Everyone applying for an MPhil, MD or a PhD has to apply online via the Newcastle University website: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply. This includes prospective students who have already been in touch with their supervisor as well as those who will be doing a PhD as part of a (training) fellowship. This information doesn’t automatically filter through from somewhere else on the system which means neither the ICM nor the graduate school will be aware of you unless you register online.
If it’s your first time applying with Newcastle University, you will have to register and create a username and password. This will enable you to login to your personal account where you can keep track of your application. Current students don’t have to create a new account, they can simply use their S3P login details.
There are certain conditions that will need to be met before your registration will be successfully processed. More information about the entire procedure can be found here, but there are a few pieces of advice we can offer.
Tell us you are applying
We can advise on all aspects of the application.
Don’t worry too much about the research proposal
Of course we need to know something about your research interests, and a general area of work is extremely helpful. If possible, identify supervisors from our website that might share your interest.
However, try not to be more specific than absolutely necessary; if you submit an extremely detailed proposal, then supervisors might assume there is no room for negotiation.
Be a little bit aware of our admissions process
Newcastle University has 25 000 students, and all of them apply through the same system. An extremely busy group of people have to match students with faculties and departments, but things can go astray.
Bear in mind that postgraduate applications often have a title, and very little else. A project in medical physics might reasonably be sent to our Faculty of Medicine, or to the faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering.
So: make the job of admissions as simple as possible, and mark your application prominently with all the details you know. Make sure to mention the institute you’re applying for, and the name of your supervisor – if you know who they will be. It will help the admissions team to make sure your application ends up in the right place.
IN PARTICULAR – if you are applying for an advertised studentship, be absolutely certain to use the studentship code from the advert. If you use a generic degree code in your application, there is every likelihood that the application will not go directly to the supervisor offering the post, and you might miss the deadline.
Tell us you have applied
It’s also helpful if you send an e-mail to icm.pgstudentenquiries@newcastle.ac.uk once you’ve submitted your application, informing us of your application number as well as the individual applicant/student number that you have been given. That way we can keep an eye on how things move forward. In the worst case, we can rescue stalled or misdirected applications.