Information for prospective PhD students
What are you looking for in a PhD student?
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You should either have already or be on target to achieve a strong distinction level master's degree or strong 1st class honours in an undergraduate degree from a reputable university, in a subject such as Mathematics/Statistics/something related
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You should be able to demonstrate clear understanding of the modules that you have studied
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I am not necessarily expecting you have to have specific prior knowledge, that depends on the student, but some relevant prior modules that might interest me are:
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For more theoretical students probability theory, real analysis, functional analysis, Markov processes, measure theory, numerical analysis
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For more methodological students statistical modelling and inference, Bayesian methods, and computational approaches such as Monte Carlo and MCMC
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I am also looking for students who are organised, have a good work ethic, are passionate, and are willing to take responsibility for their own learning to some degree (this is necessary during a PhD)
How long does a PhD last? What does it entail?
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A typical PhD in a UK university will last anywhere from 3-5 years. Usually it takes around 3-4 years to complete the supervision process and then another 6 months to write up and complete the viva examination
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During the supervision process you will meet regularly with the supervisor(s), e.g. once per week for an hour, but this can vary.
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Initially you might build up background knowledge by reading textbooks/sitting in on lectures/reading tutorials, which we will discuss together during meetings.
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But we will quickly try to focus on a particular research project and set tasks each week to be completed. This will be similar in nature to any undergraduate / MSc research project / research internship that you might have undertaken.
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The goal is to write research papers that can be published and also then attend conferences to present work (students typically attend 1 international conference per year)
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After around 1.5 years you will prepare an upgrade report (around 50-80 pages) and undertake an oral exam (around 2 hours with 2 examiners)
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After the supervision period is ended you will prepare your thesis (typically 80 - 180 pages long), submit this and then undertake another oral exam (2-3 hours) with 2 examiners (1 of which will be external to UCL)
How would I support myself financially during a PhD?
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Most students fund their studies through a scholarship. This covers tuition fees and also provides you with a tax-free monthly stipend. The exact amount varies depending on the scheme, but it's usually just about enough to live off
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I am aware of the main scholarships (also called studentships) to apply for and can advise on this and support you through the application process if I consider you to be a good candidate. If you are interested in this then it's better to contact me earlier (scholarship deadline usually range from December to March/April)
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Many students choose to supplement their income. This can be done by assisting with teaching and marking within the department, as well as private tutoring/consulting opportunities as they arrive
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You can also self-fund a PhD. This means you won't receive a scholarship and need to pay tuition fees for your supervision. You will still need to apply to the PhD program but need not apply for a scholarship
What is the application process?
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You should contact me by e-mail in the first instance. Keep this short (e.g. 100-200 words) and briefly state your interests and background. Please attach to the e-mail a copy of your transcript to date. You can also send a short CV, but I prefer transcripts to see the full range of modules taken and marks received
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In the e-mail please state whether or not you are looking for a scholarship, and whether you qualify as a home or overseas student (as the scholarships are different)
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I will then contact you to arrange some discussions/an interview. If it's a good match then I will support your application, and will help you to apply for scholarships
What are examples of possible PhD projects? Why should I work with you?
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Generally it's better to find a supervisor whose research interests match your own. You can read about my interests on this website or by reading some of my papers (you can find them on google scholar)
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It's better not to contact me with a fully planned research project several pages long. I have project ideas already, I am looking for someone to help me realise them
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Some example areas we could work in are:
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Theory and methodology of adaptive MCMC
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MCMC on discrete state spaces
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Convergence and mixing of Markov processes, with applications to MCMC
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Projects at the interface of modern statistics and computation
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Computational Bayesian modelling in health (e.g. survival analysis, epidemic modelling, modelling microbiome data)
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What are some common misconceptions of a PhD?
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It's very different from a taught degree. You will not spend much time taking courses and sitting exams. The closest experience you might have had is a research project of some sort
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You do not need to fund your own studies and living costs while studying, provided that you have secured a scholarship a PhD is closer to a job than a taught course in this way
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Some students can do very well in taught courses but not really be a great fit for research. The personalities that general do well are those who are self-motivated, have attention to detail and personal pride in their work, a hunger for knowledge and some humility/conscientiousness. There are many intelligent people who would struggle in a PhD, and similarly those with PhDs are not necessarily more intelligent than others, they just have particular skills and interests
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A PhD takes a long time, so if the goal is to get a promotion at work or something similarly short term, then this is probably not the right motivation
Are you currently looking for students?
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Yes! I am currently looking for 1-2 students to begin their studies in October 2025.