPhil/PhD (2024), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£6,215

£3,600

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£36,500

£18,250

Duration

3 calendar years

5 calendar years

Programme starts

October 2025

February 2026

May 2026

Applications accepted

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted at least three months prior to your preferred start date.

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or a recognised MRes or Master’s degree. All applicants must meet UCL's general entry requirements for MPhil/PhD.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

A world-class research centre, UCL Eastman Dental Institute offers you a range of doctorate research opportunities in the fields of oral health and society, microbial diseases, clinical research, and biomaterials tissue engineering.

You will undertake a research project under the supervision of at least one of the institute's international specialists, who will support and guide you in your reporting, presentations, and networking. The nature of your project can be defined by you or your supervisor, depending on availability and funding. It is expected the project will involve basic science but may also be clinically relevant.

The UCL Eastman Dental Institute undertakes high-quality research that advances knowledge of the causes, treatment, and prevention of orofacial and related disease. We then translate those findings into improved clinical care and public policy. The institute has many long-standing research collaborations with international universities and industrial sponsors. You will also benefit from interaction with other UCL research groups and with NHS hospitals close to the university.

You can choose to do your research full-time over three years or part-time over five years.

Who this course is for

This programme is well suited to scientists, dentists, medics and other medical professionals who want to pursue a laboratory or clinically based doctorate. Opportunities are available in a range of topics including oral health, microbial diseases and biomaterials and tissue engineering with an emphasis on translational research. We welcome applicants from the UK and around the world.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities.

The opportunity to pursue novel scientific or clinical research under the guidance of experienced supervisors.
The chance to contribute to studies that improve, and have a positive impact upon, oral and systemic health through innovative, translational, and high-quality research.
The resources and support of a world-class research centre dedicated to basic, applied, and translational research allied to dentistry and oral health.
The opportunity to develop and refine your research skills and confidence by working directly with established academics in your chosen field of research.
A highly collaborative research department.
The chance to become involved in research groups in allied departments as well as with outside partners in other universities worldwide, and potentially with industrial SME and large multinational companies.
Opportunities to contribute towards collaborative scientific publications, to publish your own research findings in peer reviewed journals, and to produce conference abstracts for poster or verbal presentations at local, national, and international conferences.
Advice on future career paths from academics with a broad range of experience.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

A PhD from UCL Eastman will make you an attractive candidate for roles in research, academia or industry, particularly pharmaceutical companies. Due to the reputation of the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, our graduates are sought-after in the field of dentistry worldwide.

According to the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey (2018-2022), around 87% of Eastman PhD graduates reported being in work (77%) or further study (10%), with the majority in highly skilled roles.

Employability

Many graduates continue onto further research or take up academic positions at leading universities around the world. You will also be equipped to enter managerial or research positions in the health service, government, or industry, in the UK or further afield.

According to the HESA survey, Eastman PhD graduates go on to work for a range of employers. These include:

Universities (both UK and overseas)
NHS Trusts
Governmental bodies (Ministry of Health, Malaysia; NSTDA Biotec, Thailand)
Cancer research organisations (Institute of Cancer Research)
Healthcare consultants (Kx Advisors).

Many work in university clinical academia teaching or research posts. Others work within dentistry, biochemistry or biomedical sciences, whilst some are management consultants or research and development (R&D) managers.

Networking

Throughout your programme, you will be encouraged to attend, and contribute to, conferences in the UK and internationally. Each year, the institute allocates funding to support those who want to travel to a conference or comparable event to present a paper or poster based on their work.

The institute also hosts a variety of speakers throughout the year, and you will be encouraged to attend these talks and network with your peers.

At the institute's annual PhD Research Symposium, you will have the chance to highlight your research projects through oral and poster presentations.

Teaching and learning

Most of your research will be carried out independently. There will also be a series of training requirements that you will need to complete in the early stages of the programme. UCL Doctoral School also provides a wide range of useful course you may wish to participate in, including thesis writing, presentation skills and statistical analysis.

Your first milestone will be to upgrade from MPhil to the PhD postgraduate research degree status. For this, you will need to submit and present a research report together with an interview known as a viva examination. In your final year, you submit a complete thesis covering your research and a formal discussion of your research is held at a viva examination.

Most of your time will be spent conducting independent research, alongside regular meetings with your supervisory team and completing your training requirements. We also encourage you to attend relevant research events at UCL and elsewhere.

Contact hours and hours of self-study are agreed between the student and the supervisor at the beginning of their research degree and should be reviewed on a regular basis. Full-time postgraduate research students are expected to work a minimum of 36.5 hours per week on their project. With agreement of their supervisors, contact time can be on-site or remote working, depending upon the nature and stage of the project. Postgraduate research students can access UCL facilities ‘out of hours’ including weekends and holidays during their period of registration. Students will have research meetings with their supervisors at least once per month.

Research areas and structure

UCL Eastman Institute seeks to improve and make positive impact upon oral and systemic health through innovative and high-quality research. The institute has a global reputation in its three key areas of interest - Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Clinical Research and Microbial Diseases. During their research programme, the students will be expected to undertake a research project under the supervision of at least one member of the institute's academic staff. The nature of the project can be defined by either the academic supervisor or by the applicant, depending on both availability and method of funding. It is however expected that the nature of the research project will be on basic science but may be clinically relevant depending on the project.

Research environment

The UCL Eastman Dental Institute is the largest postgraduate dental school in Europe and has a reputation as one of the world’s leading academic centres for dentistry. You will join a community of 80-100 research students enrolled within the UCL Eastman Centre for Postgraduate Research (UCL ECPgR), a virtual body for research students within the UCL Eastman Dental Institute.

With a focus on biomaterials and tissue engineering, clinical research, oral health and society and microbial diseases, the institute seeks to improve and make a positive impact upon oral and systemic health through innovative, translational, and high-quality research.

The institute's ambitious clinical research programme focuses on translational (experimental) medicine, including clinical trials of repurposed drugs, novel diagnostics, novel drugs and devices, and improvements in treatment selection and evaluation of response. Eastman achieved a good outcome in the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) and has one of the strongest NIHR-funded translational portfolios in dentistry with world-leading publications.

Our researchers are experts in early first-in-human clinical studies and large multicentre phase III trials, including Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMPs) and non-CTIMPs studies. Our researchers are leaders in their fields, with many having pivotal roles in other organisations such as the Longitude Prize, EPSRC, NIHR and IADR as well as being editors of prominent journals. Our grant success is derived from numerous sponsors, such as ERC, NIHR, EPSRC, which reflects the wide range of our research activities.

Several NHS hospitals are located nearby for collaborative research. University College Hospital London (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust, Royal National ENT, and Eastman Dental Hospital, Macmillan Cancer Centre, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Royal London Hospital of Integrated Medicine are all within walking distance of the campus.

When you accept your place on the programme, you will initially register for an MPhil.

During your first term, you will receive an induction to the research environment with the chance to attend optional research methods modules designed to develop your skills as an academic researcher.

Within three months of joining the programme, you will be expected to agree the basic structure of your research project with your supervisor, along with the appropriate research methods and a realistic plan of your work.

You will then need to submit a detailed outline of your proposed research for comments and feedback before you are ready to undertake the project as part of your supervisor’s research team.

You will be eligible to upgrade to PhD student status between 9-18 months into the programme. Upgrade decisions are based on an evaluation of an upgrade report, which you will draft with the support of your supervisors, as well as assessment by viva examination. You will also present your research work to an audience of UCL Eastman academic and clinical staff, and fellow PhD students.

After your upgrade, you will continue to explore your research hypothesis, complete your data collection and analysis, and prepare your thesis.

In your second year, you will be encouraged to produce a poster presentation of your research project, followed by a verbal presentation in your third year. You are also encouraged to write and submit manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and present your research findings at local, national, and international conferences.

Following the third year of registration, you may transfer to what is termed 'completing research status' (CRS) for one year to complete your thesis writing and final viva examination.

If you want to fit the studies around work or other commitments, you can opt for a five-year, part-time programme.

When you accept your place on the programme, you will initially register for an MPhil.

During your first term, you receive an induction to the research environment with the chance to attend optional research methods modules designed to develop your skills as an academic researcher.

Within six months of joining the programme, you will be expected to agree the basic structure of your research project with your supervisor, along with the appropriate research methods and a realistic plan of your work.

You will then need to submit a detailed outline of your proposed research for comments and feedback before you are ready to undertake the project as part of your supervisor’s research team.

You will be eligible to upgrade to PhD student status between 15-30 months into the programme. Upgrade decisions are based on an evaluation of an upgrade report, which you will draft with the support of your primary and subsidiary supervisors, as well as assessment by viva examination. You also present your research to an audience of UCL Eastman academic and clinical staff and fellow PhD students.

After your upgrade, you will continue to explore your research hypothesis, complete your data collection and analysis, and prepare your thesis.

In your second or third year, you will be encouraged to produce a poster presentation of your research project, followed by a verbal presentation in your fourth or fifth year. You will also be encouraged to write and submit manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and present your research findings at local, national, and international conferences.

Following the fifth year of registration, you may transfer to what is termed 'completing research status' (CRS) for two years to complete your thesis writing and final viva examination.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£6,215	£3,600
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£36,500	£18,250

Full-time = 3 years.
Part-time = 5 years.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Research students may incur an additional fee element (AFE) per year of study, which ranges from £1,000 to £10,000 (exceptionally over £10,000). This fee covers consumables, laboratory costs and costs associated with running the project. The exact amount will depend on the needs of the individual research project and will be discussed with you at the time of application.

Other costs might include:

The purchase of a personal computer / laptop, although UCL computers are always available to use on campus.
Research papers are available online, but some students like to print copies. Payable printing facilities are available on campus, and you receive £12 free credit.
Students may wish to attend external local, national, and international conferences separate to the doctoral programme. These events usually offer a student discount. The exact cost will depend on the location, prevailing exchange rates and the price of travel and accommodation.

You may be eligible to apply for the Eastman Conference fund or departmental funds, particularly if presenting UCL research work at a conference.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Some projects offered for PhD are already funded and studentships will be advertised on both the UCL Eastman Dental Institute's Research page and the UCL jobs website. Due to the competitive nature of this research programme, it is anticipated that the applicant will usually secure his or her own funding prior to the start of their studies.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Some of our applicants submit their own research proposal. If you wish to do so, please make sure that first you identify a suitable supervisor with the correct expertise.

All prospective applicants should find, make contact and have an agreement from a supervisor before applying. To find a supervisor, please visit the Eastman website. If you are unsure, please contact our Research Student Administrator on edi-phd@ucl.ac.uk.

Submission of applications should be at least 2-3 months prior to the start date. Start dates at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute Centre for Postgraduate Research are usually at three points in the year: October (Autumn term), February (Spring term) and May (Summer term). Exceptions may be made depending on the funding requirements.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.