Study for an ResM or PhD degree with the School of Nursing and Midwifery and join a supportive community of healthcare professionals working to ensure our research breakthroughs lead to direct benefits for patients and communities
| Duration | Full time: 3-4 years Part time: 4-6 years |
| Course type | Full-time, Part-time route available |
| Location | Plymouth |
This full time or part time doctoral programme is suitable for people who have a particular research question or topic in mind, and wish to explore this through independent study in order to produce an original contribution to the subject. If you aspire to a research career this is the most appropriate research degree to undertake.
You will be guided by a small supervisory team of academic experts under the direction of a Director of Studies.
You will be expected to fully engage with skills development and training and to present your research in a range of scholarly contexts.
Your PhD will be assessed via submission of either a written thesis (up to 80,000 words), or one that combines critical writing with artistic, creative and/or professional practice, and a viva voce (an oral examination).
For full details of what doing a PhD entails at the University of Plymouth, please visit our postgraduate research degrees pages.
If you do not already have a masters degree, you may be interested in one of our masters level research degrees – for instance, our ResM in Applied Health Studies (which enables a transfer directly into the PhD programme if you are making excellent progress), or else an MPhil degree. Further details about the University’s research degree awards.
All applicants must meet the entry criteria for a Faculty of Health research degree which are:
For more general guidelines and application requirements, please visit the research degrees applicants page.
The UK is no longer part of the European Union. EU applicants should refer to our Brexit information to understand the implications.
Please visit tuition fees for postgraduate research for information about fees. PhD Applied Health Studies is in Band 2 for fees purposes.
If you are thinking of undertaking the MPhil/PhD or ResM Programme with the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SNAM) then there are a number of ways to obtain further information to inform your decision on this.
Contact the SNAM Postgraduate Research Coordinator Dr Jane March McDonald who will be able to sign post you to a potential Director of Studies (lead supervisor) whose expertise is aligned with your area/topic of research interest and who will be able to discuss your ideas and answer any questions you might have You can identify potential research areas of interest by browsing the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research and the South West Clinical school web pages.
If you have already identified a SNAM staff member who holds expertise in your research topic/area and you wish to see if they might be willing and have capacity to undertake the role as your Director of Studies, then please contact this person directly by email.
If you are unsure which School would be most appropriate to support your programme of studies, then please contact the Doctoral College who will be able to advise.
Research Fellowships are sometimes made available by the South West Clinical Schools. Please contact the Clinical School directly. Successful applicants will be supported in submitting an application to the Doctoral College for the MPhil/PhD or ResM Applied Health Studies Programme.
Completion and submission of Application:
After a potential supervisor has been identified, in order to formally apply, please complete the online application form and ensure you upload the following documents:
Please note our application deadlines. Overseas applicants must submit their application 4.5 months prior to the proposed programme start date. For Home/EU applicants the deadline is 2.5 months prior to the proposed programme start date. There are three possible start dates per year, 1 October, 1 January and 1 April.
Submitting your application
Complete your application and upload supporting documents to the Doctoral College by completing our online application form.
Questions on the application process?
We're here to help. Please contact the Doctoral College team and we'll be happy to assist you.
You can view or download our postgraduate research admissions policy.
If you have a disability and would like further information on the support available, please visit our Disability Services website.
International Student Advice (ISA) provides support for our international students.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Plymouth recognise that people may act out of character in times of trouble or distress. However, we will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour or language towards any of our staff during the admissions process. Hostile, aggressive, or otherwise inappropriate behaviour or language, whether expressed verbally or in writing, will be viewed seriously and may adversely affect the consideration of an application, appeal, or complaint. We reserve the right to reject an application from, or withdraw an offer to, an applicant who has behaved in an inappropriate manner.
The Doctoral College is able to answer any questions you may have about applying for or undertaking a postgraduate research degree at the University of Plymouth: doctoralcollege@plymouth.ac.uk or +44 1752 587640.
We research sustainability, use of new genetic knowledge and technologies, the ageing population, use of internet and mobile technologies, changes in clinical education, contemporary nursing, and how knowledge is translated into practice and policy.
Our interdisciplinary approach takes account of how services will evolve over the next few years.
Learn more about research within our school
Find out more about how to pay your tuition fees, studentships and student loans for postgraduate research students.Postgraduate Research (PGR) fees and expenses explained
Find out more about the Doctoral College and the support it offers students, supervisors and examiners of postgraduate research at the University of Plymouth.Supporting excellence and employability across all stages of the researcher journey
