MPhil/PhD Science and Technology Studies

Check further details on University website

Entry requirements
A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Good

All students whose first language is not English must be able to provide recent evidence that their spoken and written command of the English language is adequate for the programmes for which they have applied.

This requirement is specified in order to ensure that the academic progress of students is not hindered by language difficulties and that students are able to integrate socially while studying at UCL and living in the UK.

The level of English language proficiency required for each programme is shown on the relevant programme page of this Prospectus.

Evidence
The required evidence may be one of the following:

• completed a minimum of twelve months education in a country that UCL considers to be 'majority English speaking', no more than the summer two years prior to the proposed date of enrolment;
• completed a minimum of eighteen months of work experience in a country that UCL considers to be 'majority English speaking', no more than two years prior to the proposed date of enrolment;
• a recently obtained acceptable English language qualification or test result. The qualification or test result must have been awarded no more than two years prior to the proposed date of enrolment.

If you are a visa national, your language qualification must have been taken within two years of any issuance of a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) from UCL.

The required evidence should, if possible, be included with the complete application. If either unsatisfactory or no evidence of English language proficiency has been provided with the application, admission will be conditional upon the provision of such evidence. This condition will be clearly indicated on the offer letter and must be fulfilled before enrolment at UCL.

UCL reserves the right, in individual circumstances, to specify an additional language requirement for an applicant.

Acceptable qualifications
Listed below are all the English language qualifications and tests that are recognised by UCL and the level (Standard, Good or Advanced) required to satisfy UCL’s English language requirement for graduate study.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Version
This test is UCL's preferred English language qualification.

• Standard level: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the subtests.
• Good level: Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests.
• Advanced level: Overall grade of 7.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests.
• IOE Special level: This level only applies to UCL IOE programmes with entry points before September 2017. Please refer to the individual programme entries for further details.

Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT
FOR ENTRY INTO PROGRAMMES FROM JANUARY 2016 ONWARDS

• Standard level: Overall score of 92 with 24/30 in reading and writing and 20/30 in speaking and listening.
• Good level: Overall score of 100 with 24/30 in reading and writing and 20/30 in speaking and listening.
• Advanced level: Overall score or 109 with 24/30 in reading and writing and 20/30 in speaking and listening.
• IOE Special level: This level only applies to UCL IOE programmes with entry points before September 2017. Please refer to the individual programme entries for further details.

UCL’s institution code for TOEFL is 9163.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
PRIOR TO JANUARY 2015

• Standard level: Overall score of 45, pass in all components.
• Good level: Overall score of 51, pass in all components.
• Advanced level: Overall score of 56 with ‘good’ level obtained in all components.

FROM JANUARY 2015 ONWARDS

• Standard level: Overall score of 176 with 169 in all subtests
• Good level: Overall score of 185 with 169 in all subtests
• Advanced level: Overall score of 191 with 176 in all subtests

Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English
PRIOR TO JANUARY 2015

• Standard level: Score of 58 or above. No less than 52 in each skill.
• Good level: Score of 67 or above. No less than 52 in each skill.
• Advanced level: Score of 74 or above. No less than 58 in each skill.

FROM JANUARY 2015 ONWARDS

• Standard level: Overall score of 176 with 169 in all subtests
• Good level: Overall score of 185 with 169 in all subtests
• Advanced level: Overall score of 191 with 176 in all subtests

City & Guilds (Pitman Examination in International ESOL)

• Standard level: Pass at Mastery level when achieved with a pass at Mastery level in the Pitman International Spoken test (ISESOL).
• Good level: Pass at Mastery level when achieved with a pass at Mastery level in the Pitman International Spoken test (ISESOL). 
• Advanced level: Not acceptable.

UCL Pre-sessional English Courses
These courses are run by UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE).

• Standard level: Mark of 65%, with at least 60% in each of the subtests.
• Good level: Mark of 70%, with at least 65% in each of the subtests.
• Advanced level: Mark of 75%, with at least 65% in each of the subtests. 

UCL Institute of Education Preparation for Academic Studies in Higher Education (PASHE)
These courses are run by the IoE’s Academic Writing Centre and meet UCL’s IoE English language “special level” requirement.  They are intended for applicants applying to the IoE for graduate studies who need to improve their English language skills.  IoE applicants should apply for this programme only and not the UCL Pre-sessional run by the Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE).

UCL International Pre-Master's Courses
These courses are run by UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE).

• Standard level: Overall mark of 65% with at least 60% in each of the four elements of the examination. Equivalent to 6.5 in IELTS.
• Good level: Overall mark of 70% with at least 65% in each of the four elements of the examination. Equivalent to 7.0 in IELTS.
• Advanced level: Overall mark of 75% with at least 65% in each of the four elements of the examination. Equivalent to 7.5 in IELTS.

UCL Diploma in English for Academic Purposes
This Diploma is run by the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE).

• Standard level: Overall mark of 65%, with at least 60% in each of the four subtests.
• Good level: Overall mark of 70%, with at least 65% in each of the four subtests.
• Advanced level: Overall mark of 75%, with at least 65% in each of the four subtests.

Pearson Test of English (Academic)
UCL will accept the Pearson Test of English (Academic), often referred to as PTE (Academic), with the following grades:

• Standard level: 62 overall, with a minimum of 59 in each Communicative Skill
• Good level: 69 overall, with a minimum of 59 in each Communicative Skill
• Advanced level: 75 overall, with a minimum of 62 each Communicative Skill

The test is undertaken online.

International students
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list mentioned on the website.

Check further details on University website

• History of science: history of physics, of biology, of chemistry and of astronomy
• Philosophy of science: philosophy of physics, of chemistry and of medicine
• Science and the media: science communication and scientists’ use of the media; public understanding of science; science and journalism
• Public engagement with science
• Sociology of science and science policy: policies for biotechnology and genetics; 20th-century evolutionary studies; ethics and integrity in scientific research.

Check further details on University website

1. Identify the degree programme at UCL you wish to study
All graduate research programmes offered at UCL are listed in the research degrees section.

2. Investigate research opportunities across UCL
UCL is a large, multi-faculty university and it may be that your area of interest is represented in more than one department or in one of our multidisciplinary institutes or centres. There are two main types of research degree opportunities:

Studentships

• Some funded PhD programmes will be advertised as studentships. This is more common in Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine (STEM) areas. These opportunities may be listed on ourstudentships page, although some academics prefer to only advertise them on their websites. Each studentship will stipulate its own application process and entrance requirements.

• Studentships are also offered in UCL’s doctoral training centres. Many of these studentships are funded by the UK Government and are only available to UK/EU students.

Speculative opportunities

• Most opportunities, and potential funding, are not packaged as studentships or advertised. Exceptional students, that meet the entrance requirements, are therefore encouraged to be proactive to identify opportunities with UCL academics whose recent research closely matches their interests.

There are three main ways to identify an appropriate supervisor to contact:

• Browse research programmes to find centres of research in your area of interest. Click through to the department or centre website to find staff profiles.
• Look on UCL’s Institutional Research Information System (IRIS) where you can search for relevant academic units and potential supervisors by keyword. Not all academics are listed in IRIS but it is a good place to start.
• Search our online research repository (UCL Discovery) where all UCL’s research papers are published, subject to approvals. If you identify a research paper that particularly interests you it is likely that one of the authors would be a suitable research supervisor.

If an academic is very impressed with your research experience and proposal they may be able to help you to identify sources of funding, including from their own, or departmental, research funds. There are also UCL scholarships that they can nominate you for.

3. Making a research enquiry

• If you are interested in research degrees in UCL Engineering you should apply using the PRISM application system.
• All prospective applicants, except those applying for advertised studentships, are encouraged to send an informal research enquiry. This should either be sent directly to the academic you are interested in working with or the departmental contact.
• Making a research enquiry helps define your interests, contributes to making your application successful, and also serves to ensure the identification of the best possible supervisor for your needs.
• You can find contact details for academic departments at the bottom of relevant programme pages. Alternatively you can find Graduate Tutor contact information under "Useful Contact Lists" in the Doctoral School's Essential Information Page.
• For more information on how to contact potential supervisors and write a research proposal please see UCL's guidance document (PDF, 70KB).

4. Submit a formal application

• Finally when you and your prospective supervisor are happy with your research proposal, you should submit a formal application.

5.Await decision

• You will be able to track the progress of your application via the UCL Applicant Portal (log in required). If you are required to submit anything further after your application has been submitted you will be notified by email and in the portal.

Check further details on University website