ASSESSMENT METHODS

1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview


English language requirements

If English is not your first language you will need to provide an IELTS language certificate with an overall score of 6.5 (with no less than 6.0 in any element).

As a result of very recent changes made by UK Visas & Immigration, please note we no longer regard TOEFL as an acceptable language test for entry to Oxford Brookes. This applies whether you require a Student visa or not.

If you do not meet these requirements you may be able to take our University English as a pre-sessional course.

Application process

1. check entry requirements and fees
2. explore our research groups and supervisory staff pages to see how your chosen field of study aligns with the research portfolio within the school
3. agree your research with Emma Rowden (erowden@brookes.ac.uk), and advise her that you are considering making an application.
4. You are also welcome to contact particular academics to help you develop your ideas
5. formulate your proposal. You can indicate any staff members whom you would like to work with, or Emma will circulate your proposal to the most appropriate staff to get their comments.
6. if the proposal is accepted, Emma will ask you to make a formal application, or give you advice on how the proposal may be improved. For guidance on writing a PhD research proposal see our Guide to writing PhD Research Proposals.
7. gather required supporting documents
8. submit your application through Oxford Brookes online application system
9. email the supporting documents directly to tde-research-pgr@brookes.ac.uk

Supporting documents

Before applying through the Oxford Brookes online application system please make sure you gather the following supporting documentation:

 research proposal
 scan of your passport - to confirm your name and date of birth. We will then ensure that any offer letters issued to you correspond with your passport name, this will help when applying for a student visa
 IELTS Certificate or equivalent (if required) – no older than two years from the proposed start date of your programme.
 scan of your final degree certificates already awarded
 scan of transcripts
 two references (at least one academic) – your references must be on institutional headed paper and be dated and signed by referee(s). They can be sent directly to the Research Administrator in the Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment in a sealed envelope, or emailed. Please note that it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their referees supply these documents
 evidence of funding – (if sponsored by an employer or government, you must provide evidence in the form of a recently dated sponsorship letter on official headed paper. If supporting your studies from private funds, you must provide a recently dated bank statement).

Research expertise

As a research student you will be affiliated with one of our research groups. Please explore the research groups and their associated staff to see how your chosen field of study aligns with the research portfolio within the school.

Institutes and Centres

 Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP)

Groups

 Architectural Engineering Research Group
 Design, Theory and Practice (DTP)
 Low Carbon Building (LCB)
 Place, Culture and Identity

Degree routes

All students enrol as probationer research students. During the first year you will formally register your research proposal for one of the below routes.
The degree for which you register will depend on your academic qualifications and research experience.

MPhil (with possibility of transfer to PhD)

Most students initially register for an MPhil with the possibility of transfer to a PhD without submitting for an MPhil. During your MPhil you will:

 critically investigate and evaluate an approved topic
 demonstrate understanding of research methods appropriate to the chosen field
 present and defend a substantial thesis by oral examination.

Length of study

 Full Time: min 2 years, max 3 years for MPhil component only; for MPhil/PhD, min 3 years, max 5 years.
 Part Time: min 3 years, max 4 years for MPhil component only; for MPhil/PhD, min 4 years, max 6 years.

Entry requirement: the minimum entry requirement for an MPhil degree, or an MPhil with the intention of transferring to a PhD, is:

 a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree
 a relevant master’s qualification
 or an equivalent qualification.

Applications from those holding qualifications other than the above will be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the work proposed.

PhD by Practice

A PhD by Practice is a PhD undertaken through workplace-based research (including in an architectural practice) or through action research. The outcome would be a practical piece of work and a critical reflection on that work. The relationship between practical and critical work will vary from project to project.

‘By practice’ covers a number of different approaches:

 developing an innovative project at a workplace (paid or unpaid work) for example, developing new tools (technical or analytical)
 implementing a project (where the project or the implementation methods in itself are identified as contributing new knowledge in the field, such as testing new practices)
 learning and documenting new or hitherto undocumented/under-researched practices in a community of practice
 adapting practices to new environments
 formulating a new policy (institutional or thematic)
 working on a project/learning at work (including activist research in which the candidate actively works for change in an organisation/group).

The aim with a PhD by practice is to investigate critically and evaluate an approved topic resulting in an independent and original contribution to the field, and demonstrate an understanding of research methods appropriate to the chosen field by documenting, understanding, analysing and possibly developing particular practices related to a workplace or community of practice.

The guiding principle is that basic research and knowledge expansion can happen through practice-based research. Practice-based research is often time-consuming and the innovations made possible through such research need to be acknowledged.

Entry requirement: the minimum entry requirement is:

 a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree
 a relevant master’s qualification
 or an equivalent qualification.

Applications from those holding qualifications other than the above will be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the work proposed.

PhD by creative work (PhD by design)

You may undertake a programme of research in which your own creative work or practice forms the most significant part of the intellectual enquiry. These creative work degrees may be in any field but must be undertaken as part of a registered research programme.

Length of study:

 Full Time: min 2 years, max 3 years for MPhil component only; for MPhil/PhD, min 3 years, max 5 years.
 Part Time: min 3 years, max 4 years for MPhil component only; for MPhil/PhD, min 4 years, max 6 years.
Entry requirement: the minimum entry requirement is:

 a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree
 a relevant master’s qualification
 or an equivalent qualification.

Applications from those holding qualifications other than the above will be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the work proposed.

PhD direct

The criteria for a PhD are similar to those for an MPhil, with the key difference that:

 the research carried out will result in an independent and original contribution to knowledge.

Length of study:

 Full Time: min 2 years, max 5 years.
 Part Time: min 3 years, max 6 years.

Entry requirement: a recent master’s degree in a discipline appropriate to the proposed research. The master’s needs to have included research training and a research project.

In exceptional cases, applicants who have a good honours degree (or equivalent) may apply for direct registration to a PhD if they have appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment. An unpublished master’s dissertation would not suffice in this instance.

PhD by published work

The degree of PhD on the basis of published work may be awarded to candidates whose submitted work:

 reflects the same academic standards as those which operate for a traditional PhD based upon an approved programme of supervised research
 forms a coherent programme of research
 demonstrates the use of appropriate research methodology
 and makes an original and sufficient contribution to the present state of knowledge in a particular field to the satisfaction of the examiners.

Applicants should normally have had some prior association with Oxford Brookes University. The submission for examination comprises the published work on which the application is based, together with a supporting critical appraisal of this work.

Length of study:

 Part Time: 1 year

Entry requirement: the minimum entry requirement is:

 a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree
 a relevant master’s qualification
 or an equivalent qualification.

Applications from those holding qualifications other than the above will be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the work proposed.