Musculoskeletal

Entry requirements

We require applicants to hold, or be about to obtain, an Upper Second class Honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in a related subject area for entry to a PhD programme. A Lower Second class Honours degree may be considered if applicants also hold a Master's degree with a Merit classification.

Months of entry

January, April, September

Course content

Our PhD/MPhil Musculoskeletal programme enables you to undertake a research project that will improve understanding of Musculoskeletal.

Research in the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research (CfMR) is undertaken by established groups and independent researchers investigating genetic and epidemiological aspects of musculoskeletal conditions.

These include:

• rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• osteoarthritis (OA)
• psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
• juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)
• systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• myositis and scleroderma (Sc).

We have a strong track record of training students, and all of our senior staff have a hands-on approach to supervision.

We have a comprehensive programme of training and mentorship directed at all levels of career development. For postgraduate research students, we provide in-house training in generic lab skills, biostatistics and epidemiology.

Postgraduate research students are encouraged to take part in patient/public engagement and involvement activities (PPE/I) to discuss their research with members of the general public and patients.

Information for international students

For applicants whose first language is not English, or if you have not studied recently in the UK, you must provide evidence of how you meet the English Language requirement.

We mainly accept IELTS or TOEFL tests. Please note IELTS and TOEFL are only valid for two years.

We require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall or TOEFL (iBT) 90. Each component of the English test should meet the minimum requirement of IELTS 5.5 in all components, TOEFL (iBT 22). For the writing component , we expect you to have achieved a minimum of 6.0 (IELTS).