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MPhil and PhD

These research degrees are offered from WEST in collaboration with the University of Wales. The MPhil and PhD are postgraduate awards achieved following the production of a dissertation and its successful defence in an oral examination.

Who these degrees are 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 Masters degree in a relevant subject is a prerequisite for undertaking a masters or doctoral dissertation at WEST. View the full list of criteria for research.

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.p>

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 WEST at regular intervals during the academic year and research students are urged to attend. WEST lecturers, occasionally scholars from other colleges/universities but mostly our own research students are invited to lead these seminars.

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: Dissertation
Both the MPhil and the PhD are awards achieved for the production of a dissertation by research. The MPhil dissertation is normally between 55,000-65,000 words and the PhD should be between 80,000-100,000 words.

Application and research proposal
The research 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.

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

Programme duration
The MPhil is 1-5 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 dissertation. 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 dissertation 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 + 1 year write-up
PART-TIME	2 years 'fee-payment' period + 2 years write-up
PhD - Time of study
FULL-TIME
Student enrolling via MPhil	3 years 'fee-payment' period + 2 years write-up
Student enrolling directly to PhD	2 years 'fee-payment' period + 2 years write-up
PART-TIME
Student enrolling via MPhil	5 years 'fee-payment' period + 4 years write- up
Student enrolling directly to PhD	4 years 'fee-payment' period + 4 years write-up

Available start dates
The University offers 3 starting dates each year: 1st October, 1st January and 1st April.

Pre-application advice
If you are serious in applying to West for research studies and would like us to comment briefly on your planned research proposal, we are willing to give you a general indication of our interest and the viability of the project, and also of whether we are able and free to supervise you at the point when you would hope to commence. However, until a formal application is received by the School, it is not possible for detailed discussion regarding a proposal to take place.

Application
Normally all postgraduate research students are initially registered for MPhil. The possibility of upgrading to PhD may be considered after an initial period of study providing the standard of work is satisfactory.

Programme cost
Please see tuition fees.

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.

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