MPhil and PhD

Tuition fees Download Application Form

The MPhil and PhD are postgraduate awards achieved following the production of a thesis and its successful defence in an oral examination.

Who are these degrees suitable for?

Research students must have the necessary theological and academic background. Their chosen field of research must be capable of edifying the church worldwide and the School must be able to provide a suitable supervisor.

Subjects covered

Research topics may cover a range of biblical, theological, historical and applied subjects.

Admission requirements

Admission standards are high and normally at least an upper second class honours degree or a lower second class honours plus a masters degree in a relevant subject is a prerequisite for undertaking a masters or doctoral dissertation at WEST.

It is normal for students who want to complete a PhD to enrol firstly on an MPhil and afterwards to upgrade to PhD if their work is of a satisfactory standard. If a prospective student meets certain conditions, in some circumstances they may be exempted from the MPhil probationary period and be permitted to register directly for PhD.

Benefits

Benefits of a research degree at WEST include the ability to study a subject in considerable depth and within a reformed and godly context. There are no taught modules or class requirements at all.

Research Student Seminars

These are held at regular intervals during the academic year and provide an opportunity for visiting scholars, WEST lecturers and WEST research students to present and discuss their current research. All research students who can are encouraged to be present.

Supervision

Each research student is supervised by a WEST lecturer who functions as the main supervisor and also, periodically, by a university supervisor in liaison.

Assessment: Thesis

Both the MPhil and the PhD are awards achieved by the production of a thesis by research. The maximum length for an MPhil thesis is 60,000 words and for the PhD is 100,000 words.

Programme award success

Since 1993 a large number of WEST students have successfully completed their research for the award of MPhil and PhD degrees. View the full list of award successes with details of the research.

Published work from former students

Paul E Brown: The Holy Spirit and the Bible: the Spirit's interpreting role in relation to Biblical hermeneutics Fearn, Ross-shire: Christian Focus, 2002
Leonardo De Chirico: Evangelical Theological Perspectives on post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism (Religions and Discourse: 19) Oxford: Peter Lang 2003
Tom Holland: The contours of Pauline theology Fearn, Ross-shire: Christian Focus, 2004
Piotr Lorek: The motif of exile in the Hebrew Bible: an analysis of a basic literary and theological pattern Wroclaw: Ewangelikalna Wysza Szkola Teologiczna, 2006
S Gannon Murphy: Consuming Glory: a classical defense of divine-human relationality against open theism (Wipf and Stock), 2006
Eddy Jose Muskus: The origins and early development of liberation theology in Latin America (Paternoster Biblical & Theological Monographs) Carlisle, Cumbria: Paternoster, 2002
Sebastian R Smolarz: Covenant and the metaphor of divine marriage in Biblical thought: a study with special reference to the book of Revelation: Wipf and Stock, 2010

Programme duration

The MPhil is 1-6 years and the PhD 2-9 years depending on the study mode, part-time or full-time, and whether direct entry to PhD is permitted (see table below).

Time Limits:

PhD and MPhil students are registered as follows: a period of “fee-payment” and a period of “write-up”.
The fee-payment period is the number of years the student will annually be charged at the higher University rate for fees.
The write-up period is extra time that the student is given to finish his/her thesis. Students are charged per term in that period and charges are stopped at the end of the term in which the student has submitted the thesis.
The thesis may not be submitted until six months before the end of the period of fee-payment and must be submitted before the end of the write-up period.

MPhil - Time of study

FULL-TIME
1 year 'fee-payment' period + 3 year write-up

PART-TIME
2 years 'fee-payment' period + 4 years write-up

PhD - Time of study

FULL-TIME
2 years 'fee-payment' period + 2 years write-up

PART-TIME
4 years 'fee-payment' period + 3 years write-up

Available start dates

The University normally offers 3 possible start dates each year: September, January and May. Start dates are dependent on the availability of a relevant supervisor (see below under 'Pre-application enquiry'). Your application to WEST should normally be received at least 6 months in advance of your intended start date.

Programme cost

Please see tuition fees.

Who to Contact

Dr Robert Letham

E: pgadmissions@west.org.uk

T: +44 (0)1656 645411

Pre-application enquiry

If you have a serious interest in applying to WEST for research studies you should contact us prior to making an application (via telephone or pgadmissions@west.org.uk) to enquire about the availability of a supervisor for the area you would like to research. We will then be able to inform you both whether we consider the proposed project viable in general terms and whether it is one that we would be able and interested to supervise should you apply. If we are potentially able to supervise, we will also inform you of when a suitable supervisor would next be available to take on new students. If you would also like us to comment briefly on your planned research proposal, we are willing to do so. However, until a formal application is received by the School, it is not possible for detailed discussion regarding a proposal to take place.

Application and research proposal

A research proposal must be submitted with your application to WEST. The proposal should be presented in terms of a title, 3-4 aims, a rationale, a 500 word summary of the subject to be researched and an indicative bibliography.

Application process

If you wish to apply for this programme, please download the application form. An application fee of £300 applies. £250 of this application fee will be credited towards the tuition fees of successful applicants on commencement of the programme. (The fee covers the cost of administration but also of limited advice and assistance given to an applicant in shaping a proposal prior to interview/decision.)
You should enclose original transcripts of your previous study with your application, showing that you meet the above entry requirements. We may also contact you on receipt of your application to ask for any other information not included in the list above which we feel is relevant. If you have any queries about providing transcripts, please contact us.

These programmes are offered In partnership with the University of Chester (subject to validation).