Research degrees at Royal Holloway

Royal Holloway is one of the larger colleges of the University of London and is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading research institutions. The departments and schools provide excellent opportunities to actively engage in research supervised by world leading experts in the arts, sciences and humanities. 

A cutting edge research environment

Royal Holloway’s position as one of the UK’s leading research-intensive institution was highlighted in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), where the College was ranked 16th in the UK for research of a 4* standard, and 18th for 3* and 4* standard. Further information on the outcomes of the RAE can be found on the RAE 2008| page. 

The College has over 900 postgraduate students conducting specialist research leading to a University of London PhD. The PhD programme allows postgraduate research students to explore a specific area of their own choosing overseen by a supervisory team (all students have a supervisor and advisor) culminating in the production of a large-scale thesis. In addition, to the subject specific training obtained within the students home department the Institution also places great emphasis on transferable skills training provided by the Research Skills Programme. 

Research opportunities at Royal Holloway

All prospective applicants are encouraged to investigate the research opportunities available at Royal Holloway by following the links to the academic departments and research centres and groups. An informal enquiry should also be sent to the postgraduate administrator, or director of graduate studies, in the chosen school, or department, to see what opportunities are available and if an appropriate supervisor is available to supervise your research. The contact details for postgraduate administrators are listed under the ‘Postgraduate Research’ section of each individual department. Contact details for the directors of graduate studies are available in the Directors of Graduate Studies| listing.

Duration of research degrees

Research Degrees at Royal Holloway usually start in September or January (although start dates can be flexible). In common with most UK universities, students are initially registered for an MPhil degree but are expected to transfer to the PhD programme during their second year, on meeting the formal requirements for progression (upgrade). PhD degrees are normally three years in length for full-time students, or six years for part-time students. An additional year is available for writing-up for both full and part-time students, if required.