FAQs - Candidate

Why do we need to fill in forms?

You are required to fill forms in to provide the information needed to assess both the project and the applicant. We ask supervisors to complete a Faculty of Health Project Proposal Form and a Faculty of Health PGR Student Recruitment Form.  

You can download google doc versions of the forms to enable you to plan your responses in advance but these will not be accepted in lieu of the above google form.

Faculty of Health Project Proposal Form - Google Doc

Faculty of Health PGR Student Recruitment Form - Google Doc

You will be asked to provide names of reviewers to assess the project proposal. Please ensure these are academics who are well placed to assess the proposal for its suitability for a postgraduate research degree and how feasible it would be to complete (ie thesis submission) within the tuition fee paying period. You will also need to interview the applicant to ensure they are a suitable candidate for a postgraduate research degree.

The recruitment processes need to assess whether:

• a project is suitable for a PGR degree at TUoS;

• a project is feasible to be completed and the thesis submitted within the tuition fee paying period;

• the required funding is in place - evidence of funding is required for the recruitment process and students need evidence that the funding is in place when registering;

• the supervisory team is suitable - experience, training, areas of expertise;

• for competitive funding that comes from TUoS, whether the scope of the research fits with the Research Strategy;

•  and the suitability of the applicant.

Why do students need to start at the beginning of October or March?

We want all of our PGR students to have the best experience possible. This is why we have 2 intakes of PGR students each academic year to enable some flexibility but to also ensure our students are part of a larger cohort. It not only makes sense operationally for events such as PIC and the PGR symposium, but also helps our students feel part of a larger group. If your applicant is unable to register within this timeframe, please ensure you provide as much detail as possible on the Faculty of Health PGR Student Recruitment Form so that the PGR leads can assess whether or not an out of cohort start date is permissible. Out of cohort starts are for unforeseen and exceptional circumstances only. 

What should I do if my student is not going to arrive on their registration date?

If your student is going to arrive a few days to a few weeks late for extenuating circumstances (such as visa issues etc),  then a change of start date needs to be requested before the student formally registers.  Once the student has registered they won't be able to change their state date, and could potentially lose that time.   

For late starters to change the date before they register, the supervisor will need to contact the Registration Team  (registrationteam@sheffield.ac.uk  stating that they are happy for the start date to be moved to a specific date. 

What makes an applicant eligible for a PGR degree?

• Has the required qualifications in the relevant field 

2:1 or 1st at U/G.  If they have achieved <2:1 at U/G but a merit or distinction at masters level, then they will be eligible.

Masters  - at merit or distinction as this provides additional evidence of their ability to study at PG level.

If they have achieved <2:1 at U/G or pass at masters, we need to be confident that the candidate has the ability to complete a PGR degree (e.g. high scores in research project, evidence of an ability to conduct PG level research) – details need to be given in the application to ensure this can be assessed and approved at Faculty level. If there are any extenuating  circumstances that need to be taken into account, these should be included in the Faculty of Health PGR Student Recruitment Form.

• For international students – English language qualifications (check here). 

Please note: if the candidate has studied for a masters degree in the UK they will need their certificate for their visa application. If they have not yet received this, they will need to provide other evidence.

• Relevant research experience/training if this will have a major impact on the submission within fee-paying period.

• Evidence of passion for research, ability to write scientifically, time management skills, resilience, creativity. 

• Has funding in place/is applying for a scholarship (for which they are eligible or competitive).

What makes a suitable or competitive candidate?

• Quality of the academic references ideally including details of rank in class, evidence of exceptional performance, demonstration of interest in research, personal qualities –eg resilience, drive for research, independence - these should not come from the prospective supervisor(s).

• Academic qualifications – high achieving (or evidence of extenuating circumstances/overcoming adversity).

• Quality of the personal statement that clearly articulates their motivation and passion for research and evidences competencies.

• Evidence of success in their studies/activities i.e. Prizes, Publications.

• Relevant experience such as research project, work experience, other. This is particularly important for those applicants that do not have exceptional academic qualifications.

Tips for competitive scholarships:

• Work with your candidate to ensure any significant achievements are highlighted in their application.

• For schemes such as the CSC – an excellent supporting statement from the supervisor including reference to exceptional performance, prizes, relevant skill set, passion for project etc. 

Staff candidates 

Please note that applicants on a funded scheme (eg Marie Curie, ITN) who have a contract of employment but who will also be studying full time, are no longer considered Staff Candidates. Applicants who are employed in a non-established post arising from external financing for the purpose of completing a degree (Clinical Fellows, NIHR Fellows) are required to register as full-time student candidates and will be charged tuition fees. 

Student tuition fees will be charged as per normal student rates, to reflect the costs and value of these higher degrees.  A member of staff can register as a fee-paying student if fees are available. These fees are normally costed into grant applications or funded from other external funding sources (e.g consultancy or services rendered). This does not affect their staff status; they will still be recognised as a member of staff, with salary paid as normal. It just means the individual will have both a staff record and a student record. Grant applications for higher degrees should include a request for funding of the higher degree component (for more info see https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/new-students/tuition-fees/fees-lookup).  For situations where grant funding is not sought, the costs of the higher degree should be considered a necessary component of the degree and budgeted for accordingly. Applicants for a PGR degree can be paid a salary and also can self-fund the fee component.

A University Staff Candidate is a candidate who is a member of staff at the University holding either a full-time appointment, or a part-time appointment of at least 50% FTE, lasting for at least the minimum period of registration (usually two years for a PhD and one year for the degrees of MPhil). NHS staff may be eligible for admission as a University Staff Candidate if they hold an 'established NHS post' on a full-time or 50%+ FTE part-time basis, and hold an Honorary University contract that lasts for at least the minimum period of registration. Established NHS posts are defined as: (medical or dental) SpR, Honorary SpR, Staff Grade, Associated Specialist or Consultant; or (nursing, midwifery or health visiting) Nurse Consultant, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Practice Development Advisor/Nurse or similar equivalent positions. 

As of the 2022-2023 academic year, the University has removed the “Full-time staff candidate” category from the PhD and MD application process. Please note, this will not affect the status of students who are already registered as full-time staff candidates in any way.  Staff candidates can apply for a part-time research degree but this requires approval from the Head of School. 

Staff candidates undertaking an MD or PhD by publication are registered for 1 year only and do not need to submit a Project Proposal Form or a PGR Student Recruitment Form as there are other requirements for this route. See here for details.

More information can be found here on the University Admissions Google Site

What are the English Language requirements?

If the candidate has recently been awarded a first degree or postgraduate diploma taught in English in a majority native English speaking country, they will not normally need to provide other evidence of English language ability. They should have been awarded your degree/diploma within five years of the start date of your Sheffield course. 

This link will give you information on the English language qualifications we can accept.

Information for candidates who are awaiting final results of  Masters degree

Where a Master's Degree is required to meet the conditions of a Research offer, but they will not receive the formal results in time for the start of their PhD, Admissions can accept the following.

• A Formal Letter from the University / TUoS School that informs us of: - 

•      All the modules and marks the applicant has achieved

•      Confirmation that the applicant has completed all modules and dissertation/Thesis/project, and there is nothing further that the applicant needs to complete in their Master's Degree. 

•      There are no re-sits and remarks pending 

•      The expected mark that the applicant will achieve, both as a score (i.e. percentage, GPA etc) and a standard master mark (i.e. Pass, Pass with Merit, Pass with Distinction etc)
      NOTE some Universities do not offer a "Pass with Merit" mark. This is the reason why we require both the score and the formal Master's mark arrangements. 

•      The date when the applicant will receive their formal degree certificates and transcripts. 

• Bachelor's Degree Certificate and transcripts, with their full education history in PG online. (i.e. not just documents uploaded in the supporting document section of the application).  

Can a student study for their PGR degree remotely/off-campus?

International students that are not resident in the UK may study for a University of Sheffield MPhil or PhD by undertaking research at an overseas institution through the Remote Location scheme.  Faculty approval for this must be gained. Candidates are required to attend the University for the Postgraduate Induction Course at the start of their degree and key transition points and may also be required to attend at other times depending on the requirements of the project and determined by the supervisor. However, they spend the majority of their programme of research at the remote location site, and should not spend more than eight consecutive weeks in the UK at any time during the course of their degree.

UK students who wish to pursue part of their programme of research away from the University, and International students who do not qualify for the Remote Location scheme (for example those who wish to spend more than eight weeks at a time in Sheffield), must gain faculty approval to register as Majority Off Campus students. Faculty approval is given on a case-by-case basis, and is based on the same process and requirements as Remote Location applications. Candidates are required to attend the University for the Postgraduate Induction Course at the start of their degree and key transition points and may also be required to attend at other times depending on the requirements of the project and determined by the supervisor. 

The progress of candidates undertaking research away from the University will be the same as candidates based in Sheffield, and the requirement for full-time students to fulfil the regulations relating to the Doctoral Development Programme will remain.

Visiting Students

You can find information about the University admissions process for visiting PGR students here.  Visiting students can be registered for up to 12 months. All visiting students are required to demonstrate that they have sufficient English language to study at the University. For International students staying for longer that 6 months, this is also a requirement of the visa application process. See above for information on English Language requirements. If you request Faculty approval for an English Language waiver, this is only possible for applicants where this is not a requirement for their visa. You will need to provide evidence that a PGR lead has assessed their level of English Language ability and deemed it acceptable. Students staying for longer than 3 months are liable for tuition fees. You will need to seek approval from your Head of School using this form if you cannot cover these.

Supporting Documents

Details of what documentation the candidate will need to provide in their online application to the University can be found here.