phd admissions process
Answering your questions about how to apply for a PhD at the Maxwell Institute
entry requirements
Check you meet the programme entry requirements.
Research interests
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 People section to identify possible supervisors and research areas/ topics.
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.
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.
Contact Information
School of Mathematics Graduate School at the University of Edinburgh
Email- pgresearch@maths.ed.ac.uk
School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University
Email- studywithus@hw.ac.uk