Masters by Research

Three international students relaxing in a green space outside the Earth and Environment building on campus.

Masters by Research is an entirely research-based degree programme, assessed via a final thesis of up to 30,000 words and a viva. You have one year (full-time) or two years (part-time) to write and submit your thesis, followed by your viva within three months of submission.

Masters by Research programmes include:

Master of Arts by Research
Master of Science by Research
Master of Science (Engineering) by Research
Master of Education by Research

M.Phil. is not a Masters by Research programme.

PGRs on a Masters by Research programme are part of the PGR community, alongside PhD, MPhil, and integrated Masters/PhDs. You will register in a faculty, and school and/or research institute. Your local inductions and your supervisors will tell you more about this.

Starting your Masters by Research programme

Induction

Read the Doctoral College Induction programme.
Milestones for your programme

Understand the regular milestones and progress checks for full and part-time PGRs.
Progress and attendance monitoring

Find out more about how your attendance and progress will be monitored.
Supervision meetings

You will have at least two supervisors who are responsible for guiding your research. Find out more about what to expect from Supervision meetings.
PGR-supervisor agreement

Complete this agreement with your supervisors in the first month of your programme.

Resources for your research

Complete your IT induction

Find out how to set up your University of Leeds IT accounts.
Complete research-specific training

Access training and workshops to help you develop your research skills.
Facilities at your Graduate School

Find out more about the facilities that are available to you at your Graduate School.
Access Graduate School facilities

Contact your Graduate School to find out how to get access to their facilities.
Purchasing goods or services for your research

Find out more about how to make purchases that support your research.

Personal and professional development

Training plan

Find out more about how to discuss and record your training needs with your supervisor.
Academic integrity and research ethics training

Find out how to complete your academic integrity and research ethics training modules.
Ethics review

Learn more about the ethics review process and find out if your research will need ethics approval.
Teaching during your research

Read the Code of Practice on teaching to understand what’s expected and whether it’s manageable alongside your research.
Transferring to a PhD

Read the guidance on how to transfer to a PhD from a Masters by research programme.

Thesis and viva examination

Learning and assessment outcomes

Read the Masters by Research programme of study to understand how your progress will be assessed.
Completing the examination entry workflow

Find out more about how to complete the examination entry workflow three months before you submit your thesis.
Viva examination

Learn about what to expect from the viva examination.
Guide to the thesis examination process for PGRS (pdf)

Download the guide to find out more about the full thesis examination process.

International PGRs

Making changes during your studies

Find out what to do if you're considering making changes to your degree arrangements.
Taking time out of your research

What you need to do if you need to take some time off from your research.
Change of study location

What to do if you want to complete your research at a different institution.
Guidance on visas

Get advice and support from our Student Visa Advice team.
Graduate visa route

Find out more about how to apply for a graduate visa.