Integrated PhD
Source: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/projects-programmes-degrees/research-degrees/integrated-phd/ Parent: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/masters/
A combined postgraduate experience
Integrated PhD
A pathway into postgraduate research
About the programme
Our Integrated PhD programme offers self-funded international students a structured route to postgraduate research at Manchester, combining a one-year master's course with a three-year PhD.
There are over 60 master's courses across nine subject areas included within the programme, allowing you to prepare for postgraduate research in your area of interest before progressing onto a PhD and a self-funded project in a related area.
On this page:
Related pages:
- Projects, programmes and degrees
- Projects
- Funded programmes
- Types of research degree
- Undergraduate placements
Route to postgraduate research
Build a strong foundation for postgraduate research and earn a master’s while adapting to UK academic standards and preparing for a PhD.
Deepen expertise in your field
Gain a deep understanding of your research area including the key concepts, theories, and methodologies which will underpin your PhD.
How long does it take?
Undertake a master’s research project and gain the vital research experience required for a PhD - ideal if you only have limited research experience.
Progress to postgraduate research at a leading UK university
Start your journey to a PhD at a university with a global reputation for pioneering research and innovation, ranked 2nd in the world for social and environmental impact (Times Higher Education 2025).
An international community
Join a vibrant and diverse community of more than 7,000 international postgraduate students in a welcoming and inclusive city.
How it works
Your training pathway
Our Integrated PhD gives you the opportunity to study for an MSc that will prepare you for a related PhD project.
You'll spend the first part of the programme studying on your chosen master's course in biology, medicine and health before progressing onto one of our PhD programmes.
You'll draw on the skills and knowledge you learned at MSc level to contribute to crucial research.
Examples of linked MSc courses and PhD projects
Join our Integrated PhD programme and you'll have the opportunity to study for an MSc that will prepare you for a PhD project.
Below are some examples of how specific master's courses in each of of three schools could prepare you for particular PhD projects.
Precision medicine
Master's course: MSc Precision Medicine
This MSc provides training in the principles of precision, translational and stratified medicine, and the impact of individual molecular variability.
You could use your skills and knowledge from this course to undertake PhD projects such as the following.
PhD project: Predicting response to IL6 inhibition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (Supervisors: Prof A Barton, Dr D Plant, Dr Nisha Nair)
The MSc would be an ideal platform to apply for this PhD project. Students completing the MSc would have already received training on the principles of stratified medicine, as well as training in omics technologies, such as genomics and transcriptomics, which would be applied in the proposed PhD.
The PhD would allow students to apply their learning to address an important clinical question about whether we can use omics to better target the right drugs to the right patients.
Cardiovascular health and disease
Master's course: MSc Cardiovascular Health and Disease (Research)
This MSc will enable you to develop the biomedical research skills you need for a potential career in cardiovascular science, and allied healthcare and bioscience fields, even if you have no previous research experience.
You could use your skills and knowledge from this course to undertake PhD projects such as the following.
PhD project: Mechanisms of metabolic remodelling in obesogenic/diabetic cardiomyopathy (Supervisors: Prof A Kitmitto, Prof Elizabeth Cartwright)
This project will take a multidisciplinary approach for delineating the pathophysiological pathways underpinning mitochondrial dysfunction in the early stages of disease, to identify potential new therapeutic targets for intervention to prevent disease development.
The MSc provides preparatory training for PhD research by developing your knowledge of the cardiovascular system through specialist taught seminars coupled with tutorials.
Essential training in research skills, encompassing critical thinking, reasoning, communication and methods of quantitative analysis, provides a robust foundation for embarking upon academic research.
The 25-week practical research project will enhance the theoretical and experimental skillsets necessary for you to quickly transition into this PhD project.
Cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology
Master's course: MRes Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology
This MSc offers a strong grounding in the theoretical understanding and practical experience of key research paradigms, research designs and statistical techniques used in experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and neuropsychology.
You could use your skills and knowledge from this course to undertake PhD projects such as the following.
PhD project: Optimising the measurement of working memory for assessment of speech-in-noise perception (Supervisors: Dr Antje Heinrich, Dr Samuel Couth, Dr Rebecca Millman)
By taking the MRes, you would receive training in many of the skills that are central to successfully completing this project, such as:
- an introduction to the theoretical foundations of memory research;
- a systematic introduction to various experimental designs;
- training on data analysis.
In addition, completing the MRes dissertation project would give you experience of obtaining ethics approval for experimental testing, and experience in recruiting different participant groups for testing.
Completing the MRes would prepare you to:
- choose the most appropriate experimental designs based on your research questions;
- collect and analyse data in an effective and efficient manner;
- report your results using an academic style of writing.
Experimental psychology with data science
Master's course: MRes Experimental Psychology with Data Science
This MSc will prepare you for a successful research career in experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience and data science.
You could use your skills and knowledge from this course to undertake PhD projects such as the following.
PhD project: Infants' early understanding of word meaning (Supervisors: Dr Alissa Ferry, Prof A Theakston)
In the MRes, students will gain the essential statistical analysis skills required to support the PhD project, and have the opportunity to conduct a pilot study to begin training in the methodological aspects of the PhD project.
The MRes offers training in a range of relevant methodologies such as eye-tracking and EEG that can be used in this PhD project.
Medical microbiology
Master's course: MSc Medical Microbiology
This MSc covers the medical and molecular aspects of bacteriology, virology, mycology, epidemiology and management of infectious diseases.
You could use your skills and knowledge from this course to undertake PhD projects such as the following.
PhD project 1: Bacteriophage-based approaches for controlling infections associated with haemodialysis catheters (Supervisors: Prof Andrew McBain, Dr G Xia, Dr Anuradha Jayanti)
The MSc course will equip you with a broad and solid knowledge base and research skills in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, which will prepare you well to succeed in this PhD project with a focus on microbial pathogenesis and the development of novel antimicrobial therapies.
PhD project 2: Metals and host-pathogen interactions: the role of metal handling systems in the human gastrointestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni (Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Cavet, Dr D Linton)
The focus on clinical and molecular microbiology combined with development of a broad range of laboratory skills provided by the MSc Medical Microbiology is excellent preparation for this project.
During this PhD, the student will further develop their molecular microbiology research skills, studying two significant and related bacterial human pathogens that interact with the human host in fundamentally different ways. One, Campylobacter jejuni, causes an acute gastrointestinal infection, while the related Helicobacter pylori induces a chronic colonisation of the stomach.
We are particularly interested in how these bacteria obtain metals during infection and how they protect themselves from metal intoxication induced by the innate immune response.
Neuroimaging
Master's course: MSc Neuroimaging for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience
This MSc explores cutting-edge cognitive neuroscience techniques and their application to research in clinical and cognitive neuroscience. You'll cover the theory behind cognitive, social, behavioural, and clinical neuroscience while gaining practical data analysis and functional neuroanatomy skills.
You could use your skills and knowledge from this course to undertake PhD projects such as the following.
PhD project: Understanding and optimising motor cortex plasticity (Supervisors: Dr Caroline Lea-Carnall, Dr L Parkes, Prof W El-Deredy)
By the end of the MSc, you will have gained practical experience and a theoretical understanding of data acquisition and analysis techniques required to measure structural and functional features of the brain.
In the PhD, you will use those skills to measure changes in network connectivity in the motor cortex in response to stimulation. Your theoretical knowledge will allow you to interpret the imaging data in terms of the underlying physiology.
Eligibility
Entry requirements
Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second UK honours degree or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK in a related subject area.
A Lower Second honours degree may be considered if applicants also hold a master's degree with a Merit classification, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK.
Please refer to the individual MSc or MRes course page for detailed entry requirements.
Making an application
A step-by-step guide to applying for the Integrated PhD.
Funding
The Integrated PhD is only available to candidates who can self-fund tuition fees, research costs and living costs for both the master’s and PhD.
This funding could be from your home government, an organisation or charity, or your own private finances.
There is no funding available from the University for this programme.
Entry requirements
Check you meet our Integrated PhD entry requirements.
Identify a project or supervisor
First, browse our PhD projects listings and identify a self-funded project you’re passionate about or browse our Research Explorer to find a supervisor at Manchester working in your field of interest.
Contact the supervisor
Contact the supervisor to discuss your interest in working with them or on their advertised project, stating you are a self-funded international applicant interested in the ‘Integrated PhD’ programme.
Review master’s course entry requirements
Review master’s courses related to the project, discuss with your supervisor and select one that best suits your PhD project.
Ensure you meet the entry requirements.
Completing your Integrated PhD application
Once you've found your project and MSc course, discussed your suitability with the supervisor, and checked you meet the eligibility criteria, you’re ready to complete an online application.
Full guidance on how to make an application can be found on our how to apply page, but please ensure you follow the below tips:
- Only make one application for this programme.\ Ensure you select ‘FBMH Integrated 1+3 Programme’ on the online application form. If you select the incorrect programme, your application will not be considered.
- Include the name of your supervisor and the project title.
- Include a supporting statement of 1,000 words summarising your motivation for the Integrated PhD, outlining any research experience and your career ambitions.
- Indicate which master's course you would like to be considered for.
Interview
As part of the selection process for the programme, you will be required to attend a short interview.
Key dates
Dates for 2026 entry
Please refer to the individual MSc or MRes course page for details of application deadlines.
Contact us
Have any questions? Get in touch.
For queries regarding the application process, the projects on offer or your eligibility, please contact the Doctoral Academy.