University of Teesside

Research Application Form: Notes for Guidance

Accessibility

If for any reason you are unable to read the Notes or read and complete the application form, please contact, or arrange for the GraduateResearchSchool to be contacted (see below).

General

Before completing the form, PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU READ THESE NOTES FOR GUIDANCE CAREFULLY. You should also read the current institution literature, Prospectus, and "Framework & Regulations for the Award of Higher Degrees by Research " relating to the research programmes for which you are applying in order to ensure that you are familiar with the entry requirements. The Framework & Regulations document is available for download from You should already have received a copy of the University's "Code of Practice for Research Degrees", if not, please contact the GraduateResearchSchool(Admissions), Phone 01642 384420 (International +44 1642), e-mail or download from the above website.

Exclusions - Do NOT use this form when applying for entry to Postgraduate taught courses, for example, leading to the following qualifications:

PgC; PgD; MA; MSc; MEd; MBA; MRes; DBA; DCounPsy - Please Request a Postgraduate Application form from the University's Registry.

D.Clin.Psy -Applications should be made via the Clearing House for Postgraduate Courses in Clinical Psychology, 15 Hyde Terrace, Leeds LS2 9LT.

Mature applicants

The University welcomes mature students including those who do not have conventional qualifications for admission to higher education. However, for entry to Research Degrees, applicants will need to show evidence of background knowledge in relation to the proposed research. Professional experience, publications, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment will be taken into consideration under APEL/APL procedures. The University may require an applicant to pass an externally assessed qualifying examination at final year honours degree level before registration is approved. The University will consult the applicant's referees concerning the applicant's academic attainment and fitness for research.

Data Protection Act 1984 and updates

The information, which you give on your application form, will be used for the following purposes only:

  1. To enable your application for entry to be considered.
  2. To enable the institution to complete statistics, or to assist other organisations or individual research workers to do so, provided that no statistical information, which would identify you as a person, will be published.
  3. To enable the institution to initiate your student record.

DEADLINES

For students wishing to apply for external funding, the University has the following deadlines for submission of applications to permit time for internal selection, and completion of external funding application forms before external deadlines:

UK/EU Students wishing to apply for AHRC funding: 28 February annually.

Overseas (non-UK/EU) Students may apply at any time but early application is recommended. Please note the University is not receiving any ORSAS funding for 2006/7 to 2008/9 inclusive. Please send the whole application to GraduateResearchSchool (Admissions). References will be taken up by the University.

Advertised Research Studentships Students must respond by the advertised deadline.

LATE APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE CONSIDERED WHERE FUNDING DEADLINES OPERATE.

Completed Applications should be returned to:

The GraduateResearchSchool (Admissions), University of Teesside, Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK, and not to prospective Supervisors.

The GRS will then acknowledge receipt of your application within 5 days of receipt during Term Time (usually via e-mail), informing you of your Reference Number. Thereafter, during Term Time, the University expects to be able to enter into discussion with applicants about their applications within 28 days. However, when vacations occur, processing can take longer.

Awaiting Examination Results or Job or other Course Offers?

Please do not await the outcome of examination results before submitting your application. Partially complete Section I with your name, proposed course at Teesside and current course, and send it to the Registry of the institution where you are studying currently with a request for it be forwarded to this University when results are known. If you are unsure whether to take up employment or study elsewhere, please do not wait until you have heard the results of job interviews or other course applications before submitting an application for study - you may miss out on funding opportunities if you delay.

Your application form will be photocopied before it is sent to Admissions Tutors and it is therefore important that you write neatly using black ink or typescript. Please ensure that all relevant sections are completed. Failure to do so will result in a delay in processing your application when additional information has to be sought. Please do NOT complete the minimum data in Section 1 and replace the remainder with a CV. CV’s are acceptable only as additional information, not as the main application.

Section AProject/Programme Details

Applicants who hold a relevant Masters degree including research training may be permitted to register for Doctoral level programmes direct. Each case will be considered individually. Other applicants must register for Masters level, or Masters level with possibility of transfer to Doctoral level.

Preferred Start Date: The Academic Year commences in September. Unless you specify a preferred start date (dd/mm/yy), the University will assume that you wish to commence study at the commencement of the next academic year. There are three main enrolment dates, on the last Monday in September, January, and April although you may specify alternate dates. However, although you may specify a preferred start date it may not always be possible to keep to this timing.

Section BPersonal Details

Please complete this section in BLOCK CAPITALS

Previous surname: If you have changed your name by marriage or otherwise, state your previous surname or family name.

Correspondence address: Enter the address to which you expect all correspondence concerning your application to be sent.

Country of Birth, Ordinary Residence, and Date of Entry to UK: If you were not born in the UK, and fail to complete these sections, you will be asked to provide this information before a decision can be reached on your fee status.

Section C Education and Experience Details

Education and Training:

Enter the Institution or awarding body, dates from / to, course details and subject name e.g. BA English (see notes on Qualifications below). Please include periods of incomplete or failed study.

Industrial, Professional or other Experience

Please indicate all work experience and training, paid or unpaid, full or part time, in your home or outside, particularly if this is relevant to the research you wish to undertake.

Qualifications

Enter the award, e.g. BA, BA Hons, Year of award, Class of Honours (if applicable) Awarding Institution and Main Subject of study. Please attach certified transcripts/certificates wherever possible.

Applicants with qualifications obtained outside the UK should give full details of the examinations taken as a preparation for entry to higher education as well as those taken at "degree" level in their own or other country. Some examples are: School and Higher School Certificates - Apolytirion, Baccalaureate, Diploma di Maturita, Examen Artium, Reifezeugnis, Studentereksamen; Degree equivalents - Diplôme d'Ingénieur Maîtrise, Diplom / Erstes Staatsexamen / Magister Artium, Ptychion (AEI) etc; Higher Degrees - Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialiseés, Mastère Specialisé etc. Applicants with qualifications obtained in a language other than English should give the name of the award in their own language, and attach a certified English transcript to the form.

Professional Qualifications

e.g. Chartered Accountancy; Chartered Engineering etc.. Chartered Physiotherapy etc.

Section DScholarships and Grants

Funded places may, or may not be available, depending upon the programme of research. Applicants will be advised if funding is available if offered a place to study. Please give details of whom you expect to pay your fees for the proposed course if funding is not available. If not known, please enter 'UNKNOWN'.

Section EDeclaration

Any offer of a place you may receive is made on the understanding that in accepting it you agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the relevant institution, and by signing this form you are confirming your agreement to this. An original signature is required, not a typed entry. If you e-mail your application, you must also send a hard copy.

Section FTOPIC OF RESEARCH

Attach a 1000 word research proposal, following the guidance notes on the form. Admissions Tutors will be interested in your reasons for choosing to study research, your career aspirations and relevant experience and information concerning your intellectual interests. If you have been out of education for some time, please also outline any relevant experience that may be taken into account in lieu of formal qualifications, either at home or in voluntary or paid work. It may also be helpful to explain any breaks in your career. Please indicate in your statement the name of any member of academic staff with whom you have already discussed your ideas and who may have indicated an interest in supervising you.

Section GCriminal Convictions

Please complete this section. Failing to do so will delay the processing of your application.

Section HEqual Opportunities

This section will assist the University in assessing if it can help with special facilities to aid access to the University and your study, and in reporting statistical information to external authorities. Please enter in the box the code from the list of statements, which is most appropriate to you.

Tick the box that describes your condition and where it is not obvious, i.e. with unseen disabilities, indicate whether you have special needs in the space below disability 09.

Disabilities/support required:

00 You do not have a disability nor are you aware of any additional support requirements in

study or accommodation.

01 You have dyslexia.

02 You are blind/partially sighted.

03 You are deaf/have a hearing impairment.

04 You are wheelchair user/have mobility difficulties.

T Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Asperger Syndrome

06 You have mental health difficulties.

07 You have an unseen disability, i.e. diabetes, epilepsy, asthma.

08 You have two or more of the above disiablities/special needs.

09 You have a disability not listed above.

Section IEthnic Origin - Planning Statistics

State your ethnic origin using the codes provided. (see section 3 of the application form). This information will not be made available to Admissions Tutors for selection purposes and is collected solely for the purpose of statistical monitoring (i.e. application and admission rates).

Section JConfirmation of previous qualifications

Unless you are a graduate of the University of Teesside (formerly Teesside Polytechnic), you must send this documentation to the institution(s) from where you have obtained your previous Higher Education/Professional qualifications and request that your qualifications be confirmed and sent back to us at the address provided on the form(s).

IMPORTANT NOTE

Each institution undertakes to take all reasonable steps to provide educational services in the manner set out in the prospectus and in other documents. Should industrial action or other circumstances beyond the control of the institution interfere with its ability to provide such services, the institution undertakes to use all reasonable steps to minimise the resultant disruption to educational services. The institution does not undertake any absolute obligation whatsoever to provide educational services in the manner specified in the prospectus or in any other document, nor does it undertake any other obligation in respect of the provision of educational services, which is more onerous than the obligations set out herein.

Should you become a student of the institution, this notice shall be a term of any contract between you and the institution. Any offer of a place made to you by the institution is made on the basis that in accepting such an offer you signify your consent to the incorporation of this notice as a term of any such contract.

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Research Degrees Application Notes for Guidance Rev Sept 2006