Entry requirements for international PhD applicants

At Sussex, you’ll join a community of students and staff from more than 100 countries. We accept applications for postgraduate study from across the world.

General entry requirements for international students

At Sussex, our usual entry requirements for UK and international students are:

• at least an upper second-class (2:1) undergraduate honours degree or equivalent international qualification
• a Masters degree if you are applying for research degrees in the arts or social sciences, or an equivalent international qualification.

We may also consider professional qualifications or experience of equivalent standing when making offers.

To find out which qualifications and grades we accept from your country:

• search for the PhD you want to study
• go to the Entry requirements section and select International requirements
• choose your country from the drop-down list.

You can also get advice from Sussex representatives in your country.

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Specific entry requirements for international students

You must also meet our specific entry requirements for each research degree. These are listed with each PhD degree.

Check:

• the grade required for your course
• if you need to have an undergraduate qualification in a specific subject
• if you need to have a Masters qualification.

If you are an American student, federal regulations state that you must have a secondary school completion credential (high school diploma) or the recognized equivalent of a secondary school completion credential to be eligible to apply for Federal Student Aid. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid.

You can also get advice from Sussex representatives in your country.

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English language qualifications

All teaching at Sussex is in English. You must be sufficiently fluent in English to be accepted on to your PhD, and this may form part of your offer.

Find out more about our English language requirements

You can also apply to study our Pre-sessional English course.

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Interviews

For some research degrees we may ask you to attend an interview.

If you are an international student, you may be interviewed over the phone or via Skype.

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Applying for a visa

If you are an international student, you may need to apply for a student visa to study in the UK.

Find out more about applying for a visa on the Student Hub.

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Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

You need to apply for ATAS clearance if you are not a national of an European Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, and you are applying for a science or engineering-based PhD.

Find out more about ATAS on the Student Hub.

Entry requirements

Requirements for Graduate Studies

All entry requirements listed in the printed prospectus as well as on our online course lists are in reference to UK qualifications only and reflect the minimum requirement needed to be considered for admission. Programmes often do ask for higher than our minimum requirements, due to the demanding and competitive nature of our programmes.

If you intend to apply for a Masters degree the College minimum requirement is a UK Lower Second Class Honours degree. The majority of programmes have higher requirements, usually a minimum of a UK Upper Second Class Honours.

For admission to a PhD, MPhil, MD (Res) or EngD research programme the College would normally expect you to hold or achieve a Master’s degree in addition to a Bachelor’s degree at UK Upper Second Class Honours Level.

For information regarding our minimum entry requirements for international qualifications please visit our Country Index. All entry requirements are devised by Imperial College London and are unique to the College.

Please note that meeting academic requirements does not guarantee entry, it is only one of the factors taken into account when selectors make their decision: other factors such as suitability for the course, proficiency in English (you will need to have passed a College-approved English test), relevant work experience and references are also important.

Note for research (PhD) applicants

If you are applying for a postgraduate research degree and are asked to present formal evidence of English language ability, you will need to fulfill the Imperial College London Postgraduate English Requirement. This involves taking the Imperial College London initial English assessment (English Assessment 1) as soon as you start your PhD studies. After this assessment, internal classes (which are free of charge) may be recommended, and you may be reassessed at a later stage to evaluate your progress.    

The aim of this requirement is to help and encourage you to work on your English language skills and to ensure that you receive the necessary support to complete your PhD successfully and communicate your work in the wider academic community. For more information please see the Centre for Academic English website. 

While every effort has been made to ensure that this information is up-to-date, Imperial College London can accept no liability for any inaccuracies or alterations of which it may be unaware.

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements for PhD, MPhil, and professional doctorate programmes.

Academic requirements

Of you’re applying for a PhD and MPhil you must hold either:

• a UK undergraduate (Bachelors) degree with at least first class or upper second class honours, OR
• an equivalent qualification from a recognised overseas institution

Your undergraduate qualification should normally be in a subject relevant to the subject of the PhD or MPhil you are applying for.

In some subject areas and for some funded studentships you must hold a Masters degree. Please refer to the relevant subject page or studentship advert to check this requirement.

In addition to the academic entry requirements, you must satisfy the English language entry requirements.

Personal attributes

Research degrees are demanding and intensive programmes. To succeed at this level, you must be highly motivated, be able to work both independently and as part as part of a team, be able to plan and manage your own work, and have an appropriate familiarity with the discipline and the associated research techniques.

Qualifications not completed at time of application

If you have not yet completed your undergraduate or Masters degree (if required), you may still be considered if you can provide evidence that you will complete this qualification before the start of the PhD/MPhil and that your marks/grades to date are at an appropriate level.

Equivalency of overseas qualifications

If you’re an international applicants and you need advice on the equivalency of your qualification(s), you can contact our Admissions Office.

Please provide:

• The full title and subject area of your qualification(s)
• The name and country of the awarding institution
• Your marks or grades to date

Distance learning

If you’re applying for a distance learning research degree programme, you must hold the standard academic entry requirements as described above. In addition, you may need to demonstrate that you have access to appropriate research facilities and resources – such as an academic library.

For more information, please see our information distance learning research degrees.

Professional doctorates

If you are applying for professional doctorate programmes, you must hold the standard academic entry requirements as described above. In addition, you must usually hold a Masters degree and be employed in a relevant context.

For more advice, please see the course description.

• Doctor of Social Science (DSocSci)
• Doctor of Medicine (MD)
• Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)

Non-standard qualifications and professional experience

If you do not hold the standard academic entry requirements, you may be considered if you can demonstrate relevant research or professional experience.

For more advice, please contact pgradmissions@leicester.ac.uk.