Research areas and structure

Research is focused within the following eight departments:

• Brain Repair and Rehabilitation 
• Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy 
• Imaging Neuroscience 
• Clinical and Movement Neurosciences 
• Neurodegenerative Disease 
• Neuroinflammation 
• Neuromuscular Diseases 
• UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL 

Research environment

The UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology has a world class reputation for neuroscience. The mission is to translate neuroscience discovery research into treatments for patients with neurological diseases.  It is a specialist postgraduate institute of University College London, the top-ranked university in the UK for research in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience. See http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/about/infographic.

Continuing the record of exceptional achievement in previous Research Assessments (RAE), the Institute performed very strongly in REF2014 within Unit of Assessment (UoA) 4, Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience. UCL came top overall in both the standard power measure and combined 4* and 3* work in this UoA.

Overall, 83 per cent of the submission was rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (4*/3*), with 74% of research outputs given these ratings. The research environment was given a 100% world-leading rating and the impact was judged to be over 97% world leading or internationally excellent.

A PhD at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology will allow you to pursue original research and make a distinct and significant contribution to your field. We are committed to the quality and relevance of the research supervision we offer and as an MPhil/PhD candidate; you could work with academics at the cutting edge of neuroscience research. Furthermore as a research student, you will be an integral part of our collaborative and thriving research community.

Full-time

Application and Initial Registration

MPhil/ PhD Initial Registration

1.            An applicant for a PhD degree will be registered initially for the MPhil degree.

Further guidance

1.            Every student must complete enrolment as instructed within two weeks of the start of their research programme and must undertake to comply with the conditions of enrolment.

2.            An applicant for registration is required to produce for inspection by UCL the original documentary evidence of their qualifications either before or at registration — i.e. the original diploma or certificate of the awarding body.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is three years for full-time.

You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may register for completing research status (CRS) while you write up your thesis after five years of registration

All MPhil/PhD students must have thesis committees (TC) which are comprised of the subsidiary supervisor, at least two independent academic colleagues and the student. The thesis committee panel must be formed and approved within the first month of joining the programme. Within three months, you are expected to have your first TC meeting where you will agree on your personal development plan, the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method, a realistic plan of work and perform a presentation. At 9 months, you will have your second TC meeting which will require a presentation, submission of a progress report and an updated personal development plan.

In your second year you will be expected to upgrade from an MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a 10,000 word dissertation read & approved by both supervisors, and perform a departmental presentation and private upgrade viva examined by the two independent TC members. If successful, the upgrade will be recommended by the examiners and will require approval from the Department Graduate Tutor (DGT).

This will be followed by three further TC meetings comprised of presentations on PhD progress and reviews of the personal development plan. The final TC meeting will require submission of a thesis outline for review by the TC panel members.

The PhD programme is expected to be completed within three years for full-time students. If you are not ready to submit at the end of the third year, you may be able to go into CRS (this will be agreed between yourself, your sponsors (if applicable) and your supervisors).

 All students are required to maintain and complete the research log, and should also aim to collect at least 20 points per year from attending Graduate School courses and other relevant externally run courses.

Part-time

Application and Initial Registration

MPhil/ PhD Initial Registration

1.            An applicant for a PhD degree will be registered initially for the MPhil degree.

Further guidance

1.            Every student must complete enrolment as instructed within two weeks of the start of their research programme and must undertake to comply with the conditions of enrolment.

2.            An applicant for registration is required to produce for inspection by UCL the original documentary evidence of their qualifications either before or at registration — i.e. the original diploma or certificate of the awarding body.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is five years for part-time.

You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 15-30 months after initial registration.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may register for completing research status (CRS) while you write up your thesis after five years of registration

All MPhil/PhD students must have thesis committees (TC) which are comprised of the subsidiary supervisor, at least two independent academic colleagues and the student. The thesis committee panel must be formed and approved within the first month of joining the programme. Within six months, you are expected to have your first TC meeting where you will agree on your personal development plan, the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method, a realistic plan of work and perform a presentation. At 15 months, you will have your second TC meeting which will require a presentation, submission of a progress report and an updated personal development plan.

In your second/third year you will be expected to upgrade from an MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a 10,000 word dissertation read & approved by both supervisors, and perform a departmental presentation and private upgrade viva examined by the two independent TC members. If successful, the upgrade will be recommended by the examiners and will require approval from the Department Graduate Tutor (DGT).

This will be followed by three further TC meetings comprised of presentations on PhD progress and reviews of the personal development plan. The final TC meeting will require submission of a thesis outline for review by the TC panel members.

The PhD programme is expected to be completed within five years for part-time students. If you are not ready to submit at the end of the fifth year, you may be able to go into CRS (this will be agreed between yourself, your sponsors (if applicable) and your supervisors).

 All students are required to maintain and complete the research log, and should also aim to collect at least 20 points per year from attending Graduate School courses and other relevant externally run courses.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.