Course structure

Some doctoral degrees are structured around a '1+3' model. If this is the case, the following rules apply.

Students will be eligible for the £27,265 Postgraduate Doctoral Loan if: 

• year 1 of the course (the master’s degree) is an integral part of the 4-year doctoral degree course
• they register for the full doctoral degree course at the outset.

Students are not eligible for postgraduate master’s funding for the first year of the course.

If a student has already been awarded postgraduate master’s funding for a separate master’s course, they remain eligible for the full £27,265 Postgraduate Doctoral Loan for a full '1+3' doctoral degree course.

If a student does not need to complete the first year of a '1+3' doctoral degree course, they must register on a separately designated 3-year doctoral degree course to be eligible for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan.

Students who withdraw from a '1+3' doctoral degree after using their Postgraduate Doctoral Loan allocation cannot apply for another. This is regardless of the qualification they gain. This is subject to normal rules around compelling personal reasons (CPR).

Students cannot transfer between master’s and doctoral courses without submitting a new funding application. They must be undertaking the full course to be eligible for postgraduate funding at either level. They must submit a new funding application if they start a new qualification.