The University of Edinburgh is a historic institution founded in 1583, currently ranked as the 21st top university in the world. Our alumni include Charles Darwin and James Clerk Maxwell. The School of Mathematics is a world renowned centre of excellence in mathematics, with academic staff who are leaders in their areas of research. Our graduates go on to successful careers in academia, industry, and government. A 2009 survey found that being a mathematician is the best job there is!
Applications for PhD Study
Online Admission Applications are currently being accepted for September 2013 start.
Please note that all of our available funding has now been allocated for the Academic Year 2013 - 2014.
Obtaining funding is an important part of studying for a PhD in Mathematics. All applicants are encouraged to check the University's Scholarships and Students Funding Services website for information on funding opportunities and to apply for any funding for which they meet the eligibility criteria.
The School of Mathematics has approximately 50 academic staff supervising Ph.D. projects, and 60 Ph.D. students. Many of the academic staff are leaders in their field of research, have been honoured with the receipt of numerous prizes, including:
The mathematics research environment is vibrant, with established expertise in nearly all facets of mathematics, for further details see the School of Mathematics Research website. In addition, the School of Mathematics has recently been awarded two major grants (EPSRC Science and Innovation Awards) for the establishment of the Centre for Analysis and Nonlinear PDEs (£3.5M) and the Centre for Numerical Algorithms and Intelligent Software (£5.0M). These grants are joint with the schools of mathematics at our partner institutions Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde Universities. Edinburgh is also the home of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS), a research institute whose remit is the organization of week long workshops/conferences in recent advances in the mathematical sciences. The presence of ICMS brings a steady stream of mathematicians to Edinburgh, approximately 1600 researchers every year.
Our graduates have gone on to a diverse set of career paths, including academia, law, finance, and all manner of other industry sectors. Recent graduates are postdoctoral fellows at a host of institutions around the world, and 10 have permanent academic positions.
The Ph.D. programme at the University of Edinburgh lasts between 3 and 4 years, depending on the preparation of the candidate. Over the last decade, the average time from entry to Ph.D. has been 3 years and 9 months.
Ph.D. recipients are expected to take on leadership roles in their chosen career paths; as such, the ability to present material and succinctly convey ideas is an essential component of Ph.D. training. Our Ph.D. candidates receive intensive training during their first semester in best practises in conducting academic tutorials. Typical teaching duties are 60 hours in year one and 120 hours per year in subsequent years. Additional speaking training and practises are offered through University courses as well as research group meetings.
The first year of Ph.D. studies is focused on the video-conferenced general mathematical taught courses provided by the Scottish Mathematical Sciences Training Centre in cooperation with 5 other Scottish Universities, and weekly meetings with the supervisor to establish background in the student's area of proposed research.
The remaining years are focused on the candidates development of independent research, culminating in published papers and a doctoral thesis. Throughout the programme, most doctoral candidates are active in the teaching of mathematics in the school, and attending research seminars to develop breadth of knowledge. Further details can be found in the list of milestones, the sections For current Ph.D. students and By current Ph.D. students of this website.
Ph.D. The research degree offered at the School of Mathematics is the Ph.D., requiring at least 3 years, and usually 3.5 years, of research. The students admitted typically have an M.Sc. degree, or an excellent undergraduate degree. From the start of their studies, they are assigned a main supervisor with whom they work closely throughout their degree programme; a second supervisor provides additional help.
A range of graduate courses, organised through the Scottish Mathematical Sciences Training Centre, are attended by Ph.D. students during the first 6 months of the programme. Further research-level courses are available afterward. At the end of the first year, each student's progress is assessed by means of a prepared talk and a brief written report. It should be appreciated that some students may have to change registration for an M.Sc. by Research as a result of this assessment.
M.Sc by Research. It is also possible to register for the one-year degree of M.Sc. by Research, which requires a full-year of study under the close supervision of a staff member. The M.Sc. by Research is a free-standing degree, but may also be used as a preparation for a Ph.D.
Follow the links below for details on the activities of the different research groups of the School of Mathematics. Each group can offer a variety of Ph.D. and M.Sc. projects.
It is a good idea to contact potential supervisors before making an application, to discuss research topics.
Students applying for a research degree should first identify their research interests and determine in which research group they wish to carry out their work. They are encouraged to contact staff members prior to their application in order to identify possible research projects and supervisors. This is especially the case for overseas applicants who, unlike the UK applicants, will not have the opportunity of an interview.
There is an English language requirement for all non native English speakers. More details are available about the minimum scores required.
For admission to research degrees, applications should be made online.
International Students and UK Visas
Following recent changes to the UK visa regulations, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) continues to recognise the University of Edinburgh as a top ranked institution, granting us 'Highly Trusted Sponsor' status. Please be reassured that a UK international student visa will still;
1. Enable postgraduate students to take their dependants to the UK and dependants will have unrestricted access to the UK labour market for employment
2. Permit our exceptional postgraduate talent to remain in the UK for employment after graduation
3. Allow international students to work part-time during their studies here
4. Support our support our entrepreneurial international graduate students who wish to start their businesses in the UK
The annual postgraduate fees for the Ph.D. or M.Sc. by Research programme are £3400 for home/EU students and £11450 for overseas students. There are also research fees of £1000 per annum.
A full list of fees is available via the university's registry website http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-funding/tuition-fees/postgraduate/postgraduate.
An indication for the living expenses in Edinburgh is the level the scholarships which are offered to a few overseas students and are approximately £10000/year.
Note that you will be automatically considered for some of these scholarships once you have been made an offer of a place.
These awards are primarily available to UK students for whom they provide full support (fees and stipend). Successful applicants are expected to teach 3 hours per week during term time. The total stipends associated to such awards will be £13590 in 2012-13. We expect to be able to support up to five eligible students for entry in 2012.
A few students from the European Union can also be supported through a combination of funding from EPSRC and the School of Mathematics.
A number of awards and studentships are offered on a competitive basis by various organisations to students meeting specific criteria (nationality, area of research, ...). See the following pages for details:
Partial support, for instance through teaching assistantships, can also be offered by the School of Mathematics for students who can secure substantial funding from other sources.
©2010 School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh
