Research programmes
Commitment to research excellence
In the last Government assessment of research excellence in British universities:
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23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of all UK universities and,
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over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world-leading,
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The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income from research of £135 million.
Distinguished research
Academics at King's are continually researching new ideas and publishing their findings. Taking only those publications that have appeared in the Web of Science since 2005, King's academics have published - 14,634 journal articles, 1,831 reviews, and 1,364 conference papers.
King's hosts five Medical Research Council Centres in the UK, a quarter of all such centres in the country.
As a research student you would therefore experience connections with world-leading researchers and research projects adding stimulation to your academic development.
Application process
Choose your programme
When considering which research degree programme you wish to follow, it is worth noting that there are a number of routes to apply. The following provides details of the three main routes of entry to a research degree, however, please ensure you read this in conjunction with any specific guidance provided via the relevant programme entry on the online prospectus.
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In the Sciences and Health Sciences supervisors usually devise projects, attract funding for them and then advertise them. In this case, if you require further information or wish to discuss the project in more detail, you should contact the named individual advertising the project, copying your correspondence to the relevant admissions office.
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In the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences you are often expected to devise your own research project. This is best done in conjunction with a potential supervisor so you should ensure that staff at King’s are undertaking research in the field that interests you. You can do this by viewing potential supervisors on our website where you will find a ‘staff & groups’ tab within each research entry on our online prospectus. You should then try to identify a particular member of academic staff who has interests in common with your own and who might become a potential supervisor. If you are sure they are the right person to supervise you, contact them directly, copying your correspondence to the relevant admissions office.
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If you need help in devising a research project but are unsure who might be the best person to supervise it, then contact the Admissions Office, explaining your broad area of interest and give them the names of people who you think might be potential supervisors. They will then contact the relevant department, seek advice and put you in touch with the most relevant supervisor.
For all three routes, and having identified a project and a supervisor, you should then submit a formal application via our online application form (see details under ‘Submit your application’).
Review entry requirements
After you have chosen a programme, read the entry requirements on the page of your chosen programme in the online prospectus to find out if you fulfil or are expected to fulfil the minimum entry requirements for the programme to which you are applying, including English language requirements if relevant.
The page also contains information on any specific application procedures for your programme.
Check tuition fees and available funding
It is important that you consider the availability of finances to cover both the tuition fees and your living costs so check your tuition fees listed under the ‘Applying, fees & funding’ tab of the page for your relevant programme in the online prospectus.
If you are unsure as to your fee status please see the international pages. Most international students will be charged the 'overseas' fee rate for their programmes. However there are some exceptions where non-UK students are liable to be classified as 'home' students for fee purposes.
Check the funding details on the relevant programme page of the online prospectus. Additional funding opportunities at King’s and advice on other sources of external funding can also be found on our postgraduate funding pages.
Submit your application
To apply for postgraduate study at King’s you will need to first register on our online application system and then complete our postgraduate online application form. If you are unable to access the online postgraduate application form, please contact the relevant admissions office at King’s for advice.
Please ensure that you send in all relevant documentation with your online application where possible. Admissions tutors aim to fulfil the response times listed in the programme page, but cannot necessarily do so for incomplete applications.
Please note that there are four entry points to a research degree programme, October, January, April and July.
Track your application
Using myApplication you will be able to track the status of your application, see if you've been invited to interview, view your offer details or apply for accommodation. You can also upload supporting documents such as English language test results. International applicants will also be able to see information relating to the UK 'points-based' visa system. If, at any stage of the applcation year, you need to contact us about your application, please do so via your myApplication page.
Please liaise with the relevant contact listed under the ‘further information’ tab of the online prospectus page for your particular programme in the online prospectus for any questions regarding your application.
The application process can take up to 4-8 weeks depending on the time of year. Please do ensure that your application form is as complete as possible to speed up the process.