MPhil and PhD Degrees

The Department offers excellent possibilities for further research leading to the degrees of MPhil and PhD. All research students are normally registered for the MPhil in the first instance and, assuming that their work is satisfactory, will usually expect to transfer to PhD registration 12 to 18 months after their arrival, and to complete the programme within three years.

MPhil/PhD in Phonetics and Linguistics
MPhil/PhD in Human Communication
MPhil/PhD in Experimental Phonetics

Upgrade from MPhil to PhD
Members of staff and their research interests
Sources of funding
Expressing your interest
Applying for a Programme

MPhil/PhD in Phonetics and Linguistics

Linguistics
The Department is pre-eminent in the field of pragmatics (specifically Relevance Theory), syntactic and phonological theory and first language acquisition. Research may be carried out in these areas as well as in cognitive science, semantics, philosophy of language, psycholinguistics, and aspects of the syntax or phonology of particular languages. Applicants are expected to have completed a Master's degree in theoretical linguistics and research proposals in the field of applied linguistics (e.g. language teaching, translation) cannot normally be supervised.

Our research pages give some idea of the research currently carried out in linguistics.

The Department offers an excellent environment for researchers, which includes access to advanced core training in Linguistics (ACTL), general research training in UCL's Graduate School, the Centre for Human Communication (CHC), specialized reading groups, and seminar series and workshops both within the Department and in the Centre for Human Communication.

Phonetics
The Department is known worldwide in the fields of phonetics and phonology, both of English (particularly in relation to regional variation, EFL applications and pathological speech) and of other languages. Staff expertise is principally in European languages, though we also deal with languages of East Asia and Southern Africa. Applicants are expected to have completed a Master's degree in phonetics..

Our research pages give some idea of the research currently carried out in phonetics.

Admission requirements for the MPhil/PhD in Phonetics and Linguistics

The normal minimum entrance requirement for registration for the MPhil/PhD degree is a Master's degree in a relevant subject area from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. In exceptional circumstances students with a minimum of an upper second-class Honours degree of a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in Linguistics may proceed to research without taking an MA.

Applicants should have a well thought-out project or area of research within the interest and expertise of members of the department, and are encouraged to contact the department before submitting an application to enquire about vacancies available for the research project envisaged.

MPhil/PhD in Human Communication
MPhil/PhD in Experimental Phonetics

Research is multi-disciplinary and our graduate students - like our staff members - may have backgrounds in the arts, physical sciences, computer science, psychology, and speech and language pathology or audiology. It is based on the essential idea that a fuller understanding of the fundamental processes of human communication is of direct practical value as well as being of theoretical interest. Work in Spoken Language Engineering is in progress in the areas of speech synthesis, recognition and dialogue and this relates to parallel phonetically based research in audiology and speech pathology.

The Department research pages give some idea of the research currently carried out in linguistics.

We have close relations with laboratories working in these areas in North America, China and Japan and we are the coordinators of, and partners in, European Union research projects in both speech technology and work for people with speech and hearing disabilities. Within the UK our work is in close collaboration with the health service and industry and with schools concerned with the education of deaf children. Our research has wide practical application - in interactive speech pattern assessment systems and displays for speech and language therapy, or in work with foreign language learners; in the design of new approaches to the provision of hearing aids for speech for very profoundly and totally deaf users, and in phonetic support for system assessment in spoken language engineering.

We welcome applications from students to work on individual projects or as members of an already established departmental team.

Admission requirements for the MPhil/PhD in Human Communication and the MPhil/PhD in Experimental Phonetics:

The normal minimum entrance requirement for registration for the MPhil/PhD degree is a Master's degree in any relevant subject at a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard (current research students hold degrees in Computer Science, Linguistics, Phonetics, Psychology and Speech Science). In exceptional circumstances students with a minimum of an upper second class Honours degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject may proceed to research without taking an MA.

Applicants should have a well thought-out project or area of research within the interest and expertise of members of the department.

Upgrade from MPhil to PhD

It is UCL policy that research students are always registered in the first instance for the MPhil degree, but their registration may be changed retrospectively to PhD if this is approved by the department. The transfer of registration normally takes place some time during the second year, and cannot take place until after at least twelve months. The retrospective registration to PhD means that there is no loss of time or fees because of the temporary MPhil registration. The main purpose of this process is to protect students against the risk of embarking on an unsuccessful PhD thesis when they could produce a successful MPhil.

Sources of funding

Information about possible financial support can be found on the UCL website or in the UCL booklet entitled Sources of Funding for Graduate Students, which can be obtained from the Admissions and General Enquiries Office, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT.

The Research Fund provides unique opportunities for research. The funds have been used by students to present their research at conferences, embark on research trips, buy essential equipment and visit archives and laboratories elsewhere.

Expressing your interest

If you would like us to send you more information about our MPhil/PhD programmes, then please e-mail us with your contact details at . Alternatively, you may write to us at the following address:

Graduate Admissions
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
University College London
Chandler House
2 Wakefield Street
London  WC1N 1PF
United Kingdom

Email: secretary@ling.ucl.ac.uk

Applying for a Programme

The UCL Graduate prospectus, a downloadable application form, the scale of fees, and other useful information can be accessed on the UCL Graduate Admissions web pages.