Application Process
Before applying, make sure you choose the right programme by reading the prospectus entry and programme admissions statement fully. Please read the guidance below very carefully; applications failing to follow it will be rejected.
Entry Requirements
Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum of an upper-second class honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline. The Interactive Artificial Intelligence CDT is primarily aimed at students with a first degree in engineering or science and with strong programming skills, but will also consider applicants with suitable skills acquired in employment.
The most critical requirement is a passion for artificial intelligence and the desire to explore and solve societal problems.
Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills, a willingness to learn from and teach others, a desire to be an innovative leader in the field and have strong technical abilities (programming and software engineering skills; some level of sophistication in linear algebra, probability, stats, and discrete maths).
Deadlines
Applications for September 2023 entry are invited. The deadline for applications is the 31st January 2023.
The programme may close before the advertised deadline if full. You will find the following webpages useful in completing your application:
- Advice on How to Apply
- Why study with us?
- University Postgraduate Prospectus page
- Open research projects
Please email iai-cdt-admissions@bristol.ac.uk if you have any queries.
Online application
The following documents are required as part of the application:
- Degree certificate(s)
- Academic transcript(s)
- Personal statement. This is the most important part of your application; make sure you have reade the following guidance on 'Writing your Personal Statement' below.
- Two academic references
- English language certificates are required from applicants for whom English is not the native language and whose full undergraduate degree was not taught in an English-speaking country (please see the English Language Requirements for further information)
The following documents are optional as part of the application:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) – strongly recommended
- Additional References
- Research statement/proposal – this should be part of your personal statement as explained below. If the University application system requests this is a mandatory part of your application just submit the personal statement here also.
Writing your Personal Statement
Your personal statement is the most important part of your application. It consists of two parts: a statement of purpose (1 page) and a research statement (1-2 pages).
In the statement of purpose we want to hear about your motivation and suitability for the programme. It is a little bit like a job application. We want you to be clear why you are interested in doing a PhD in this particular topic and what you wish to achieve through doctoral studies in the CDT. We would like to get a sense of why you are excited about Interactive AI, where you think you could learn and extend your knowledge, and what you could add to the cohort of students.
Specifically, your one-page statement of purpose should:
- explain your motivation for applying to the programme and how it relates to your plans for the future: Why Interactive AI? Why a CDT? Why a PhD?
- discuss what Interactive AI means to you and why you wish to study this area of AI over any other;
- highlight elements of your academic record which align with the focus of this programme;
- highlight any other relevant skills or experience that would bring an interesting unique perspective to discussions with fellow students in the programme.
Your research statement should demonstrate your understanding of what PhD research involves and how a research project is structured. The research you write about may not necessarily be the research you will end up pursuing in the CDT, but gives us the opportunity to assess your suitability for the programme and your research potential.
This year we will be recruiting for a number of specific research projects which are described here. We would strongly suggest you choose one of these projects to base your research statement on, but if you really want you can come up with your own topic as long as it is relevant for Interactive AI.
Specifically, your research statement should be no longer than 2 pages and cover as much as possible of the following:
- Aim and objectives: What are the central aims and research questions that will guide your research? Explain what questions you are trying to answer or which hypotheses you want to test.
- Background: Contextualise your aims and objectives in a broader field of study, identifying the main literature in which your work will be situated.
- Methodology: Explain how you are going to conduct your research; what information you would need, how you would collect it and how you are going to analyse it.
Open research projects
This year we will be recruiting for a number of specific research projects which are described here. We would strongly suggest you choose one of these projects to base your research statement on, but if you really want you can come up with your own topic as long as it is relevant for Interactive AI.
Assessment of applications
All applicants are considered on an equal basis in line with the University’s Equality and Diversity Policy.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded into the ethos of the CDT; we believe a diverse cohort leads to creativity, exciting research, and increased impact. For the Interactive AI CDT, diversity is not solely achieved by recruiting a diverse student cohort but developed from an inclusive and supportive culture which makes everyone feel welcome. This is integral to the expectation we have that our cohort will not only support each other, but learn from each other and respect differences. The CDT, alongside the University of Bristol, are actively promoting real change in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion, and will actively monitor and support the CDT reaching its equality, diversity and inclusivity goals.
Applicants are considered holistically on their own merit and in competition with the rest of the applicant cohort during that academic cycle.
Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with members of the CDT management team. This is a fundamental part of the selection process and only candidates shortlisted following the application will be invited.
All interviews are conducted by members of staff who have been trained in equality, diversity and inclusion with respect to recruitment techniques. All interviews are undertaken in accordance with the University's policy on equal opportunities.
English language requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English, and whose full undergraduate degree was not taught in an English-speaking country, must hold/achieve a minimum score in an approved English language test as specified in Profile E of the University's English Language Requirements Policy.
Please read the further information about English language requirements and conditions of offer.