Research

Applying for a Research degree

Application links

New research students can start on 1 October or 1 February each year. The deadlines for applying to study with us are:

For an October start apply before the 1 July
For a February start apply before the 1 November.

What you need to apply

To complete your application you will need:

Qualification details
Employment and work experience history
Referee contact details
A research proposal
A research supervisor
Professional Doctorates applicants will need a personal statement of 500 words.

If you need help with your application you can contact our Admissions team at admissions@yorksj.ac.uk

Apply now

Research proposals and research supervisors

Before you can apply to study a research degree with us you will need:

A research supervisor
A research proposal

Your research supervisor will be an academic at York St John University who is working in an area related to your research. They will understand the current theories and ideas in your chosen area, and may be currently researching a topic similar to yours. Your supervisor will support you during your course and can make suggestions about your research.

A research proposal explains the topic you want to research. It should be 1,500 words long, not including the references. Your proposal tells us what you hope to find out and the methods you want to use to conduct your research. It will show us that you understand current thinking around your chosen subject and are equipped with the knowledge and some of the skills needed to get started on a large research project.

Writing your research proposal

Contact us to discuss your research proposal

If you know what subject you want to research, or just want to find out more, contacting a School Research and Knowledge Transfer Lead is a great first step.

Our School Research and Knowledge Transfer Leads are the right people to talk to if you want to study a research degree. They can help you turn your interest and curiousity into a research proposal. Our School Research and Knowledge Transfer Leads can also put you in touch with an academic who is researching a similar subject, and who can be your research supervisor during your course.

School Research and Knowledge Transfer Lead: Matthew Reason m.reason@yorksj.ac.uk

You will want to contact Matthew if you are interested in subjects relating to:

School Research and Knowledge Transfer Lead: Matthew Clarke m.clarke@yorksj.ac.uk

You will want to contact Matthew if you are interested in subjects relating to:

Language and linguistics
Children, young people and families
Teaching and education
Psychology and mental health.

School Research and Knowledge Transfer Lead: Abi Curtis a.curtis@yorksj.ac.uk

You will want to contact Abi if you are interested in subjects relating to:

History and American studies
Politics and international relations
Religion, theology philosophy and ethics
English literature and media studies
Geography.

School Research and Knowledge Transfer Lead: Daniel Madigan d.madigan@yorksj.ac.uk

You will want to contact Daniel if you are interested in subjects relating to:

Maths and data science
Computer science
Biosciences
Sport and health sciences

School Research and Knowledge Transfer Lead: Alexandra Dales a.dales@yorksj.ac.uk

You will want to contact Chris if you are interested in subjects relating to:

After you have applied

Your application will be reviewed by our Admissions team and the appropriate School Research Lead. You may be invited to an interview to talk about your application and research proposal.

If you are successful your application will be sent to the Research Degree Sub Committee who will make the final decision on your application.

The result of your application will be sent to you by email including any conditions that you need to meet as part of your offer. Your acceptance letter will include a reply slip which you can return via post or email to accept or decline your place.

We will be in touch before your start date to make sure you have everything you need.