The School of Life Sciences occupies modern laboratories in the heart of London with excellent facilities supporting cutting edge research in a number of disciplines including: molecular and cellular biology, fermentation and biotechnology, and human health and performance.
Notable examples of internationally recognized research within the School include, but are not limited to, research on biopolymers and nanotechnology, obesity, cancer, inflammation, human exercise performance and ageing, nutrition and global public health, social prescribing and resilience.
MSc and PhD students on postgraduate research degree programs, post-doctoral research assistants, technical services staff and academic members of staff support the research efforts of the School. Research is funded by grants from national and international funding bodies and also by industrial partnerships.
The School of Life Sciences offers the following research degrees: full time and part time PhD, distance learning PhD and PhD by published work.
How to apply
The academic staff member responsible for PhD admissions in the School is Dr Polly Hayes who can be contacted by email via: [email protected].
You can find more information about study options on our Mode of study page.
PhD via MPhil
The majority of students will apply via the PhD via MPhil route. You can read more about the application process and entry requirements on our How to apply page.
Distance Learning
If you intend to apply for a research degree by distance-learning, you will need to demonstrate that you have appropriate local support for the duration of registration – please refer to the information on our Distance learning page.
PhD by published work
If you intend to apply for a PhD by Published Work please refer to the information on our PhD by published work page as the application process differs from the normal MPhil/PhD. Before applying, you should first make contact with the relevant academic for an informal discussion of your publications. You should only submit a formal application at this stage.
Apply now
Apply for the following subjects
Apply to our research degrees using the links below.
- Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology
- Biology
- Biotechnology
- Complementary Medicines, Therapies and Well-Being
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry
- Nutrition
- Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy
You'll be able to select your subject area in the 'Supporting Information' section of the application form.
January 2025 start
| mODE OF STUDY | Apply now |
|---|---|
| Full-time | Apply nowApply for MPhil/PhD full-time course with a January 2025 start date |
| Part-time | Apply nowApply for MPhil/PhD part-time course with a January 2025 start date |
| Distance Learning | Apply nowApply for MPhil/PhD via distance learning with a January 2025 start date |
| PhD by Published Work | Apply nowApply for MPhil/PhD by published work with a January 2025 start date |
September 2025 start
Self-funded MPhil/PhD opportunities
The School of Life Sciences is pleased to offer six self-funded opportunities for prospective PhD researchers starting in September 2024.
Find out moreGo to Self-funded opportunities page
Studentships
The Graduate School and each of the academic schools at the University of Westminster are committed to doctoral programmes which encourage and make possible excellent research. As part of this, we are committed to offering a range of studentships.
Current studentships in the school:
Find out about current studentships being offered across the University on our Studentships page.
Research Centres and Groups
Find out more about research based in the School of Life Sciences: