Study at both Masters and research level

A traditional Integrated PhD provides a route into research study if you do not have a Masters degree, or have very little research training. It enables you to spend your first year completing Masters-level training, followed by a full-time PhD. The PhD element of the course will allow you to study your chosen subject in depth, whilst being supervised by one or more members of our academic staff.

We have recently introduced a brand new type of Integrated PhD which includes additional research and communication skills.

We recognise and understand the importance of continuing professional development for students and have designed these research programmes for students who do not have English as a first language and may have been studying in a different country, or have been out of a traditional academic environment for some time.

These tailor-made research degrees seek to give you the best underpinning for your doctoral studies. A core aim is for students to refine their English language skills for scholarly communication, enhance academic skills for postgraduate study, hone higher-level research skills, and master how to study and manage academic work in the UK.

These Integrated PhDs do not include a Masters degree in their first year, like other existing Integrated PhDs offered at Essex. You will enrol with the intention of achieving a PhD award, with only a PG Diploma or PG Certificate available as exit awards after the first year. You will take a number of core and compulsory modules in your first year, and the next three years will be conducting your individual research project. 

Currently, the research degrees on offer are:

• PhD Accounting and Finance (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Actuarial Science (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Biological Sciences (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Computer Science (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Criminology (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Data Science (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Economics (with research and communications skills)
• PhD Electronic Systems Engineering (with research and communication skills)
• PhD English Language Teaching (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Film Studies (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Government (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Health Studies (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Human Resource Management with Organisation Studies (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Law (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Linguistics (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Literature (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Management (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Mathematics (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Nursing Studies (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Psychology (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Sociology (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Statistics (with research and communication skills)
• PhD Translation Studies (Translation, Interpreting and Subtitling) (with reseach and communication skills)

Integrated PhDs are different from standard PhDs in a few ways.

• An Integrated PhD combines both taught study (in your first year) as well as independent research (during the PhD element of the course).
• An Integrated PhD should take longer to complete than a standard PhD (because it includes the Masters-level year).
• Integrated PhDs are designed for students who have not previously completed a Masters course but are particularly interested in pursuing research study.

The following Departments all offer either traditional Integrated PhDs or our new Integrated PhDs with research and communication skills.

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

• Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
• Essex Law School

Faculty of Social Sciences

• Department of Economics
• Department of Government
• Department of Language and Linguistics
• Department of Sociology
• Essex Business School

Faculty of Science and Health

• School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
• School of Health and Social Care
• School of Life Sciences
• School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
• Department of Psychology 

An Integrated PhD can take anywhere from 4-8 years to complete, depending on your study mode. The first year can only be studied full-time, which will take you a year to complete. When you begin the PhD element of the course, this will take you a further 3-4 years studying full-time, or 6-7 years studying part-time.

All of our Integrated PhDs are taught and supervised from our Colchester Campus, except for three Essex Business School courses, which are based at our Southend Campus. These are:

• Integrated PhD Business Administration
• Integrated PhD Management Studies
• Integrated PhD Entrepreneurship

During your PhD element of the course, you will undertake a large, independent research project and you will be examined by viva. Short for 'viva voce', the viva is an oral examination in which examiners (usually two) pose questions to the candidate about their thesis. The assessment of your Masters-level year will depend on the specific course you are studying, but this is usually a combination of coursework, a dissertation and examinations.

Upon successful completion of the full course, you will gain a PhD. If you only complete the first year, you will receive either a Masters qualification, if you study one of the traditional Integrated PhDs, or a PG Diploma or PG Certificate if you study one of the Integrated PhDs with researh and communication skills. 

We have a wide range of funding sources available for postgraduate students - from loans and discounts to bursaries and scholarships. Visit our fees and funding page to learn more about the different options that may be applicable to you.

Check out the detailed information on our postgraduate research applying page, which describes step-by-step what you need to do to apply. This page also covers the application deadlines for our research degrees.

If you require a student visa to study in the UK, then we will issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to you when you have met the requirements for this. The CAS will allow you to make a single visa application for a student visa which will cover the full duration of the Integrated PhD course.