Pre-arrival information for postgraduate researchers
Welcome to the University of Leeds! This information will help you prepare for your arrival and the start of your postgraduate research programme.
Accept your offer
You’ll be able to register once you have received an unconditional offer and accepted this offer. Check your offer letter for any conditions if you’re not sure.
Send evidence of meeting any outstanding conditions to your Faculty Postgraduate Research Admissions team.
Registration
You need to register within four weeks of the start date of your studies and re-register each year within four weeks of the anniversary of your start date. Your graduate school will send you information about the registration process.
The University doesn’t allow postgraduate researchers to study remotely. If you’re on a distance-learning programme, you’re usually expected to be in Leeds for induction at the start of your programme.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to arrive in Leeds within one month of the start date of your programme, check the information about what to do if your arrival is delayed and contact your graduate school.
If you’re on a split-site or dual-award PhD, there may be different arrangements in place – please contact your graduate school for information.
Accommodation
Visit the Accommodation website to find out more information regarding university and private accommodation.
Unipol and Leeds University Union can give you advice and help with your house search.
International arrivals
If you’re coming to Leeds from outside the UK, visit our preparing to live in Leeds pages to help you plan your journey. Read about when to arrive, what to bring with you, and how to book arrival support, including our airport pick-up service from Leeds Bradford Airport and Manchester Airport.
You can get help to prepare by chatting to current students and at our online offer holder events and activities.
When you arrive, check what processes you need to complete in your first weeks in Leeds and don’t miss our International Orientation programme. Book onto our free Welcome to Leeds talk, interactive workshops and online webinars, and sign up for campus and city tours and interactive activities.
Come along to our popular Global Café, to help you feel at home and meet new people. You can also apply for the Buddy Scheme and we’ll match you with another postgraduate researcher who shares similar interests and invite you to Buddy social events.
If you have questions about preparing to travel to Leeds or what to do when you arrive, contact our Student Information Service.
Fees and funding
If you’re funded by a University scholarship, you’ll receive your stipend payments once you’ve completed online registration and given the University your UK bank account details.
For more information about fees and funding, visit the funding for postgraduate researchers page.
University email and IT account
Please set up your University email and IT account as soon as possible – it’s where you’ll receive all information about your induction as well as other important communications throughout your time at Leeds.
You’ll receive an email from “do-not-reply-identity@leeds.ac.uk” with the subject line “Your University IT Account” and a username in the format abcd1234. Follow the steps in this email to finish setting up your IT account.
For more information, visit the setting up your University IT account page. If you need any help setting up your University IT account, contact the Student Information Service.
Two-factor authentication (Duo)
The University uses a two-factor authentication system called Duo. It adds a second method of identity verification to secure your University account and the devices, files and systems associated with it.
Duo will prompt you to enrol the first time you log in to a protected service. Follow the instructions on screen to register your smartphone, tablet or other device and install the free Duo Mobile app.
The Duo Mobile app is available from both the Apple and Android app stores and is the easiest and fastest way to securely log in to your account. For step-by-step set up instructions, see the guide to enrolling for Duo.
Disability support
If you have a disability, please register with Disability Services by completing the Disability Services sign-up form.
If you’re an international postgraduate researcher, be aware that the term “disability” in the UK is used to describe a wide range of conditions. If you have a condition that you think might affect your studies, or if you’d like to speak to a member of the team about support to help you succeed in your studies, you can:
- join our Disability Support webinar which will be run as part of International Orientation
- email Disability Services at disability@leeds.ac.uk
- read more information on the support for international students pages.
Graduate school induction
Your graduate school will contact you with information about your induction, including online resources and in-person events to welcome you to our research community.
In the meantime, if you have any further questions, contact your Faculty Postgraduate Research Admissions team.