Overview

The Open University has a long standing and well established research degrees programme with more than 1200 postgraduate research students working on a wide range of projects.

There are over 250 full-time directly registered students working on research projects at the University’s campus in Milton Keynes. Most of our part-time directly registered research students are combining their research degree studies with jobs and/or family responsibilities.

In addition there are students registered for Open University research degrees at Affiliated Research Centres.  Many of these are industrial, commercial or public sector research laboratories with a strong commitment to training young researchers.

You can find out about being a research student at The Open University in the prospectus link below. 

Coming soon will be a brand new website which will provide information about research degrees and the research profile at The Open University.  You will also find details on studentships as they become available.

Research Degrees Prospectus

Download an Application form for admission for a Research Degree or the full-time Master of Research (MRes)

How to apply for a Research Degree: 

1. Download the application form. Application Form
   
2. Enter the discipline(s) of the areas you wish your proposal to be covered by.
3. Tick the box to indicate which degree you wish to apply for
   
4. To write a proposal, use the ‘How to Apply’ section on pages 24  - 25, in the prospectus. Research Degrees Prospectus (This does not apply to EdD applicants)
   
5. Email your completed application form and proposal to the one of the following email addresses according to the faculty relating to the main area of interest for your research:

• Faculty of Arts:
  research-degrees-Arts@open.ac.uk
• Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET):
  research-degrees-CREET@pen.ac.uk
• Doctorate in Education (EdD):
  research-degrees-EdD@open.ac.uk
• Faculty of Health and Social Care:
  research-degrees-HSC@open.ac.uk
• Centre for Research in Computing:
  research-degrees-MCT@open.ac.uk
• Knowledge Media Institute (KMi):
  research-degrees-KMi@open.ac.uk
  
• Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology:
  research-degrees-MCT@open.ac.uk
• The Open University Business School:
  research-degrees-OUBS@open.ac.uk
• Faculty of Science:
  research-degrees-Science@open.ac.uk
• Faculty of Social Sciences:
  research-degrees-SocSci@open.ac.uk

The Research Degrees Team in the Research School is responsible for the operational administration of the research degrees programme.