FAQ for PhD positions
- Q: What are the current options for doing a PhD in your lab?
A: We recruit PhD students in a continuous way. There are various options for joining the lab.
Current list of funding opportunities in the School of Computing.
School of Computing Scholarship is open to all nationalities.
Leeds Doctoral Scholarship is open to UK candidates.
Alumni Bursary is available to graduates of the University of Leeds.
China Scholarship Council - University of Leeds Scholarship is open to Chinese applications.
EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership Award is open to all nationalities.
EPSRC Mathematical Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership Award is open to all nationalities.
EPSRC Industrial Case Award is open to all nationalities.
EPSRC Centre For Doctoral Training in Fluid Dynamics is open to all nationalities.
UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence for Medical Diagnosis and Care is open to all nationalities.
ESRC White Rose DTP Studentship is open to all nationalities.
BBSRC White Rose Mechanistic Biology DTP Studentship is open to all nationalities.
MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership is open to all nationalities.
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for least developed countries and fragile states or for high income countries.
Commonwealth Split-Site PhD Scholarships for low and middle income Commonwealth countries.
- The University has a number of partner universities for joining a PhD programme, please find your home country here with detail.
I have some collaborators who can provide a joint PhD working with us together, currently including the sites in China, Germany, and US.
Industry-sponsored PhD studentship from our collaborating industrial partners. Open for application anytime.
Self-funded PhD option (we can provide stipend and research budget, while you will pay your tuition fee). Email me first.
- Q: I emailed you about possible PhD positions, but didn't hear you back.
A: Sorry about this. I am keeping getting a large volume of emails about this. Please email me again after several weeks. Also, please read this FAQ, as most of your questions can be answered here.
- Q: Do you have fully funded PhD studentships for UK students?
A: Yes, we have fully funded PhD studentships for candidates of any nationality. Typically, they are open for application around November. Please see the Q1 for details.
- Q: Do you have fully funded PhD studentships for international students?
A: Yes, we have fully funded PhD studentships for candidates of any nationality. Typically, they are open for application around November. Please see the Q1.
The University has a number of partner universities for joint PhD programs, please find your home country here with detail.
- Q: Do you require English language tests?
A: Yes, the University has a general guideline about this. The School of Computing needs a higher level of English requirements: IELTS 6.5 overall (with at least 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in reading, listening and speaking) or TOEFL 92 overall (with not less than 21 in listening, 21 in reading, 23 in speaking and 23 in writing). Some programs require a higher level: IELTS 6.5 overall (with at least 7 in writing and 6.5 other sections) or TOEFL 100 overall (with not less than 25 in writing, and 22 other sections).
- Q: Do I need to have a MS degree to apply for the PhD study?
A: Academic Entry requirements are UK Bachelor Degree or equivalent with 1st Class Honours or if holding a UK Bachelor Degree at 2:1 then a Masters’ Degree with Distinction or equivalent is also required. So you do not need a MS if your BS is with 1st Class (roughly above 70%). Otherwise, you will need a MS with Distinction (roughly above 70%).
- Q: When should I prepare the application?
A: The application is running all year. Depending on your situation and the funding sources, please get in touch when you are ready.
- Q: What are you studying? Can I bring my ideas for a possible PhD project?
A: Yes, you are welcome to bring your ideas and projects. We encourage our team members to explore freely. We are working on a wide range of topics in machine learning, together with many collaborators worldwide. Please find our current research topics here. Depending on the interest of each member in our lab, we set up a personal plan to maximize her potential. I am sure that you can find your fit well in our lab.
- Q: How many papers should I publish to get my PHD?
A: We don't have specific requirements for this. You could graduate without any publication. However, remember that you are putting effort here towards your PHD study and you need some evidence showing that you can graduate and find a job afterward. So you are self-motivated for publications. Certainly, I would like to help you to publish your works whenever they are ready. One or more publications, as you can imagine, will help you find a new position, either academic or industrial.
- Q: How many years do I need to get my PHD?
A: In the UK, a PhD study usually takes 3 years to go. Some studentships offer a 3.5-year or 4-year period of study time. But mostly, a typical period is 3 years. There is a 4th year, called write-up year, during which you can finish up your thesis writing. For a part-time PHD, it typically takes you five years.
- Q: I would like to know the lab more. Importantly, I want to know if you (the PI) are easy-going or tough.