Graduate School
Over 140 academics and excellent facilities provide a superb environment for PhD study in all areas of the mathematical sciences
A rich environment and lively seminar programme
Our graduate school includes an EPSRC-funded Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), and covers all areas of mathematics, operational research and statistics. There are numerous meetings, workshops and conferences held through the year, both at the two universities and, often jointly, at the Edinburgh-based International Centre for Mathematical Sciences.
What's On Offer
Our different types of PhD programme:
General Programme
Our core programme for anyone interested in a general PhD at the Maxwell Institute Graduate School, covering themes such as Analysis & Probability, Optimisation, Operational Research, Statistics & Actuarial Mathematics, Structure & Symmetry and more.
Our application procedure
Check you meet the programme entry requirements.
Research Interests – this section is not for MAC-MIGS applicants
Identify your research interest and determine in which group you wish to carry out your work.
You should contact staff members prior to making an application in order to identify possible projects and supervisors. This is especially the case for international applicants who may not have the opportunity to attend an interview. However, it isn’t essential for you to have secured a supervisor before making your application.
You can use the search function in the “Possible PhD Supervisors” section below or the search function in the People section to identify possible supervisors and research areas/ topics. When using the search function to identify potential supervisors, please filter by status and select “staff”.
English Language
You must demonstrate a level of English language competency that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.
Language requirements vary between programmes so check the relevant website.
Required Documents
- All degree certificates and transcripts– if you do not yet have a transcript, please subit an interim transcript. If you do not yet have a degree certificate, please request a letter from your University stating you have satisfactorily completed your studies or are expected to.
- 2 Academic references to be provided directly by your referees.
- English Language Certificate (where applicable).
Where you are asked for a research proposal, you may ignore that request as mathematics does not require one.
Submit your application
You should submit your application via the relevant application portal-
- University of Edinburgh – please note if you wish to apply to the University of Edinburgh, you must select the appropriate PhD programme (i.e. Algebra, Statistics, etc) when submitting your online application by 23rd January 2023.
- Heriot-Watt University – please note if you wish to apply to Heriot-Watt University, you must follow the steps to create an account before you can submit your application by 23rd January 2023.
- MAC-MIGS CDT programme
Possible PhD supervisors
This part is NOT FOR MAC-MIGS applicants. Please use the search function below to identify potential supervisors based on your current research interests. If you do not have fully-formed views on these, you can use the search function to identify possibilities. We would encourage you to contact supervisors directly so that you can get an idea of the types of project that may be on offer. When seeking to identify potential supervisors, you should select “Filter by status” and choose “Staff”.
Alternatively, please explore the research theme pages to view their areas of research and interest. Some of research groups have additional information about supervisors and projects on dedicated webpages.
Research groups at the University of Edinburgh
Research groups at Heriot-Watt University
- Actuarial & Financial Mathematics
- Algebra, Geometry & Topology
- Analysis and PDEs
- Applied Mathematics
- Computational Mathematics
- Mathematical Biology & Ecology
- Mathematical Physics
- Probability & Statistics
- TEMSE
A description of the PhD projects offered by the HW research groups can be found here.
If you are applying for the MAC-MIGS CDT Programme we expect you to keep an open mind about research topics and supervisors. Matching between students and supervisors will usually be done in the middle of the first year – see the MAC-MIGS CDT web site for more details.
What we offer:
Admission to the Maxwell Institute Graduate School often includes a scholarship covering fees and living expenses, but we also consider self-funded applicants. The funding period for PhD projects varies between 36 and 48 months, depending on the previous experience of the candidate. The MAC-MIGS doctoral training scholarships are all for 48 months.
The Bayes Centre in the Edinburgh city centre offers a modern space where all MIGS 1st year PhD students will be located.
A complete range of high quality training is on offer to all of our students to take advantage of - both academic and beyond.
More than 150 fellow PhD students between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.
A vibrant research environment including many seminar series and further activities
General Programme PhDs
Please use the search function to find academics working in the area of research that interests you. You should then contact them via email to discuss possible research topics.
You are encouraged to apply by 23rd January 2023 for full consideration. Later applications will be considered until all positions are filled. If you are shortlisted for a PhD programme, you will be invited for interview. These will be held online.
MAC-MIGS CDT
Please go to the MAC-MIGS programme website for further information about the application process.
GlaMS Programme PhDs
Please see the GlaMS website for further detail and information about the application procedure.
MIGSAA*
* Please note that this programme is now closed.
how to apply
For further information about how to apply to the Maxwell Institute Graduate School, visit our PhD Admissions page.
Any further questions?
To learn more about our PhD studies or view key contact information on our programmes, visit our FAQs page.