13Nov
PostgraduateCourse summary
Internationally recognised for the quality of teaching and world-leading research, the Department of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway is a dynamic and friendly place to study. We currently admit around 180 undergraduate students each year and about 50-60 postgraduate research students across a wide variety of laboratory and field-based research training courses. As a vibrant scientific community, our research is grouped into three major areas: Biomedical Sciences, Plant Molecular Sciences, and Ecology Evolution and Behaviour. The department is also host to the Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology and the Centre of Gene and Cell Therapy. Our research is funded by Research Councils, charities, government agencies, a wide range of other commercial, environmental and research organisations. Research collaborations take place through projects right across the department. Our widely published research teams are well known for pioneering work in molecular genetics, gene and cell therapy, our research into bipolar disorder, evolutionary and conservation ecology, biodiversity, mathematical epidemiology, plant biotechnology and seed biology. Our postgraduate research students regularly report their research findings, both nationally and internationally in symposia and publications. To learn more about the postgraduate degree opportunities offered by the Biological Sciences department, please visit the department's Postgraduate research page. From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Assessment method
Master of Philosophy (MPhil) involves two calendar years of full-time period study or the part-time equivalent. Assessment for the award is on the basis of a written thesis consisting of the candidate's own account of his/her investigations and an oral examination. The length of the Thesis shall not exceed 60,000 words. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) involves between two and three calendar years of full-time period study or the part-time equivalent. Assessment for the award is on the basis of a written thesis consisting of the candidate's own account of his/her investigations and an oral examination. The length of the Thesis shall not exceed 100,000 words.
How to apply
International applicants
https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/international-students/find-your-country/
Entry requirements
Applicants should have, or expect to be awarded, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or MSc in an appropriate biological discipline. All members of academic staff can accept suitably qualified PhD students who we select for our studentships, or who have alternative means of support. To learn more about the research interests and activities of our staff, please visit our relevant research group pages Biomedical Sciences; Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour; and Plant Molecular Sciences. Before applying we recommend securing a supervisor in order to apply for your research project. Once you have identified a potential supervisor, please email the relevant group contact to discuss available projects, your qualifications and skills and if spaces are available to accommodate you. Contact details can be found in the staff directory on our website. English language requirements All teaching at Royal Holloway is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start. The scores we require IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5. Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51. Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III. Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C. TOEFL ib: 88 overall, with Reading 18 Listening 17 Speaking 20 Writing 26.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £4786 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £4786 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £4786 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £4786 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £4786 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £4786 | Year 1 |
| EU | £28700 | Year 1 |
| International | £28700 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Please note that for research courses, we adopt the minimum fee level recommended by the UK Research Councils for the Home tuition fee. Each year, the fee level is adjusted in line with inflation (currently, the measure used is the Treasury GDP deflator). Fees displayed here are therefore subject to change and are usually confirmed in the spring of the year of entry. For more information on the Research Council Indicative Fee please see the UKRI website.
This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase fees for overseas fee-paying students annually. Be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. The annual increase for continuing students who start their degree in 2025/26 will be 5%. For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/applying/admissions-policy-and-procedures/
These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
Sponsorship information
Royal Holloway Studentships; Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme; British Council Fellowship Programme; AHRC.
Provider information
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham
TW20 0EX