Postgraduate research courses in Computer Science

• Research community

  Computer Science at the University of St Andrews is a research-intensive School with a long tradition of awarding postgraduate research degrees. The St Andrews Research Repository has recent dissertations from postgraduate alumni.

  The School prides itself on an inclusive culture that respects and values diversity. The supportive environment enables members of the School to grow as researchers within a collegial and friendly environment.

  The School produces world-leading research at the highest standards in a range of disciplines. By the time graduate, postgraduate students become fellow researchers capable of discovery at an internationally competitive level.

  Postgraduate students become members of the larger University of St Andrews postgraduate research community and live in a vibrant town on the beautiful East coast of Scotland. See the Why St Andrews pages for information on life and study at the University of St Andrews.

  As a St Andrews postgraduate student in Computer Science you will also be part of the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance, a confederation of all Computer Science departments in Scotland that provides support to the postgraduate community through workshops, courses, events, summer schools, internships and the SICSA graduate conference.

  The School of Computer Science was awarded the Athena SWAN Silver award for its sustained progression in advancing equality and representation, and we welcome applications from those suitably qualified from all genders, all races, ethnicities and nationalities, LGBT+, all or no religion, all social class backgrounds, and all family structures to apply for our postgraduate research programmes.

• Eligibility criteria

  Undergraduate degrees

  Admission to our research degrees requires at least a good BSc or equivalent degree in an area appropriate for your proposed topic of study. This is usually in Computer Science or Informatics, but it is not restricted to these and appropriateness of the previous qualifications is decided on a case-by-case basis. For a PhD or EngD, an MSc is not required, although many applicants do hold a MSc or equivalent postgraduate degree.

  Language

  See the language requirements section for further details on English language requirements for the University's postgraduate degree programmes.

• Advice for applicants

  Contact the School, even if you are not sure. You are encouraged to contact the School by email if you are considering applying, even if you are not completely sure if your qualifications are sufficient or if you are hesitant about what it is like to do research in St Andrews. The School has a wealth of information and can offer you candid advice.

  Pay close attention to supervisor choice. It pays to know about your potential supervisor and their research interests. A potential supervisor will become your advocate through the admission and funding allocation process, and no places or funding are allocated without the potential supervisor's agreement.

  Avoid spamming academics. Don't approach many potential supervisors with a generic email that does not demonstrate knowledge about the specific research of the academic; this is extremely unlikely to succeed. These emails are often discarded without a response. If you want to boost your chances of being admitted, be specific and focused, and do your research. Provide your e-mail recipient with enough information to demonstrate that you have thought about a realistic research proposal that is relevant to their interests.

• Funding and stipends

  The offer of a University place to undertake study or research does not carry with it the guarantee of financial support. You will be required to find financial support, either from the School or University studentships, or by applying to a grant-awarding body.

  For more information, visit the School's funding and stipends page.